A small touch, but an appreciated one
After a month without any early software worth testing, Google returned yesterday with Android 13 QPR1’s first beta. It’s a release chock full of secrets, from upcoming improvements to phone calls to hidden animations previewing future hardware. Of course, there are also a handful of smaller changes as Google continues to build on the groundwork first laid with Android 13’s stable launch last month, including some new animations found in quick settings.
It’s a small change, but if you’re running QPR1 Beta 1, you’ll spot some newly-animated icons when tapping toggles on and off. While the white glow remains the same, the icon for these toggles also changes. As spotted by Twitter user Theothertruetom, the symbols for quick settings like Do Not Disturb, Battery saver, and Auto-rotate now move in motion as you tap.
It’s undoubtedly a small change, one that’s hard to notice unless you have two phones running different versions of Android 13 alongside each other. It’s also a little unexpected, as Google usually keeps these minor system-level touches to larger upgrades — think Android 14, not Android 13 QPR1.
Overall, this week’s beta launch has proven to be far more substantial than most likely expected. While many of the changes spotted so far remain works-in-progress, it’s clear that Google isn’t finished working on Android 13. If you aren’t enrolled in the beta program, expect to see these tweaks hit a stable update in December, paired with a Pixel Feature Drop.
