Friday, 30 October 2026

Android 17 QPR3 Beta 3 brings back app lock, adds screenshot button

Google's third QPR3 beta for Pixel phones restores app lock and lockscreen blur, adds a camera tile and fixes 26 bugs, from Pixel 6a to Pixel 11.

Key points

  • Beta 3 arrived on 29 October for Pixel 6a through Pixel 11 Pro Fold.
  • App lock and lockscreen blur return; a camera tile and screenshot button are new.
  • The build fixes 26 issues; the stable release has no date yet.

Google released Android 17 QPR3 Beta 3 for Pixel phones on 29 October. The build brings back app lock and adds a screenshot shortcut to the power menu and a camera tile in Quick Settings.

It is mostly a bug-fix release. The build addresses 26 issues, and the beta covers every Pixel from the 6a up to the Pixel 11 Pro Fold, plus the Android Emulator.

What changed on screen

9to5Google’s walkthrough of the build lists four visible additions: app lock is back, lockscreen blur returns, Quick Settings gets a camera tile, and the power menu has a screenshot button that captures the whole screen, status and navigation bars included.

Android 17 QPR3 Beta 3 power menu with a Screenshot button below Power off and Restart
The new Screenshot button in the power menu Image: 9to5Google

The same walkthrough groups the fixes by area. Display problems include random flickering, an inner screen on foldables that stayed black after unfolding, and blank white squares on buttons in dark mode. System UI fixes cover Recents flicker after quick-switching, uneven status bar icon spacing and bubbles that stuck at the bottom of the screen after being dismissed.

Quick Settings tiles on a Pixel running Android 17 QPR3 Beta 3, including a new camera tile
The camera tile in Quick Settings Image: 9to5Google

Among the lower-level fixes are Wi-Fi failures on WPA-Enterprise networks using PEAP, a crash on the lock screen, and Force stop not actually ending an app.

Pixel launcher long-press menu with an App lock option
App lock is back in the long-press app menu Image: 9to5Google

Builds and supported phones

Detail Value
Build, Pixel 11 series DP11.261016.004
Build, all other Pixels DP11.261016.003
Security patch level 2026-10-05
Google Play services 26.36.33

Google’s OTA download page names these Pixels: 6a, 7, 7 Pro, 7a, Tablet, Fold, 8, 8 Pro, 8a, 9, 9 Pro, 9 Pro XL, 9 Pro Fold, 9a, 10, 10 Pro, 10 Pro XL, 10 Pro Fold, 10a, 11, 11 Pro, 11 Pro XL and 11 Pro Fold.

Before you install

Enrolled phones get the build over the air through the Android Beta Program. Manual installs use the OTA zip for your model, checked against the SHA-256 value on the page. Google warns that unlocking the bootloader, which it recommends before applying the image, erases all data, and that going back to a public build from a beta needs a full reset. Back up first, and keep a daily-use phone on the stable release if banking or work apps matter to you.

Google has not given a date for the stable QPR3 release.

Rehan Rasheed

News and analysis on gadgets and Pakistan's telecom industry.