I downloaded Android 17 QPR2 Beta 4. These 3 features instantly upgraded my Pixel

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While the stable Android 17 QPR2 release is still a while away, Google has been steadily pushing out its cryptically named beta updates to supported Pixel phones. Earlier this week, I got the brilliantly named Android 17 QPR2 Beta 4 update pushed to one of my Pixels. You can probably make out by now that I’m not a big fan of Google’s nomenclature of its beta releases, but what matters is what’s in it.

Before you get your hopes up, the latest update isn’t as big a release as QPR2 Beta 3 , from what I can see, but there are still some nice little nuggets here that should appeal to many users. I’ve spent the last couple of days testing the update on a Pixel 10 Pro, and here are some features that stood out to me.

For years, stock Android on Pixel phones has offered far less, borderline non-existent, status bar customization than Samsung’s One UI or OnePlus’ OxygenOS.

Android 17 QPR2 Beta 4 finally gives users much more control over what is displayed in the status bar. The new status bar, accessed via the new Status Bar option under Notification settings, lets you decide which icons appear at the top of the screen.

The controls are split into two sections that let you manage notification and system icons. As a bit of a minimalist, the ability to toggle between all notifications, priority notifications, and no notifications at all is excellent. I’ve set mine to no notifications for an absolutely clean look. Similarly, the System Icons toggles let you opt in or out of indicators that show mute status, vibration mode, and battery percentage.

While the improved settings pale in comparison to the granular control offered by other Android OEMs, it’s a step in the right direction and very much welcome.

With the QPR2 Beta 4 update, Google is also easing access to the Voice Broadcast feature it had introduced with Beta 2. It’s a somewhat niche feature that has the potential to unlock some pretty interesting use cases.