Today was the Android 16 release, and one of its biggest features is missing. Which we expected, considering it wasn’t announced until after the final Android 16 beta. And that is Material 3 Expressive. This new redesign for Android is going to be part of the Android 16 QPR1 update, which is going to arrive on September 3, 2025, according to Android Authority. That would be exactly three months from the original launch date for Android 16.
As part of this update, the new desktop mode will also arrive. In fact, it debuted today as part of the Android 16 QPR1 Beta 2 update.
This new desktop mode will let you plug your Google Pixel into an external monitor and use it as a desktop computer. If it sounds a lot like Samsung’s DeX, well, that is because Google worked with Samsung to build this feature. It’s going to give you a desktop-like experience, including a taskbar with apps that can be pinned, and showing your running apps.
Material 3 Expressive is Android’s biggest redesign in years
Google hasn’t redesigned Android in many years, and some have started to refer to it as “minimal”. But that’s not the case anymore with Material 3 Expressive. This is a completely new design for Android, with more customization than ever.
It brings in new animations too, making the whole OS feel more bouncy. The purpose of this was to make the design more “expressive” hence the name.
It’s been a pretty polarizing change, since it debuted last month. Google first rolled out the first beta for Material 3 Expressive at Google I/O, and I actually fell in love with it. I wasn’t a huge fan of it in the leaks and images Google shared, but seeing it on my Pixel 9 Pro, made me change my mind.
2025-06-11 15:12:06