According to Android Police, Google has finally pushed the Android 16 QPR1 source code to AOSP after a two-month delay since the operating system’s initial rollout in September. The company had confirmed it would release the code but provided no timeline, leaving custom ROM development in limbo. The source code includes all the new features from the September update, including Material 3 Expressive design and Live Activities. Coincidentally, Google released the code on the same day it seeded the November Pixel Feature Drop to compatible devices. The missing device trees and driver binaries for Pixel phones continue to pose challenges for developers. This marks the first time Google has delayed QPR source code availability this significantly.
What this means for custom ROMs
Here’s the thing – for regular Android users, this doesn’t change much. But for the custom ROM community? This is huge. Popular ROMs like LineageOS recently released version 23 based on the initial Android 16 build, which basically missed all the good stuff from QPR1. Now they can actually build ROMs with Material 3 Expressive and all the other enhancements that make Android 16 worth using.
And it’s not just about current features either. Having the source code live on AOSP means developers can dig through it and see what Google’s cooking up for future versions. It’s like getting a sneak peek at where Android is heading next.
The Pixel elephant in the room
But here’s the catch – and it’s a big one. Google still isn’t releasing Pixel device trees and driver binaries. So even with all this shiny new source code available, custom ROM development for Pixel devices is basically stuck. It’s like having the recipe but not the right baking pans.
This creates a weird situation where older devices from other manufacturers might actually get better custom ROM support than current Pixels. I mean, think about that – phones that Google doesn’t even make anymore could end up with better Android 16 QPR1 experiences than actual Pixel devices through custom ROMs.
What about the next release?
Now everyone’s wondering – will Google pull this again with QPR2 in December? The pattern here isn’t great. If this becomes the new normal, it could seriously hurt the custom ROM ecosystem that’s been part of Android’s identity since the beginning.
The Reddit discussion shows the community is relieved but still worried. Two months is a long time to wait for source code that used to drop almost immediately. It feels like Google’s relationship with the developer community is changing, and not necessarily for the better.
So while today’s news is definitely a win, the bigger question remains: is Google slowly closing off Android’s open source roots? Only time will tell, but the signs aren’t exactly encouraging.
