- Android 16 QPR1 Beta 1 revamps the recents screen, making the app context menu for actions like split-screen more discoverable with a new pill-shaped button.
- This button now displays the app’s name and a downward arrow, a common indicator for additional menus, helping users find previously hidden options.
- Other visual changes include pill-shaped containers for “Screenshot” and “Select” buttons and a blurred wallpaper background aligning with Material 3 Expressive.
If you’re new to Android, figuring out how to put two apps in split-screen mode might not be intuitive. This is because the button for split-screen is often hidden in a context menu many users may not realize exists. To access this menu, you need to press and hold an app’s icon in the recents screen—a gesture that lacks a clear visual cue. This discoverability challenge might be why Google has adjusted the recents screen in the latest Android 16 beta.
In today’s Android 16 QPR1 Beta 1 release, Google has made a subtle but significant change to the recents screen, making the context menu for each app more discoverable. Previously, only the app’s icon appeared above its task. Now, the recents screen displays the app’s icon, its name, and a downward-pointing arrow within a small pill-shaped button overlaid on the task.