PSA: Android 17 QPR2 Beta 3 may mess up your home screen

Aug 17, 2026 — 8:04 AM ET

• The recently released Android 17 QPR2 Beta 3 update contains a couple of irritating bugs, including one that wreaks havoc on the Pixel Launcher and the home screen.
• Meanwhile, the update is also breaking the ability to add new widgets to the home screen, with some users also experiencing touchscreen issues after the update.
• Some have managed to remedy some of the issues by conducting a factory reset, while others have had luck by simply enabling and disabling Android’s private space.

Google recently rolled out Android 17 QPR2 Beta 3, introducing the Quick Settings layout editor while adding new protections against call-forwarding scams. While these are decent additions to Android 17, Google’s latest beta update may also carry a couple of serious bugs that could render your phone unusable.

According to a Pixel 9 Pro user replying to the Android 17 QPR2 Beta 3 thread on Reddit, their home screen “blinks” while leaving an app after the update was installed. Moreover, doing so repeatedly sometimes causes the wallpaper to disappear, the user adds.

Thankfully, it appears a fix already exists, with another affected user saying “deleting and recreating” Android’s Private Space fixes this glitch. The originally affected individual also vouches for this remedy. Based on other comments in the thread, it seems this issue only occurs for users with Private Space enabled.

One of our Pixel phones also had similar issues after the update, such as being unable to return to the home screen from another app and being unable to add new widgets to the home screen. We found that a factory reset cleared these bugs, though this may not be a feasible solution for all impacted users.

Additionally, some users have complained about the app drawer displaying apps in a randomized order. However, this appears to be related to the Private Space issues we touched on above and could potentially be remedied by turning the feature on and off.

These aren’t the only issues being reported about the third beta of Android 17 QPR2. According to a Pixel 7 user, the recent update has left the touchscreen unusable, and we can spot at least a couple of users who are facing the same issue. Google hasn’t responded to this particular bug yet.

Beyond these bugs, the latest Android 17 QPR2 beta includes a couple of feature additions, and some key upgrades to the “Mobile Network Security” feature that debuted with Android 16.