Android 17 QPR1 Beta 3 Introduces Default Partial Screenshot and New Overlay Buttons for Large Screens

Google’s Android 17 QPR1 Beta 3 Unveils Screenshot Upgrades

The latest beta introduces a partial screenshot feature by default on large-screen devices and new buttons in the screenshot overlay, though some functionality is still limited on phones.

Previously hidden, the partial screenshot feature is now enabled by default on large-screen devices such as tablets and PCs. The screen recording toolbar offers three distinct capture options:

• Capture the selected window in split-screen mode.
• Capture a selected area of the screen.
• Capture the entire screen.

The option to capture a selected window also works with App Bubbles and apps displayed in windows within Android.

Current Limitations

• On phones, trying to enable the partial screenshot feature results in an unoptimized, enlarged toolbar UI.
• Partial screen recording is not enabled by default on smaller devices.

Future Prospects

• Google may address the user interface for smaller screens in a future release.
• The partial screen recording feature could also be enabled in upcoming updates.

Two new buttons have been identified in the screenshot overlay:

• Copy to clipboard – Saves the screenshot to the clipboard for immediate pasting into apps.
• Open in folder – Navigates directly to the screenshot’s location in the Files app.

Enabling these buttons currently disables the long screenshot functionality, suggesting they are intended for larger screen devices like tablets or devices running Aluminium OS—where the same options were spotted in a leaked build.

Google has not officially announced these features or specified which devices will receive them.