What you want to know
- Google begins rolling out Android 14 QPR2 Beta 3 to enrolled testers starting from the Pixel 5a (5G) to the Pixel 8 Professional, together with the Pixel Fold and Pixel Pill.
- The patch goals to resolve Bluetooth interruptions, crashes, and a few unresponsiveness throughout the Pixel ecosystem amongst many extra.
- Google can be making an attempt one other repair for the Pixel Fold’s unlock issues as customers nonetheless encounter a black display screen when unlocking their gadget when folded.
The subsequent quarterly characteristic drop is about two months away, and Google is continuous its check with the Android 14 QPR2 Beta 3. As detailed by Android Builders, Beta 3 is rolling out now to all enrolled testers with a Pixel 5a (5G) as much as the Pixel 8 Professional, alongside the Pixel Fold and Pixel Pill.
These in search of the OTA replace will discover construct quantity AP11.231215.007 because it turns into accessible. Customers on Reddit state the replace is round 337MB on the Pixel 8 Professional.
There are six “prime points” Google goals to resolve with its March characteristic drop, and people fixes are as follows:
Beta 3 affords a couple of extra fixes, which embrace one for an issue with multi-fingered gestures that triggered them to cease working. One other repair has are available concerning Pixel gadgets not responding when double-tapped or when the facility button was pressed to wake its show. “Larger than regular” CPU utilization can be reportedly fastened in Beta 3, as nicely.
For the Pixel Fold, Google states it has fastened a problem customers encountered when unlocking the gadget, closed, triggered the interior show to stay black. The corporate stated it fastened this drawback throughout Beta 2, nonetheless, it seems like customers had been nonetheless affected by it.
As traditional, Google states that enrolled testers ought to give the replace as much as 5 days earlier than it seems. Nevertheless, you’ll be able to manually test to see if you happen to’ve acquired it by heading into your Settings > System > System updates.
Here is what’s new in Android 14 QPR2 Beta 3 🧵 pic.twitter.com/dg83HjRe1PJanuary 10, 2024
Mishaal Rahman dove into Beta 3 and found Google added a brand new “make all apps darkish” possibility inside Settings > Accessibility > coloration and movement. Basically, the toggleable characteristic “inverts” the colours of apps that don’t help a darkish theme, so customers can have a seamless expertise throughout all put in purposes.
Moreover, the Beta’s deep dive revealed a brand new API within the Android OS that lets apps “programmatically” change media output. Rahman explains apps might select a particular gadget for audio and one other for video if enabled. The in-development app permission reveals it could have entry to your related gadgets and resolve which ought to deal with every process.
Lastly, Android 14 QPR2 Beta 3 seemingly holds clues that Google might roll out its taskbar pinning perform quickly. When toggled, customers would go from a “transient” floating taskbar to a “persistent” one nestled on the backside of your show.
The replace is in preparation for the March 2024 characteristic drop, which is about two months away — as long as there are no issues. The December 2023 drop introduced in Google’s new AI Mannequin Gemini to the Pixel 8 Professional for on-device duties like summaries and “Sensible Reply in Gboard.”
King of the Androids
Google’s Pixel 8 Professional arrived filled with AI software program for sprucing up your movies with Audio Magic Eraser and Magic Eraser for reducing issues out of our pictures. Just lately, the gadget picked up Google’s new Gemini AI mannequin with a few new on-device duties for summarizing your recordings and extra.
