Google pushes Android 14 QPR2 Beta1 system version, Pixel 4a (5G) and subsequent models can get the update

IT Home reported on November 16 that Google today pushed a new Android 14 QPR2 Beta 1 version for Pixel phones, tablets and Fold models, instead of the previously speculated QPR1 Beta 3.

The following Google Pixel devices can get the Android 14 QPR2 Beta1 system version first, and eligible users can try to check for updates (Pixel 8 and 8 Pro versions are "coming soon"):

• Pixel 4a (5G)
• Pixel 5 and Pixel 5a
• Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro
• Pixel 6a
• Pixel 7 and 7 Pro

Version Number:

• Pixel 5a devices: AP11.231020.013
• Pixel 8 and 8 Pro devices: AP11.231020.014
• Other equipment: AP11.231020.013.A1

Compared to the monthly bug fix updates, this Quarterly Platform Releases (QPR) update brings more significant changes, such as larger UI adjustments and new features.

At the same time, QPR is mainly released in Beta form rather than developer preview version. Google officials said they are "suitable for general use", but there are some known issues. IT Home attached Google's official announcement:

What's new in Beta 2

Android 14 Beta 2 includes some new features and changes worth trying:

• Add support for built-in and custom predictive return animations
• Safe full-screen intent notifications
• Data security information is more visible

General Announcements

Please note the general announcements about this release:

• This version may have stability, battery, or performance issues.
• For users who require accessibility features, this version may not be suitable for daily use.
• Some apps may not work as expected when running on this version. This limitation includes Google apps and other apps.
• Android 14 Beta builds have not yet been verified by the Compatibility Test Suite (CTS), but have passed initial testing to provide developers with a stable set of pre-release APIs. Apps that rely on CTS-verified builds or use SafetyNet APIs may not run properly on Android 14 Beta builds.

Major issues resolved

The following issues have been resolved in Android 14 Beta 2:

Developer-reported issues

• Fixed platform stability issues that could cause UI lags/freezes, app crashes, or device crashes. (Issue #270848913, Issue #274339025, Issue #277039789, Issue #256511926, Issue #279246037, Issue #279301937, Issue #279145050, Issue #279288220, Issue #274827412)
• Fixed an issue where the fingerprint sensor was unable to add new fingerprints for the "Fingerprint Unlock" feature in certain circumstances. (Issue #277950569)
• Fixed UPI and biometric issues that could cause some apps to not work properly. (Issue #278003306, Issue #277967514, Issue #278043615)
• Fixed an issue where you couldn't unlock your device with your fingerprint after tapping a notification or selecting a notification action on the locked screen. (Issue #278174846)
• Fixed an issue on some devices that caused sound to play through the speakers instead of the connected headphones. (Issue #278043129)
• Fixed an issue that caused icons on the Home screen to be barely visible. (Issue #277970542)
• Fixed gesture navigation issues that occurred when using a custom launcher:

• Home screen content does not appear, and swiping up to return to the home screen does not animate. (Issue #277981298)
• The list of recently used apps cannot be accessed using regular gestures. (Issue #277983179)

• Fixed an issue that prevented users from interacting with notifications in the notification shade. (Issue 278339342, Issue 276534576)
• Fixed an issue that could cause the device to crash after completing an audio or video call. (Issue #279539689)

Other issues resolved

• Fixed an issue where the screen would flicker when launching any app after entering and exiting Picture-in-Picture mode.
• Fixed an issue where user restrictions set by a DPC Administrator could not be enforced in Settings.
• Fixed an issue where, after taking a photo using the Google Camera app, opening the most recent photo as a thumbnail in the app would cause a green shading to appear briefly on the image.
• Fixed an issue that could result in the battery percentage showing as 0% after a device restart, regardless of the device’s actual charge level.
• Fixed an issue that could result in a device crash and, after a device restart, any wallpapers that were selected before the restart were reset.
• Fixed an issue that prevented the Better Bug app from uploading bug reports.
• Fixed an issue that caused the Back to Home gesture to stop working.
• Fixed an issue that could result in the system Settings app crashing repeatedly.
• Fixed an issue resulting in users being unable to search in the system Settings app.
• Fixed an issue that sometimes caused a null pointer exception in the input method editor (IME).
• Fixed an issue that sometimes increased system-wide memory usage unnecessarily.
• Fixed a system issue that could sometimes cause a deadlock.

Other known issues

Based on our testing, you may experience the following issues when using Android 14 Beta 2. These are known issues, so there is no need to submit additional reports for similar issues.

Android platform

• An issue with the Credential Manager platform API causes instability in apps that use these APIs. A fix is ​​available in the latest preview of the Android 14 SDK, which developers can install using Android Studio. Developers who have previously installed a preview of the Android 14 SDK should completely uninstall the previous version and then reinstall the SDK to apply the fix.
• A system UI issue can sometimes cause the screen to flicker when playing videos or using apps in picture-in-picture mode.
• In some cases, if a video was playing in picture-in-picture mode when it was closed, the video would continue to play in the background even after closing the app.
• If you use the back gesture in the PiP settings screen, the video playing in PiP mode stops playing abruptly.
• System UI issues can cause the GPU to hang, resulting in Application Not Responding (ANR) errors.
• System issues can sometimes cause your device's GPS service to stop functioning until the device is restarted.
• In certain circumstances, issues with the IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) can prevent a device from making Wi-Fi calls.

application

• When using a device with a work profile, the Google Play Store app in the work profile hangs or crashes on launch.
• After selecting the "Info" option for a recent caller in the Google Phone app, a blank screen is displayed.
• The Google Photos app may sometimes crash if you try to open certain photos.
• When "three-button" navigation is enabled for a device, putting Google Maps in picture-in-picture mode causes the picture-in-picture window to disappear.
• When gesture navigation is enabled for the device, putting a video in Picture-in-Picture (PiP) mode in the Google TV app causes the PiP window to disappear, even though playback continues and audio can still be heard.
• Locking and unlocking your device while playing a video in the Google TV app may cause the device to freeze.

Android Studio and Tools

• An issue in Android Studio causes a SecurityException to be thrown when trying to run your app after the first time or when applying incremental changes. To resolve this issue, completely uninstall your app, reinstall it on your test device, and then run your app again. A fix for this issue is included in Android Studio Giraffe | 2022.3.1 Canary 4 or higher.