Android 14 QPR3 Beta 3 just fixed a bunch of bugs ahead of March’s Pixel Feature Drop

Summary

• Google released Android 14 QPR2 Beta 3 with bug fixes for issues such as Bluetooth interruptions, device crashing, and live wallpaper animation.
• Eligible devices for this update include all Pixel phones, tablets, and foldables from the 5a to the 8 Pro.
• Users can check for the update through Google’s updates hub or manually install it for faster installation, but flashing factory images or sideloading the OTA if speed is a priority.

Google released Android 14 QPR2 Beta 2 in early December, and we quickly discovered that it was packed with tons of hidden features, most of which should make their debut when the March 2024 Pixel Feature Drop is released. The beta program for this Quarterly Platform Release seems to be humming along nicely, as Google just dropped a third build (well, fourth if you’re counting the quick 1.1 patch release) while most of us were distracted by CES 2024 in Las Vegas.

Google announced Android 14 QPR2 Beta 3 on Reddit today, and the new version has a build number of AP11.231215.007 on eligible devices, which are every Pixel phone, tablet, and foldable from the 5a to the 8 Pro. Like the most recent stable channel update, this version’s security patch level is January 2024. As you’d expect with an update towards the end of a beta cycle, this update’s release notes features a laundry list of bug fixes:

• Fixed an issue where SPIR-V sequences of OpShiftLeft followed by OpShiftRight didn’t produce the expected results for ARM Vulkan driver versions 43.0 and 44.0. (Issue #314048080)
• Fixed issues that sometimes caused Bluetooth connections to be interrupted for some devices. (Issue #315324137, Issue #317798832)
• Fixed issues that sometimes caused a device to crash or become unresponsive after restarting. (Issue #317282987, Issue #316689583, Issue #316188779)
• Fixed issues that in some rare cases caused devices to reboot while in idle mode. (Issue #316903919, Issue #316557374)
• Fixed an issue that caused live wallpapers to stop animating. (Issue #312869160)
• Fixed an issue that prevented Google Assistant from activating in some cases. (Issue #311934282)
• Fixed an issue that sometimes caused multi-finger gestures to stop working.
• Fixed an issue where the device’s screen didn’t initially turn on when the screen was double-tapped or the power button was pressed.
• Fixed an issue that sometimes caused higher than usual CPU usage during video playback.
• Fixed a system issue that sometimes caused poor audio quality or higher power consumption when making calls.
• Fixed an issue where the keyboard was always shown even if the “Swipe up to start search” setting was disabled in system settings.
• Fixed an issue where sometimes when a user unlocked the device using their fingerprint, there was no haptic feedback.
• Fixed an issue for Pixel Fold devices where sometimes after a user unlocked the device while it was folded, the inner display didn’t turn on after unfolding the device.
• Fixed various issues that were impacting system stability, performance, connectivity, camera, and accessibility.

Even though he’s away from his workstation at CES, Mishaal Rahman has kicked off his customary Twitter thread with some of the more exciting changes that have been spotted in this build. So far, the biggest addition seems to be a feature he reported on for Android Police last month: the Bluetooth Quick Settings tile now has a popup mini-menu, much like the Internet tile. There’s also a new Accessibility setting that mirrors the existing Developer Options entry allowing you to force apps into dark mode.

If you’re enrolled in the beta program, you can check for this update through Google’s new updates hub, which can be found under Settings → System → Software updates → System update. As we had noticed in a previous QPR2 beta, updates now install much faster since they spend less time optimizing, though Beta 2 seemed to reverse that trend, so you may want to try the manual method of flashing the factory images or sideloading the OTA if speed is a priority.

Meanwhile, Google showed off nearly every major Android foldable at its CES booth today, giving us a glimpse of its priorities for Android in 2024. Our own Will Sattelberg and Taylor Kerns went on a tour and took lots of pictures, and AI, of course, was a common theme at the exhibit, with spaces to highlight tools like Bard, Magic Compose, and Duet AI in Workspace. It’s definitely an exciting time to be a tech enthusiast.