Google releasedAndroid 14 QPR2 Beta 2in early December, and we quickly discovered that it was packed withtons of hidden features, most of which should make their debut when theMarch 2024 Pixel Feature Dropis 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 quick1.1 patch release) while most of us were distracted by CES 2024 in Las Vegas.
Google announced Android 14 QPR2 Beta 3on Reddit today, and the new version has a build number ofAP11.231215.007on eligible devices, which are every Pixel phone, tablet, and foldable from the 5a to the 8 Pro. Like themost 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’srelease notesfeatures a laundry list of bug fixes:
Even though he’s away from his workstation at CES,Mishaal Rahman has kicked offhis 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 underSettings → System → Software updates → System update. As we had noticed in a previous QPR2 beta,updates now install much fastersince they spend less time optimizing, though Beta 2 seemed to reverse that trend, so you may want to try themanual methodof flashing thefactory imagesor sideloading theOTAif 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 Kernswent 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, andDuet AI in Workspace. It’s definitely an exciting time to be a tech enthusiast.
