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Android 14 QPR 2 Beta 3 rolling out for Pixels, here's what Google didn't announce
- Google has released Android 14 QPR 2 Beta 3 for supported Pixels.
- This release includes many bug fixes and features that Google did not mention in its release notes.
Android 14 is the flavor of the season, and the updates keep coming. Google has a branch of Android releases called Quarterly Platform Releases (QPR), which includes changes the company makes to Android after the launch of the stable platform update. QPR further has a stable and a beta branch. Google has just released Beta 3 of Android 14’s QPR 2 (AP11.231215.007), including a bunch of announced and unannounced changes.
Changes that Google announced for Android 14 QPR 2 Beta 3
Google has released Android 14 QPR 2 Beta 3 for the following Pixel devices:
- Pixel 5a
- Pixel 6 and 6 Pro
- Pixel 6a
- Pixel 7 and 7 Pro
- Pixel 7a
- Pixel Fold
- Pixel Tablet
- Pixel 8 and 8 Pro
You can read the changelog of fixes in Google’s release notes, and it includes fixes for Bluetooth connections, devices crashing after a restart, devices rebooting while in idle mode, and more. This build also includes the January 2024 security patch.
Other changes that Google didn’t announce
This release also includes many changes that Google didn’t explicitly announce but are present in Android 14 QPR 2 Beta.
New popup dialog for the Bluetooth Quick Setting tile
As spotted by the (unofficial) Google News Telegram Channel, the Bluetooth Quick Settings tile now works similarly to the Wi-Fi tile. Clicking on the tile no longer toggles Bluetooth directly but opens up a new submenu that lists your connected devices and lets you toggle the connection.
While this removes the ability to toggle Bluetooth quickly, most users are more frequently looking to connect and disconnect particular devices rather than completely toggling Bluetooth.
New “Make all apps dark” setting
As spotted by Mishaal Rahman, the new update is preparing to add a new “make all apps dark” toggle under Settings > Accessibility > Color and motion.
The setting previously existed under Developer Options, and it inverts the colors of apps that don’t support a dark theme.
Taskbar pinning feature could launch soon, adds a new demo animation
Google introduced a taskbar in Android 12L, providing quick access to some apps on any screen on a large device like a tablet or foldable. This taskbar’s functionality was expanded to include your app drawer in Android 13, but it switched its state from being a persistent taskbar to a transient, floating taskbar.
As Mishaal notes, Google continues to work on letting users switch between the floating taskbar and the persistent taskbar.
It looks like that taskbar pinning feature I spotted back in June could launch soon! This feature lets you switch between the floating “transient” taskbar and the “persistent” taskbar.A new animation has been added to the Pixel Launcher that demos this feature, as shown below. pic.twitter.com/dcOQTvRkbA— Mishaal Rahman (@MishaalRahman) January 10, 2024
Weather lockscreen clock style now shows icons for alarms and DND
The “weather” lockscreen on Google Pixel phones includes a vertical date and other unconventional styling elements, but it was missing information on alarms and DND.
This update adds the appropriate icons for upcoming alarms and when Do Not Disturb mode is on, as reported by the (unofficial) Google News Telegram Channel.
We expect more features to be spotted as enthusiasts spend more time with the update.