Be warned: Android 14 QPR3 Beta 2 is soft-bricking Pixel phones

It looks like there might be an issue with the latest Android 14 QPR3 Beta 2 release. According to 9to5Google and some other users on Reddit, sideloading the newest update is soft-bricking Pixel devices.

The publication reports that while sideloading for QPR3 Beta 2 works typically, any attempts to restart Pixels once the process is complete results in the device being stuck on the Google logo.

Fortunately, this is a soft brick. That means affected Pixels aren’t rendered absolutely useless when the problem occurs. Users can sideload the previous Android 14 QPR3 Beta 1 update to get their Pixels up and running should QPR3 Beta 2 sideloading be problematic.

Meanwhile, those who installed the Android 14 QPR3 Beta 2 OTA update could do so successfully. One user on Reddit also reported that they didn’t have any trouble sideloading the update to their Pixel Fold with the March update.

It’s unclear what the real issue is and if Google will have a fix soon. Meanwhile, it’s advisable to download the latest QPR update only via an OTA to avoid running into the issue.