Get a sneak peek at the cool new features coming with first 2024 Pixel feature drop

Over the past few weeks, we’ve been covering beta releases for Android 14 QPR1. These betas have new features we’ll see in the December 2023 Pixel feature drop. Today, though, Google launched the Android 14 QPR2 beta 1, which is what we’ll see in March 2024.

The launch of this new beta means the beta program for Android 14 QPR1 is now closed. The features we’ve seen in that beta program will launch in December as the final Pixel feature drop of the year.

Google also sends these features to the Android Open-Source Project (AOSP), which means they show up in stock Android. Most should appear in Android skins — such as Samsung’s One UI — but some features will be exclusive to Pixels, at least to start.

Android 14 QPR2 beta 1 features and fixes

There are a number of new features in this release. Below, we’ve summarized the coolest ones. This is not an exhaustive list. If you want a true deep dive, our friend Mishaal Rahman has everything on X (formerly Twitter).

• Up-to-date revamp: When you update to the latest software on a Pixel device, you’ll now see a new screen that says, “Your Pixel is up to date.” It’s not a big change, but is a nice detail for people who update religiously every month.
• Record a single app: Using Android’s built-in screen recorder today requires you to record your entire display. Android 14 QPR2 beta 1 introduces a new way to record just an app. When starting a recording, you pick the app you want to record, and your video output will only show that app, not your status bar or navigation area.
• Single-app screencast: Similarly to the new screen recording feature, you can now cast a single app to another display, preventing you from casting your status bar and navigation area.
• Taskbar updates: Android’s taskbar appears on large displays, such as tablets and foldables. The app drawer icon for the taskbar is different in Android 14 QPR2 beta 1, and the app drawer that opens when you tap it has a search bar, finally.

Along with these new features, there are also fixes:

• Fixed an issue that caused the package manager to crash when installing some apps (Issue #303849830)
• Fixed an issue that sometimes prevented users from submitting feedback using the Android Beta Feedback app (Issue #307592531)
• Fixed an issue that sometimes prevented a device from connecting to a 5G network when it was available (Issue #306294357)