Google makes beta 3 of Android 14 available on Pixels: here's what's new

Having discarded the tree and picked up the keyboards again, Google's team of developers returned to work on next update of Android 14, releasing a new beta dedicated to developers.

Testers can finally get their hands on Android 14 QPR2 Beta 3, a release which, despite being considered “minor”, brings with it several new features.
Presumably, it is also the last one which, based on estimates, will see the light before the final version, arriving next March.

The long-awaited third beta is about to be released on all Pixel devices supported by Google, namely Pixel 5a, Pixel 6, 6a and 6 Pro, Pixel 7, 7 Pro, Pixel 7a, Pixel Fold, Pixel Tablet, as well as for the recent Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro.

Despite Google's recent silence on Android 14 QPR2 and new features, significant changes can be found in the newly released version.

Sometimes they come back

The goal of this release is to address several bugs reported and introduce improvements aimed at meeting the needs of Google smartphone users.

The new beta therefore presents numerous, albeit necessary, changes.
The first concerns the introduction of multimedia recommendations Google Assistant, previously available but with the absence of data recovery via the Assistant, a gap now filled.

Subsequently, Google decided to restore the “Your Pixel is up to date” screen.
While it's not a major change, it does give users the ability to access it again if they missed it.

With the latest update, spacing problems between the time and the icons in the status bar have also been resolved, significantly improving the overall appearance of the interface.

Additionally users will be able to expand the Bluetooth card directly from the quick settings.
This feature, previously removed for an unknown reason, has now been restored.

Resolutions and repairs

Another important innovation is the introduction of the long-rumored repair mode in QPR2, although it was already available in Android 14 starting last December.

In addition to this, a series of system issues have been resolved, as reported:

• Fixed inconsistencies that occasionally affected the effectiveness of multitouch gestures.
• Fixed an issue where the device screen would not initially wake up when double-tapping or pressing the power button.
• Addressed an issue that sometimes caused high CPU usage during video playback.
• Addressed a system issue that occasionally resulted in poor audio quality or increased power consumption during calls.
• Fixed a bug where the keyboard remained visible even though the “Swipe up to start search” setting was disabled in the system settings.
• Fixed an anomaly where there would sometimes be no haptic feedback when a user unlocked the device via fingerprint.
• Fixed an issue specific to Pixel Fold devices where the internal display would sometimes not light up after unlocking the folded device.
• Addressed various issues impacting system stability, performance, connectivity, camera, and accessibility.

This beta version is accessible to enrolled in the Beta Program via Factory Image and OTA, and is expected to be the last before the official launch of the full Android 14 update.

There is an update for too Pixel Watchwith security patches updated in January 2024. All four models of the Pixel Watch, namely Pixel Watch (GPS), Pixel Watch (GPS + LTE), Pixel Watch 2 (GPS), and Pixel Watch 2 (GPS + LTE) , they can upgrade to the new firmware.