Another month, another step closer to the second Android 13 Quarterly Platform Release, otherwise known as QPR2, becoming a stable version. The first month of 2023 has already seen a breakneck pace to Android-related releases — we just got the January 2023 security bulletin last week, and started this week off with a fresh new set of Play system updates. Now Google's following that up with the release of QPR2 Beta 2 for eligible Pixel phones.
Just as with the last release, this update is available for the Pixel 4a and newer in the form of software version T2B2.221216.006. As with most beta software, the new build primarily focuses on providing bug fixes for problems spotted in the previous beta release. It also includes the January 2023 security patch that rolled out for stable channel users a while ago. Google's notes for this update don't include any new features, though that doesn't necessarily mean there aren't changes to be found in this latest iteration of Android 13's QPR2 edition.
Here's the full list of changes:
- Fixed an issue with the System UI that sometimes caused the Home screen to become unresponsive.
- Fixed an issue where, after switching back to Normal video capture mode from Slow Motion mode in the Google Camera app, the app continued capturing slow-motion video if the capture speed was changed between 1/8x and 1/4x while in Slow Motion mode.
Apart from the aforementioned bug fixes, the update also bumps the Google Play services version from 22.39.10 to 22.41.13.
Google notes that it's aware of three bugs related to the Android Platform already identified in this current build. If you aren't already enrolled in the beta program, consider these shortcomings before you update:
- The list of Recent apps sometimes becomes unresponsive if the screen orientation is changed while the list is open.
- In some cases when entering and exiting Picture-in-picture (PiP) mode from an app after changing the screen orientation, the system Settings app crashes with a "Settings keeps stopping" message and then the system Settings app can't be opened.
- An issue with the System UI can sometimes cause it to crash from a null pointer exception.
For the Pixel devices already enrolled in the Android 13 beta program, those will automatically receive an over-the-air incremental update to QPR2 Beta 2. You can also download the full OTA or the factory image from the link below if you want to manually upgrade to the latest beta release.
Download Android 13 QPR2 Beta 2
Source: Android Beta Program on Reddit