Following the launch of the Pixel 7 series, Google has released the 3rd Beta of the Quarterly Platform Releases (QPRs) to update the platform with fixes and improvements on a quarterly basis. This will be the first of these betas that will include the latest Google flagship device. To those unfamiliar with the QPR betas and how they differ from developer previews and regular betas, the QPR builds are safe for general use and include “the next round of bug fixes and improvements to stability and performance,” as well as user-facing features that are normally rolled out to Pixel devices as part of Feature Drops. Beta 3 (build T1B3.221003.003) resolves the following issues:
Developer-reported and user-reported issues
• Fixed an issue for some devices where the screen unlock UI was displayed over notifications and other lock-screen content. (Issue #254163754)
Other resolved issues
• Fixed an issue that prevented the “Flip camera for selfie” gesture from working on some devices.
• Fixed an issue that sometimes caused the screen to go blank while attempting to unlock a device.
• Fixed an issue that sometimes prevented a device from being unlocked using either Face Unlock or Fingerprint Unlock when the device had been idle for multiple hours.
• Fixed an issue that sometimes caused fullscreen video playback to flicker after enabling always-on-display features and locking the screen.
Aside from the bug fixes, QPR1 Beta 3 on the Pixel 7 series either adds or lays the foundation for some of the features that were promised for that device during the hardware event. One of these is Clear Calling, which didn’t ship with the 7 Series at launch, but is present after installing the QPR beta. The Clear Calling option can be found in Settings > Sound & vibration, and according to the feedback I have seen online, it is working as intended.
Additionally, this beta lays the foundation for the free Google One VPN service that was promised for the Pixel 7 series. Based on this, it’s possible we can start testing it by the time the final QPR build comes around in December.
Three betas of Android 13 QPR1 were planned, so this would make this the last beta, with a stable release expected in December. If you are interested in participating, Beta 3 can be installed over-the-air on the Pixels 4a, 4a (5G), 5, 5a, 6, 6 Pro, 6a, 7, and 7 Pro by enrolling your device on the Android Beta for Pixel program. Once enrolled, after a few minutes, you will be able to update by going to Settings > System > System update > Check for update.
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