Android 14 Beta 5 Fixes a Ton of Issues

Just recently, Google finally rolled out the official August 2023 update for its Pixel devices, which come with a ton of software and security fixes for compatible Google handsets. With that being said however, Pixel owners on the Android 14 Beta also received a new update, which comes with some improvements to overall device performance and stability.

In terms of device compatibility, the beta update will be available for several Pixel devices, including the Pixel 4a (5G), Pixel 5 and 5a, Pixel 6, 6 Pro and 6a, Pixel 7, 7 Pro and 7a, as well as Google’s newer devices, the Pixel Fold and Pixel Tablet. With that being said, the official Android Developer page lists several fixes which are included with the update, consisting of the following:

• Fixed an issue where after unlocking a device using a PIN, TalkBack provides incorrect audio.
• Fixed an issue where Wi-Fi scanning was consuming too much battery.
• Fixed an issue where some pictures would glitch with extra shadow blocks.
• Fixed an issue where in some cases, the fingerprint sensor icon wouldn’t appear as expected.
• Fixed an issue where voice over Wi-Fi wasn’t enabled by default.
• Fixed an issue on Pixel Fold devices where the device loses antenna ranging session information and cannot recover it.
• Fixed an issue where an extraneous white bar would appear in some apps.
• Fixed a background color issue with the UI used to add a shortcut to the home screen.
• Fixed a launcher issue that was causing frequent crashes and other quality issues.
• Fixed an issue on Pixel tablets where user interaction during the transition from screen saver to low-light clock causes a SysUI crash.
• Fixed a Pixel Fold issue where tapping would fail to wake the device.
• Fixed a Pixel Fold issue where the system buttons would have inconsistent positions after folding and unfolding.
• Fixed an issue causing SysUI crashes when removing an app pair in landscape.
• Fixed an issue the launcher doesn’t fully render after setup.
• Fixed an issue where the system displayed an incorrect mobile connection type.
• Fixed an issue where navigating back to exit an app leads to users no longer being able to open the app.
• Fixed an issue where wallpaper previews were sometimes blank.
• Fixed an issue where the system theme changes from yellow to pink after rebooting.
• Fixed an overscroll issue with ScrollView.
• Fixed an issue where certain color palettes were difficult to see when the lock screen was activated.
• Fixed an issue where users couldn’t enable battery sharing if a work profile exists on the device.
• Fixed an issue where a tablet screen inappropriately turns off when docked.
• Fixed an issue where the device policy manager was preventing notifications from appearing.
• Fixed an issue where group notifications couldn’t be expanded.
• Fixed an issue where the lockscreen didn’t properly display the clock.
• Fixed various camera issues that were causing crashes and reductions in quality.
• Fixed an issue with power consumption during video playback.
• Fixed a Weather clock rendering issue.
• Fixed an issue where the lock screen customization preview didn’t match the end result.
• Fixed an issue that was causing the wallpaper selection screen to crash.
• Fixed an issue where Pixel devices weren’t connecting with some routers.
• Fixed a toast search result issue where the color was too similar with the background color.
• Fixed an issue where tapping a notification before using facial unlock does not open the notification.
• Fixed an issue on Pixel Fold where two clocks were displayed at the same time when in widescreen.
• Fixed an issue where widgets would overlap and stack incorrectly.
• Fixed an issue where closing the PiP window doesn’t stop YouTube playback.
• Fixed an issue with switching call audio sources.
• Fixed an issue where after unlocking a device, only the background appears.
• Fixed an issue with dragging folders to remove them.

Users who want to try out the Android 14 Beta will need to proceed to Google’s Android 14 Beta enrolment page, and sign into their Google account to view which of their devices are eligible for the Beta software. Upon opting in a device, a user will then be prompted to select the beta program they’d like to enroll in, after which they’ll need to accept the Android Beta Program Terms of Service.

Should a user wish to roll back to a stable Android build, they’ll need to wipe their device beforehand, and it is recommended that they back up any important files and data from their device. Not doing so prevent users from un-enrolling to a stable public version of Android. It should also be noted that since this is still a beta version of Android, users might still come across some unexpected issues and difficulties with the update.