The first beta release ofAndroid 14wasriddled with bugs, so Google quickly droppedBeta 1.1to fix the most egregious errors. There were still plenty of problems, but most of those were addressed whenAndroid 14 Beta 2was sent out duringGoogle I/O 2023. Just over two weeks later, Google is back at it with the release of Android 14 Beta 2.1, adding a touch of polish to what has been a somewhat rocky development cycle so far.
Google announced the updateon Reddit todayfor eligible Pixel phonesenrolled in the beta program. The new version has a build number ofUPB2.230407.019and brings theMay security patchesto Pixel 6, 6 Pro, and 6a devices on Verizon, which were previously stuck on theApril security update.
Therelease notesaren’t particularly exciting for this version, but they do include fixes for a bug that was preventing some users from opting out of the beta program. If you’ve been experiencing problems getting your Pixel off the beta, you’ll have to update to Android 14 Beta 2.1, then remove your lock screen protection before opting out.
It’s worth noting that there’s still an ongoing beta program for Android 13 QPR3, which should be released as a stable update next month in the form of theJune Pixel Feature Drop. People who are enrolled in that beta program will be offered the Android 14 Beta 2.1 update, so be careful not to accept it if you’re planning on sticking with Android 13. If there is another test version of Android 13 QPR3 after last week’sBeta 3.2, it will replace the pending Android 14 Beta 2.1 OTA in your system settings once it becomes available.
Meanwhile, the Android 14 beta program has been expanded to include phones from manufacturers like Xiaomi, Nothing, and Vivo. But we found that the beta build wasconsiderably more buggy on non-Pixel phones, so it’s probably not something you’d want to install on your daily driver.
For those of you who are enrolled inthe Android 14 beta program, you can get Beta 2.1 by heading toSettings -> System -> System update, then tappingCheck for update. However, Google’s seamless updates systemtends to make these types of updates take forever, so it’s usually faster touse Android Flash Toolto install thefactory imagesor sideload theOTA.
