What you need to know
Android enthusiasts with Pixel devices have a new opportunity to engage with the latest innovations as Google begins the rollout of Android 17 QPR3 Beta 1. This update is now available for a range of Pixel models, from the Pixel 6a to the Pixel 11 family, with most devices receiving build DP11.260918.006, while Pixel 11 users will see DP11.260918.005.
For those unfamiliar, the QPR updates serve as quarterly enhancements that build upon the initial launch of Android 17. These updates focus on refining performance and addressing issues without introducing breaking changes to the API, allowing developers to test their applications with assurance.
- Android 17 QPR3 Beta 1 is rolling out to Pixel phones ahead of its expected stable release next year.
- Google is fixing a long list of issues, including crashes, fingerprint freezes, eSIM problems, Wi-Fi failures, battery drain, and Bluetooth audio glitches.
- A stable release is targeted for March 2027.
This beta version aims to address a variety of technical issues that have been reported by users. Here’s a glimpse of the problems that Google is working to resolve:
- Audio output device cannot be switched while playing audio from apps without active media controls. (Issue #259180936)
- Apps crash when attempting to start a foreground service from a Quick Settings tile. (Issue #299506164)
- Application icons in the app menu display with excessive spacing. (Issue #316288379, Issue #300758716)
- App previews fail to display in the recent apps screen. (Issue #515091621)
- NFC service crashes with DeadObjectException and stops detecting tags after the initial scan on Android 16. (Issue #456078994)
- Device freezes and becomes unresponsive when unlocking with the fingerprint sensor. (Issue #490719716, Issue #514867650, Issue #523022829)
- Device crashes when selecting the require eyes to be open option in Face Unlock settings. (Issue #466618368, Issue #522677686)
- MediaPlayer crashes when handling non-ASCII audio attribute tags. (Issue #552043106)
- Applications freeze and trigger an Application Not Responding (ANR) error when launched. (Issue #484969809, Issue #475406236)
- Camera feed is rotated 90 degrees when using video calling apps on an external display in desktop mode. (Issue #432390710)
- User interface issues when navigating back to the home screen from an app. (Issue #566639975)
- Unexpected dot displayed on the Mobile Data icon in Quick Settings. (Issue #551150806)
- Front camera fails to function while screen recording is active. (Issue #523313834)
- Calling apps crash with ForegroundServiceStartNotAllowedException when handling calls immediately after device reboot. (Issue #409069722)
- eSIM profile cannot be enabled and silently reverts to off in Settings. (Issue #541436675)
- Excessive battery drain during idle when Flip to Shh is enabled. (Issue #560036427)
- Settings app crashes when opening battery settings. (Issue #554603197)
- Audio playback stops on active LHDC v5 Bluetooth devices when a second connected device disconnects. (Issue #554992287)
- com.android.phone crash loop and complete loss of cellular service when the modem reports unexpected SIM slot indices. (Issue #554049220)
- Wi-Fi fails to automatically reconnect during background wakes when hardware PNO scans fail or are unsupported. (Issue #551970385)
As the beta phase progresses, users can anticipate a stable release by early next year. For those preferring to remain on the stable channel, it’s advisable to hold off on this update until the public QPR2 launch, which can be accessed by unenrolling from the Android Beta Program.
