Android 14 Beta 3 is here with finalized APIs and the latest tweaks
Google is sticking pretty closely to its Android 14 development timeline — right on schedule, the company is releasing Android 14 Beta 3. This new version marks the Platform Stability milestone, where APIs and developer-focused features are now finalized ahead of the last beta releases in July.
Two weeks ago, Android 14 Beta 2.1 fixed some of the worst remaining bugs with the prerelease version. Today, Google VP of Engineering Dave Burke announced that Beta 3 is available for Pixel devices from the 4a 5G all the way up to the Pixel 7a, which can now be enrolled in the beta program. This version has a build number of UPB3.230519.008, and the release notes outline another hefty list of bug fixes:
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The following issues are fixed in Beta 3: Fixed issues that prevented Wi-Fi calling from being enabled for some devices and carriers. (Issue #277964472)
Fixed an issue that caused Direct My Call interactions to fail in some cases where they would normally work. (Issue #278252154)
Fixed system issues that caused unnecessary power consumption in some cases.
Fixed system stability issues that caused UI jank in some cases.
Fixed an issue that caused the system Settings app to crash while setting the wallpaper.
Fixed an issue with the system UI that could cause a GPU hang, leading to "Application Not Responding" (ANR) errors.
Fixed a system issue that could sometimes cause a device's GPS services to stop working until the device was rebooted.
Fixed issues with the IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) that could prevent devices from being able to make Wi-Fi calls in some cases.
Fixed an issue where a blank screen displays after selecting the "Message" option for a recent caller in the Google Phone app.
Fixed an issue where while 3-button navigation was enabled for a device, putting Google Maps into picture-in-picture mode made the picture-in-picture window disappear.
Fixed an issue where locking and unlocking a device while playing a video in the Google TV app could cause the device to freeze.
Fixed an issue with Android Auto where some users could be asked to re-pair Bluetooth.
Fixed issues with Health Connect, including the following issues and other API and system behaviors: An issue where the system back button stopped working while Health Connect integration was in progress. An issue where the Route Permissions screen would sometimes freeze. An issue where Health Connect sometimes couldn't be accessed in system settings. An issue where the data category page of Health Connect was missing some permission types when a filter was applied.
Known Issues: An issue with the Credential Manager platform APIs causes instability in apps that use them. A fix is available in the latest preview version of the Android 14 SDK, which developers can install using Android Studio. Developers who previously installed a preview version of the Android 14 SDK should completely uninstall the previous version and then reinstall the SDK to apply the fix.
An issue with the system UI sometimes causes the screen to flicker when a video is playing or an app is using in picture-in-picture mode.
In some cases, video continues playing in the background even after closing an app if the video was playing in picture-in-picture mode when it was closed.
A video that is playing in picture-in-picture mode stops playing abruptly if the back gesture is used within the PiP settings screens.
A system issue can sometimes cause the Android System Intelligence service to crash.
When using a device with a work profile, the Google Play Store app in the work profile hangs or crashes when launched.
Beyond bug fixes, Android expert Mishaal Rahman has already started digging into the new version's Generic System Images (GSIs), which were published ahead of the OTA update going live. There's not much that hasn't already been spotted, but a new chip animation now plays when you plug your phone into a charger, and a toggle in Developer Options lets you set ANGLE as the system Open GL ES driver. Even though it's not available on the GSI build, Rahman was able to confirm that Beta 3 enables the new lock screen customization options Google teased at I/O.
It should be noted that Google is technically still running a concurrent beta program for Android 13 QPR3, which is due to be released any day as the June Pixel Feature Drop. Users who have QPR3 Beta 3.2 installed will likely receive this Android 14 Beta 3 build as an OTA, so if you want to stay on Android 13, make sure you don't install the update. Once the June Pixel Feature Drop becomes available, it should replace the pending Android 14 Beta 3 download in your settings.
If you're enrolled in the Android 14 beta program, you should now be able to update to Beta 3 by heading to Settings -> System -> System update, then tapping Check for update. Be aware that using this method tends to take a long time due to Google's seamless updates system, so if you'd like a faster option, you can try using Android Flash Tool to flash the factory images or sideload the OTA.
Source: Android Police
