Just before the Pixel 7 launch event, Google decided to drop the second Android 13 QPR1 beta. QPR, of course, is short for Quarterly Platform Release, which Google first introduced with Android 12. These aren’t full system updates, but they make a few select changes to the Pixels and other large premium phones that choose to receive them. . The second beta is packed full of select big changes, so let’s dive right into it.
Although we still don’t have the official list of changes from Google, avid testers, above all Mishaal Rahman, Esper.io Android Expertwere able to spot some tweaks and interface updates in the new Android 13 QPR1 Beta 2.
Probably the most noticeable change is an adjustment to the audio player in the notification shade and on the lock screen. The progress bar loses its scroll point in favor of a vertical line. Some speculate that it’s supposed to look less like sperm wiggling that way.
Another important and welcome tweak is the re-introduction of battery usage stats from your last charge rather than the last 24 hours, which was introduced in Android 12. This makes it much easier to assess which apps are particularly tough on your battery as you use your phone from charge to charge, while the 24-hour view only gave you a bad guess, showing you your usage patterns more than battery stats.
If you’re someone who doesn’t typically fully charge your phone, the new UI makes it easy to view a multi-day history of your battery stats with an hourly and daily graph, shared by a Twitter user.
There’s also a new fingerprint animation when using biometric authentication, as spotted by the Google News Telegram group. This is a small tweak that adds a checkmark to the fingerprint location after you’ve completed authentication, which is useful for clearly indicating that you’ve successfully completed your action.
In preparation for Android 14’s predictive back gestures, the Settings app now supports the new animation for accessing the home screen using the back gesture. Google currently hides this option behind developer settings, so if you want to try it yourself, you need to explicitly enable it first predictive feedback animations.
Minor changes include a new description of the system languages page that tells you how you benefit from adding multiple languages to your system. There is also an adjustment to the screen saver selection screen. A “Show additional information” toggle now lets you add more details like time and weather for your screensaver.
Reddit users are reporting that a bug affecting the Recents overview has been fixed. Previously, even a quick swipe up completely closed the app you currently see in Recents. Now you need a more deliberate action, which makes it harder to accidentally activate it. It also looks like Google tweaked the vibrations of the Recents and Unlocks screen ever so slightly.
There are a few other features that haven’t made it to the beta tester audience yet, but Mishaal Rahman was still able to turn on the screens and dig into more details about them. Google continues to work on Clear Calling, which aims to reduce background noise during your phone calls. The company is also getting things in order for Safety Center, a new hub for scanning for viruses and checking device settings, encouraging the use of best practices like screen locking. These two functionalities are not yet functional or accessible to the user.
If you want to try out the new beta on your Pixel, be sure to join the beta program or download the factory image from Google’s website. If you’re more interested in the new Pixel 7 that will launch soon, we’ve got you covered. Here’s what to expect at Google’s October event. We also have a preview of everything new in Android 13 QPR1 Beta 1.
Thank you: Armando