Android 14 Beta 4 is available today for eligible Pixel devices. For people who track the development cycle, this is the last expected major release before it hits the stable milestone and is ready for the masses. This latest version also picks up support for the all-new Pixel Fold as well as the Pixel Tablet, meaning it’s app developers’ last chance to fine-tune those toes before the release of Android 14.
As usual, Google hasn’t announced any new additions to Android 14 in this build other than what we already know. As this is the second release of “Platform Stability”, developers are advised to start final compatibility tests for apps, APIs, SDKs, and libraries, and release compatible app versions knowing that Android 14 will not change from now on. until the public launch.
While the Mountain View giant has generally been past the point of major changes this late in the game, there is one little thing of note: a space-themed Easter egg! To activate it, open Settings > About the phone > Android version and repeatedly tap the Android version section until you see the Android 14 logo floating in space. At this point, press and hold on the logo for a while and you should be able to see the stars whiz by. It will eventually end up with an elegant space flight simulation.
The new version has a build number of UPB4.230623.005 and a Google Play Services version 23.18.18, accompanied by the July 2023 Android security patch level. As usual, the company has posted a long list of bug fixes, which can be found below:
Issues reported by developers
Other issues fixed
- Fixed an issue that caused the
CredentialManager Registry fails when using more than one set of credentials.
- Fixed issues where the HealthConnect API was returning null pointer exceptions to calling apps in some cases.
- Fixed issues that could cause boot loops and “Application not responding” messages on some devices.
- Fixed an issue where some system UI elements would not switch correctly when switching from day to night mode.
- Fixed a system issue that caused the Picture-in-Picture (PiP) window to become unresponsive when using an app (such as Google Maps) in PiP mode and then locking the screen and reopening the app by tapping the notification on the lock screen.
- Fixed an issue where the lock screen wallpaper would sometimes reset to a blank, black screen when setting a new home screen wallpaper.
- Fixed issues that caused poor UI animations in the launcher.
- Fixed an issue where an intent selector dialog was displayed incorrectly during work profile setup, which prevented a user from successfully completing setup.
- Fixed an issue that caused the rounded edges of notifications to display incorrectly.
- Fixed an issue where a device could sometimes become unresponsive if eSIM was disabled.
- Fixed an issue where the lock screen would sometimes get stuck with a blank, black screen.
- Fixed an issue with
ConnectivityService which could cause a device to crash and restart in rare cases.
- Fixed an issue that sometimes caused the system volume slider to get stuck on screen.
- Fixed issues where the titles of some Settings pages were not announced correctly and some areas within the System Settings app were unable to be accessed when TalkBack was enabled.
- Fixed an issue that could cause fingerprint enrollment to fail if the device was rotated during enrollment.
- Fixed an issue where connected Bluetooth devices were not classified correctly in the system audio output switcher.
- Fixed an issue where the notification shade didn’t close after tapping a notification to start an intent. Fixed an issue that sometimes prevented the analog clock from appearing when previewing the wallpaper.
- Fixed an issue that sometimes caused only a Bluetooth headset on the right side to pair.
- Fixed issues that prevented app launch animations from playing correctly.
- Fixed an issue where notifications from a prioritized conversation were erroneously dismissed when the non-prioritized notification group was dismissed.
- Fixed an issue where the share sheet would sometimes crash after pressing the copy button.
- Fixed an issue where the UI would not switch back to the share sheet workflow if a user edited an image from the share sheet.
- Fixed an issue that sometimes caused Face Unlock to fail.
- Fixed an issue where USB headsets sometimes consumed additional power when plugged into a device that was making a call using Voice over LTE (VoLTE).
- Fixed a null pointer exception that sometimes caused the launcher to crash after launching an app.
- Fixed an issue where, when using a device with a work profile, the Google Play Store app in the work profile would hang or crash on launch.
- Fixed various issues that caused the System UI to crash in some cases.
- Fixed various other issues affecting system stability.
If you’re really curious to see what all the hype about Android 14 is all about, it might be worth jumping on the beta bandwagon, otherwise it’s only a few weeks before this year’s big update is ready for everyone. However, any Pixel phone already enrolled in the beta program should receive an incremental OTA update. Even if it doesn’t work, there is always the manual method to download the factory images and transfer the OTA.
Source: Android Developer Blog, Android Beta Program on Reddit
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