Android 14 QPR3 Beta 2 is out now, but you really shouldn't sideload it
What you need to know
Google released Android 14 QPR3 Beta 2 today, but users have ran into issues sideloading the update.
Like the first Android 15 Developer Preview, attempting to sideload the Android 14 QPR3 Beta 2 update results in bricked devices, according to multiple reports.
Right now, sideloading Android 14 QPR3 Beta 1 to a bricked device seems to fix the problem.
Google released the Android 14 QPR3 Beta 2 update today, saying in a Reddit post that it "includes the latest bug fixes and optimizations to performance and stability." But users who attempted to sideload the update to their Pixel smartphones are finding their devices bricked after completion. The sideload goes through normally, but the phones are getting stuck on the Google logo after trying to restart.
At least one Reddit user said their Pixel phone was bricked after sideloading the Android 14 QPR3 Beta 2 update. 9to5Google reported that three phones, two of them being the Pixel 8 Pro and Pixel Fold, were bricked by sideloading Android 14 QPR3 Beta 2. The site adds that it has only managed to get Android 14 QPR3 Beta 2 installed on one device, the Pixel 8, a sideloading the update.
One Reddit user, u/DaveBurbank, says that Android phones not having the latest version of Platform Tools might be more suceptible to being bricked by the update. However, Google has not yet publicly acknowledged the issues with sideloading Android 14 QPR3 Beta 2.
Though there are a few confirmed reports of bricked devices, some sideload attempts have been successful. Some Reddit users said that they were able to install Android 14 QPR3 Beta 2 without issue. Still, we wouldn't recommend you try to sideload the Android 14 QPR3 Beta 2 update right now, and it's a good reminder of why you shouldn't install beta updates on your primary devices.
Notably, over-the-air software updates are going through without any reports of bricked devices. Android Central's Derrek Lee managed to update his Pixel 7 without any issue. You can access those by navigating to Settings > System > Software updates > System update on your smartphone. Then, follow the on-screen prompts to install Android 14 QPR3 Beta 2.
Meanwhile, for those of you who have managed to get the new software up and running, Google's release notes say that Android 14 QPR3 Beta 2 includes the following bug fixes:
Fixed an issue that sometimes caused a device to crash or restart unexpectedly.
Fixed an issue that sometimes caused a device to crash or restart unexpectedly while updating apps after the device was flashed.
Fixed issues that caused a device to display a blank, black screen after booting from flash.
Fixed an issue that caused a device to crash and display a blank, black screen after switching to a secondary user.
Fixed issues when always-on display mode was enabled that interfered with the "Double tap to wake" gesture and prevented the device from unlocking if the user tried to use their fingerprint to unlock the device.
Fixed an issue that sometimes caused battery information to not display correctly in the system settings, status bar, and on the lock screen.
Fixed issues that prevented device-to-device transfers and backup and restore from working.
Fixed various issues that were impacting system stability, performance, and camera.
For anyone who has attempted to sideload the update, early fix for bricked devices seems to be installing the previous Android 14 QPR3 Beta 1 OTA image via sideloading. Put your device in recovery mode by first holding down the power button to completely shut down the phone. Next, press the volume down button and then the power button to enter the bootloader. Finally, go to recovery mode, click the power then volume up buttons, and sideload the Android 14 QPR3 Beta 1 OTA.
