Imagine eagerly anticipating the latest Android update, only to find it vanished into thin air! That's precisely what happened with the Android 16 QPR2 Beta 3 release for Pixel devices. Google seems to have pulled the update, and the reason is quite intriguing. Here's the lowdown:
In a Nutshell:
- Google briefly released Android 16 QPR2 Beta 3 for compatible Pixel phones.
- The update has since disappeared, leading to speculation about the cause.
- The leading theory points to a bug related to "desktop mode" causing devices to potentially get stuck in a bootloop (continuously restarting).
Yesterday, Pixel users were excited to see the third and supposedly final beta of Android 16 QPR2 become available. This update aimed to fix several annoying issues, including home screen shortcuts displaying as gray circles, themes not applying correctly on the first try, and problems with installing Google Play System updates. Many users were ready to jump in and test these fixes.
But if you were holding off on installing Android 16 QPR2 Beta 3, it appears your hesitation might have inadvertently saved you some trouble. Reports are flooding in that Google has seemingly removed the update from its servers. This means that if you go to your phone's settings to check for the update, you'll likely see a message saying your device is already up-to-date, even though you're not running the beta.
Pixel owners have been heading to platforms like Reddit to share their experiences. One user recounted that they saw the Beta 3 update ready to install in the morning but decided to postpone the installation until later in the day when they had a Wi-Fi connection. But here's where it gets controversial... When they checked back ten hours later, the update had completely disappeared! Several other users have reported similar situations, suggesting a widespread removal of the update.
So, what's the culprit? According to our Editor-at-large, Mishaal Rahman, a bug in QPR2 Beta 3 might be to blame. The issue causes the SystemUI (the part of Android that handles the user interface) to crash when desktop mode is enabled. This is a feature that allows you to connect your phone to a monitor and use it like a desktop computer. And this is the part most people miss... Because if the SystemUI crashes continuously, it can lead to a bootloop, rendering the device unusable until the issue is resolved.
To avoid this potential problem, users who had already installed the beta were advised to disable "enable desktop experience features" in the developer options (Settings > System > Developer options) before updating. However, the bootlooping issues related to desktop mode appear to be significant enough that Google decided to temporarily halt the rollout to prevent further problems for users.
As of now, it's unclear when QPR2 Beta 3 will be available again. We've reached out to Google for an official comment and will update this article as soon as we have more information. This situation raises a few interesting questions:
- Was the desktop mode bug caught in internal testing, or did it only surface after the beta was released to a wider audience?
- How quickly can Google address the issue and re-release the update?
- Will this incident affect the timeline for the final, stable release of Android 16 QPR2?
What are your thoughts? Did you experience this disappearing update? Do you think Google made the right call by pulling the beta? Share your opinions in the comments below!
