Android 13 QPR1 Beta 2: What's New
© Courtesy of Android PoliceShortly before the launch of the Pixel 7, Google decided to stop the release of the second Android 13 QPR1 beta. QPR, of course, stands for the quarterly platform release that Google first introduced in Android 12. These aren't full system updates, but they do bring some changes for the Pixel and other high-end phones that choose to get them. The second beta is packed with some big changes, so let's get straight to the point.
While we don't have an official changelog from Google yet, keen testers, most notably Android Esper.io expert Mishaal Rahman, can find some UI improvements and updates in the new Android 13 QPR1 2 beta.
The most noticeable change is the setting of the audio player in the notification bar and on the lock screen. The progress indicator loses its backlight in favor of a vertical line. Some suggest that it should look like sperm is flowing along this path.
Surroundings
Another big and long-awaited change is the re-adding of battery usage statistics, which are calculated from the last charge, rather than the last 24 hours, introduced in Android 12. This makes it easier to determine which apps are using the most battery power when using the phone from charge to charging . A 24-hour display gives an approximate estimate and shows usage habits, not battery statistics.
Surroundings
If you don't usually fully charge your phone, the new interface makes it easy to see a history of battery stats over several days with hourly and daily graphs shared by Twitter users.
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 location of your fingerprint after you've completed authentication, which is useful for making it clear that you've successfully completed your action.
In preparation for predictive rewind in Android 14, the Settings app now supports a new animation for opening the home screen with the rewind gesture. Currently, Google hides this option behind developer settings. Therefore, if you want to try them yourself, you must first enable the predictive countdown animation .
Minor changes include a new description of the system language page that explains how you can benefit from adding multiple languages to your system. Changes have also been made to the screensaver selection screen. You can now add additional information, such as time and weather, to your screensaver using the Show More Info button.
Reddit users report that a bug affecting the current review has been fixed. Previously, even a small descent would completely close the app you were currently viewing in the Recents section. Now you need a more deliberate action to make it harder to accidentally activate. Google also changed the vibration of the Recents screen and unlocked it a bit.
There are still a few features that haven't been released for public beta testing yet, but Mishal Rahman can still activate the screen and learn more about them. Google is constantly working on Clear Calling, which aims to reduce background noise during phone calls. The company is also getting stuff for the Security Center, a new center for virus scanning and checking device settings, and it's pushing advanced methods like screen lock. Both features are not yet functional and user oriented.
If you'd like to try the new beta on your Pixel, join the beta testing program or download the stock image from Google's website. If you're more interested in the upcoming new Pixel 7, you've come to the right place - here's what to expect at Google's October event. We also have a rundown of everything new in Android 13 QPR1 Beta 1.
Thank you, Armanda.
