If you’re interested in early access to Android features, Google has a new beta program for Pixel owners. The search giant has just announced the release of the first beta for the upcoming Quarterly Platform Release (QPR), which will be branded as Feature Drops when released on Pixel devices. 9to5Google reports that these features may be officially released as part of the June Google Pixel update.
According to a new page on Android’s developer site, the beta is available for Pixel devices going back to the Pixel 4. Sadly, that’s not the Pixel 3A, with 9to5Google noting that the support period ends in May.
You can sign up for the beta here. Anyone on the 12L beta will be automatically transitioned to the new QPR beta, Google says.
While Android’s major version number updates typically get the most attention, since 2019, Google has released more minor feature updates to its Pixels over the course of the year. With this QPR beta and the Android 12L beta that started in December, Google is giving early adopters the chance to try the semi-annual updates early before they are officially released. The announcement of the new QPR beta comes as Android 12L left beta earlier this week, along with the release of Google’s March Pixel feature drop.
The main thing missing from Google’s announcement of the latest beta is a clear indication of what features it actually includes. For now, the search giant’s announcement says it “includes improvements in functionality and user experience, as well as the latest bug fixes, optimizations, and the March 2022 security patches.” But we’ll definitely get a better sense of its content as users delve into this and future Google betas.
