Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Google recently released Android 16 QPR2 Beta 3 for eligible Pixel devices.
- Now, it appears the tech giant may have pulled the update.
- The reason could be related to bootlooping issues caused by desktop mode.
Yesterday, Google released the third and final beta of Android 16 QPR2 for eligible Pixel devices. This update resolves several issues, such as home screen shortcuts appearing as gray circles, selected themes not being applied on the first attempt, and Google Play System updates failing to install. If you waited on installing Android 16 QPR2 Beta 3, it looks like you’ll have to continue waiting. Google may have pulled the update.
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Pixel owners are flocking to Reddit to report that Android 16 QPR2 Beta 3 is no longer available. One user mentions that when they checked this morning, the third beta was waiting to be installed. However, they decided to update later in the day because they were on mobile data and didn’t have time. When the user checked 10 hours later, the update was gone. There are several more reports of similar experiences.
As our Editor-at-large, Mishaal Rahman, points out, QPR2 Beta 3 currently has a bug. This issue causes SystemUI to crash when desktop mode is enabled. As a result, you have to turn off “enable desktop experience features” before updating. This can be done by going to Settings > System > Developer options.
The bootlooping issues caused by desktop mode seem to be a big enough problem that Google may have temporarily halted the rollout. Now, if you try to update your phone, you’ll get a message that your phone is up-to-date. It’s unclear when QPR2 Beta 3 will be available again. We have reached out to Google for comment.
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