Here are all the key features you need to know about the Android 13 QPR1 Beta 1 that Google unexpectedly released earlier than anticipated.
It’s important to note that Android 13 QPR1 Beta 1 brings improvements and tuning but isn’t exactly jam-packed with new features. After all, the stable Android 13 update for Pixel phones only recently became available. For all intents and purposes, this is a preview of the December Pixel Feature Drop, though perhaps without certain headline capability. We’re anticipating three betas with a stable launch in December.
You will receive a prompt to download a fairly sizable 2GB OTA file if you are still signed up for the Android 13 Beta. Simply go to the specific website for beta enrollment, Opt out, and you should be deleted. For what it’s worth, Google claims that Android 13 QPR1 Beta 1 is suitable for daily use.
Video Top features in Android 13 QPR1 Beta 1 Unified Pixel Launcher search returns (sort of) Pixel Recorder 3.7 arrives with new tweaks Animated toggles in Quick Settings Simplified Hold for Assistant settings Silent notifications while driving Screen protector mode Screen saver menu adjustments October 2022 security patch Video Top features in Android 13 QPR1 Beta 1 0 Android’s Top Video Features, Version 13 QPR1 Beta 1 Video Top features in Android 13 QPR1 Beta 1 1
RETURNS FROM A UNIFIED PIXEL LAUNCHER (SORT OF) With the stable Android 13 release, you should be able to search your device from the Pixel Launcher homescreen. Sadly, things didn’t quite turn out that way. You’ll be happy to see that the feature seen in the Android 13 Beta phase has been somewhat reinstated in QPR1 Beta 1, even though being able to search via the slide-up app drawer is fine.
As with the search bar at the bottom of the Pixel Launcher, the search field at the top of your app grid is also identical. While a visually comparable experience for searching a device and web information returns, you can quickly open Google Lens or the Assistant from here.
Depending on where a lookup was launched, the results you’ll see may vary. Searching from the top of the app grid regularly reduces online results to four lines, while you also receive results from the Settings app and Pixel Tips, as well as a From this device section that displays app shortcuts. When you search from the homescreen, only up to five app results in a row and online content are displayed; that area is absent.
NEW CHANGES IN PIXEL RECORDER 3.7
Pixel Recorder 3.7 is included with the Android 13 QPR1 Beta 1 update. Instead than being released through the Google Play Store, this is pre-loaded. The Android 13 media player now has complete compatibility, most notably in Pixel Recorder 3.7. You will notice a squared-off play/pause button as well as skip forward and backward toggles on either side of the playback progress meter. This change is purely aesthetic.
When you tap a recording’s three-button overflow menu within the app, options to “Create video clip” and “Export transcript to Google Docs” appear right away. These choices are now much easier to reach and help with visibility/prominence compared to the past, when they could only be accessed by visiting the Share Sheet. The buttons and pop-up dialog boxes in Pixel Recorder 3.7 have all seen very small changes. For essentially no reachability advantages, almost all are more centered.
IN QUICK SETTINGS, ANIMATED TOGGLES
When selected settings are engaged, each button glyph on the Quick Settings panel toggles now features a small animation. This is a nice touch provided by Google. Most tiles will have small animations to demonstrate that they have been enabled, but certain tiles, like the Wi-Fi toggle that opens a bigger panel, do not.
Our favorite feature displays the battery glyph filling up on the Battery Saver Mode toggle. Although it’s a great touch, it’s important to note that not all toggles have a specific animation. We’re hopeful that these features will appear as the beta updates move along. The Flashlight/Torch, One-handed mode, and Night Light are obvious examples.
Additionally, while using the Quick Settings panel to activate Focus Mode, a persistent pop-up is now displayed. This makes it simple to determine whether your smartphone is in the enhanced Digital Wellbeing mode.
SETTINGS FOR SIMPLIFIED HOLD FOR ASSISTANT
In Android 13, holding down the power button for a long time might not launch the Power menu as you had anticipated; instead, if the Google Assistant hasn’t been turned off, it will appear. By going to the Settings menu and selecting the Press and hold power button area, you can modify this. With a more explicit toggle that only displays the sensitivity settings when the Digital assistant radio button is highlighted, this has been modified in Android 13 QPR1 Beta 1. This definitely makes things easier and guarantees there is no confusion when idle.
DRIVING WHILE GETTING QUIET NOTIFICATIONS There is a new toggle for Silence notifications when driving under Safety and emergency. It’s just a toggle to turn on Do Not Disturb when driving, but it’s in a more practical and obvious place.
– SCREEN PROTECTOR MODE
We have a good feeling that most individuals these days utilize screen protectors. Increase touch sensitivity, an option that was added to the Display settings to help increase touch responsiveness with screen protectors, has been simply and logically renamed to Screen protector mode to avoid any confusion.
CHANGES TO THE SCREEN SAVER MENU The Screen Saver area has had a tiny but welcome accessibility modification. The customisation choices have been moved underneath the When to start option. Additionally, a cover image that is more detailed outlines the specific settings available in the Colors tab.
SECURITY PATCH FOR OCT. 2022
When it comes to software security, Android beta upgrades are typically a touch behind stable builds; however, Android 13 QPR1 Beta 1 actually includes the October 2022 security patch over a month before the stable channel. If you wish to use your default device, that’s excellent because you’re patched till early November.
RESOLVED CONCERNS This most recent beta provides several significant solutions for issues that primarily affect owners of the Pixel 6 series. Some issues with the setup for Fingerprint Unlock on Pixel 6as have been fixed. If you have a 5G capable device, there is now a workaround for the issue where, when connecting to Ultra Wideband networks, the system incorrectly displays 5G rather than 5G UW. Here, a significant issue has been resolved by disabling random emergency contact dialing from the lock screen while the Pixel is in your pocket.
Android 13 QPR1 BETA 1: UNDER THE FEATURES: HIDDEN FINDINGS
It would be unfair to cover all of the features that need to be enabled in Android 13 QPR1 Beta 1, but we have found some information and some snippets about upcoming features that we believed had to be highlighted.
Without going into too much detail about how Face Unlock for the Pixel 6 Pro functions, we have discovered some indications that it is still very much in development. With the help of some code strings and animated GIFs illustrating the registration process, we even have a clearer understanding of how this will function. To begin the scanning procedure, you are instructed to hold your phone at eye level, as seen in the accompanying animation. No hints of the code strings have been discovered on Pixel 6a or Pixel 6, respectively. The only Pixel 6 Pro.
The forthcoming Pixel Tablet is a further unveiled secret. A few animations that demonstrate the docking procedure for when the tablet needs to be charged have been located by us. In addition, Google has provided some information on what to anticipate from your docked tablet, including Nest Hub-style features and the ability to cast music and videos from your phone to the Pixel tablet without having to unlock it.
