Android 15 stable update released for Pixel devices on beta 4.2

Google has started rolling out the Android 15 stable update to Pixel devices currently running Android 15 Beta 4.2. This update comes shortly after the release of Android 14’s OTA (Over-The-Air) update. Android 15 Beta 4.2 was originally released in mid-August, marking the last major update before the introduction of the Android 15 Quarterly Platform Release 1 (QPR1) Beta, which is expected to launch in December.

Android 15 Beta 4.2 and the Stable Update Rollout

The Android 15 Beta 4.2 update featured the August 2024 security patch and was initially made available to Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro XL users. However, many users opted to wait for the final stable version of Android 15 rather than diving into the Android 15 QPR1 Beta. For those who wanted to avoid the QPR1 Beta testing, Google recommended opting out of the Android Beta Program and ignoring the downgrade OTA back to Android 14. This meant that users had to stick with Beta 4.2 for a couple of months, with no additional updates in September.

The stable Android 15 update is now arriving for users who remained on Beta 4.2. The size of the OTA update is around 200MB, which is significantly smaller than the Android 14 update that was over 1GB.

Features Removed from Stable Android 15

While Android 15 Beta 4.2 introduced several new features, not all of them made it to the stable release. Notably, Google removed the Device Diagnostics and Adaptive Timeout features, which had been part of the Beta 4.2 release. These changes are part of Google’s refinement process, ensuring that the final public version of Android 15 is optimized for users.

QPR1 Beta and Expected Updates

As for Android 15 QPR1, the last update, Beta 2, was released on September 12, but Google has not provided any new patches or updates since then. Some known bugs, like issues with capturing screenshots, missing lock screen shortcuts, and problems with exiting apps while on the lock screen, have yet to be addressed. However, Google is expected to release another update, either Beta 2.1 or Beta 3, before the December launch of QPR1.

In summary, the Android 15 stable update is now rolling out to Pixel devices on Beta 4.2, offering a smooth transition to the final version. Google continues to work on the upcoming QPR1 release, with more updates anticipated before the end of the year.