Google is now rolling out the Android 15 QPR2 Beta 3 update for Pixel phones before its official release in March.

This update brings more changes than the usual monthly fixes. It’s perfect for adding new features and making big design changes without waiting for the next big Android update. Google labels these updates as “suitable for general use” because they’re stable enough for everyday use.

Here’s what’s been fixed:

• Phone Calls: No more random restarts when you’re on a call.
• Apps: When you go back to an app from the list of recent apps, it won’t take you to the home screen anymore.
• Language Settings: Fixed a problem where changing languages could make the keyboard hide in some apps.
• Video Recording: Got rid of that annoying clicking sound in the background.
• Wireless Charging: Fixed issues that could stop your phone from charging wirelessly.

Other improvements include:

• Better stability, connection, and how your phone responds.
• Fixed crashes that could happen when starting workouts on connected wearables.
• Stopped system crashes from certain errors.
• The feedback app for beta testers now works without crashing when you report issues.

This update, with the latest security fixes for January 2025, is available for Pixel 6 through to the new Pixel 9 series, including all the variations like Pro and Fold models, and also for the Android Emulator.

You can get this update through the Android Beta Program, or if you prefer, you can manually install it using factory images or OTA files.

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Google is now updating Pixel phones with Android 15 QPR2 Beta 3, and the most noticeable change is the removal of the globe icon from the bottom-right corner of the keyboard when you only use one language.

Back in Android 15 QPR1, Google added a globe icon to the keyboard. When you tapped it, you’d see a list of languages you could choose from, along with the old “Google Voice Typing” option. However, if you only used Gboard with one language, you might find yourself accidentally hitting the globe instead of the enter key, which was annoying since December.

Now, with today’s QPR2 Beta 3 update, if you have just one language set up, the globe icon disappears. This makes things simpler because not many people use Google Voice Typing, especially when they have Gboard or Assistant Voice Typing on Pixel phones.

One vs. Two Languages

If you have more than one language set up in Gboard, the globe icon stays and works like before. A quick tap changes the language, and holding it down opens up a menu for more options.

Android 15 QPR2 is expected to become official in March with the next big Pixel update, with one more small patch coming in February. Right now, Beta 3 seems pretty stable.

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If your phone gets lots of notifications every day, your lock screen can get messy. This makes it tough to see your nice background and find the important alerts. Android 16 might fix this with a new way to show notifications.

Back in November, there was a cool but hidden feature in Android 15 QPR2 Beta 1 called “lock screen notification minimalism.” It made your lock screen cleaner by putting all notifications into one small spot under the clock. You could tap this spot to see all notifications.

In the latest Android 15 QPR2 Beta 3, this feature isn’t there anymore. Instead, there’s a new choice for how notifications look on your lock screen. In the settings, under “Notifications on lock screen,” you can now decide if you want notifications in a tight “compact” mode or in a full list.

The “full list” is set as the default, so Android 16 won’t make everyone use the compact view. Even with compact mode, some notifications might still show fully. We don’t know for sure yet, but it seems like important ongoing notifications might always be visible.

Android 16 might also let you hide notifications you’ve already seen and silent ones, making your lock screen even clearer. These options aren’t active in the current beta, so they might not be in the final Android 15 version. I’ll keep an eye out to see if they make it into Android 16.

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