What you need to know
- Google is rolling out an Android 16 Beta 2.1 patch to enrolled Pixel devices with a few bug fixes.
- The short list of patches includes a fix for a problem that caused Pixel phones to reboot unexpectedly.
- It's available as an over-the-air update for Pixel phones enrolled in the Android Beta Program.
Google released the second Android 16 beta to testers in the Android Beta Program two weeks ago, and is following that update up with a minor patch that fixes a few of the most annoying bugs. Android 16 Beta 2.1 is beginning to roll out now to enrolled Android 16 Beta 2 devices — which is supported by the Google Pixel 6 series and newer — and is described as a "minor update," per the update's release notes.
Every pre-release software build is likely to have a few bugs or unexpected behaviors within, but the bugs squashed in Android 16 Beta 2.1 had the potential to be particularly frustrating. One issue caused Pixel devices on Android 16 Beta 2 to reboot unexpectedly, and another wouldn't let Pixel devices enter Doze mode. There are also fixes for choppy animations and "various other issues," according to Google.
Here's what Google's official Android 16 Beta 2.1 release notes say about the changes:
- Fixed an issue that sometimes prevented devices from entering Doze mode. (Issue #396603519)
- Fixed issues that caused some animations to appear choppy while configuring live wallpapers. (Issue #397659072)
- Fixed an issue that sometimes caused devices to reboot unexpectedly. (Issue #396541565)
- Fixed various other issues that were impacting system stability, connectivity, and performance.
Google's quick work of fixing bugs in Android 16 is a good sign that the update is progressing as expected. The company appears to be on track to reach platform stability for Android 16 beginning next month, with a final release coming sometime in the second quarter of this year. It released the second Android 16 beta on Feb. 13 with media, camera, and graphics updates, as well as a few behavior changes.
Now that Android 16 is in the public beta phase, it's easy to get updates like Android 16 Beta 2.1. Pixel phones that are already enrolled in the Android Beta Program — with either an Android 16 developer preview or beta build — will automatically get Android 16 Beta 2.1 over-the-air (OTA) when it is available.
There's no official word on when the OTA for Android 16 Beta 2.1 will hit eligible devices, but it should be rolling out soon, if it hasn't already. To check for the update, open the Settings app and find the System updates tab. To try out Android 16 Beta 2, you can enroll a supported Google Pixel phone — Pixel 6 series and newer — in the Android Beta Program here.
