Even though the stable release of Android 14 has yet to drop, Google went ahead and released the first beta of Android’s next release earlier this week. No, not Android 15, but rather Android 14 QPR1 Beta 1. QPR1 will be Android 14’s first quarterly platform release, an interim update that brings some new features and many bug fixes (but not any new APIs for developers).
Android 14 QPR1 will likely be released for Pixel phones in December as part of that month’s Pixel Feature Drop, Google’s quarterly release of new Pixel-exclusive features. However, Android 14 QPR1 will also be incorporated into Android’s source code, so any OEM can pick the features they find appealing. Few, if any, device manufacturers will roll out software updates based on Android 14 QPR1, though, as they’ll instead choose to wait for Android 15, which will incorporate all changes from QPR1, QPR2, and QPR3.
That means if you want to experience what the upcoming update currently has to offer, you need to have a Pixel phone enrolled in the Android 14 QPR1 beta. If you’re curious about what’s new but don’t want to deal with any of the beta’s bugs, I’ve got a rundown of what to expect.
Note: this breakdown of features in Android 14 QPR1 is based on findings within the Beta 1 build. There will be additional betas, which could add, remove, or change some of these features.
Android 14 QPR1 Beta 1: Every new feature you can try
While not most new features are not explicitly highlighted by Google in its release notes, there are a number of user-facing features that are available for you to try with the QPR1 beta installed on your Pixel phone. Here’s what I found: