Latest news with #Android16Beta3.1
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Yahoo
Google rolls out Android 16 Beta 3.1 patch with crucial bug fixes
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Google is rolling out an Android 16 Beta 3.1 update that includes no new features and instead focuses on bug fixes. The minor beta patch features a fix for a problem that caused the Settings app to crash and brightness levels to fluctuate. Additionally, Android 16 Beta 3.1 includes performance and stability improvements. Nearly a week after rolling out the platform-stable Android 16 Beta 3 update, Google is fixing a few issues with a new Android 16 Beta 3.1 patch. As announced on the Android Beta Program subreddit, this update is becoming available for enrolled devices now and carries a version number of BP22.250221.013. Android 16 Beta 3.1 does not include any new features, but rather includes four critical fixes, two of which that were reported by beta testers on Google's Issue Tracker. Among the issues fixed, the biggest one might be a problem that caused the system Settings app to crash under specific circumstances. Reported under Issue #403303683, this problem caused repeated Settings crashes when a device's language was set to something other than English. Another problem caused the screen brightness of devices running Android 16 Beta 3 to switch between app-specified brightness levels and system brightness levels. This bug was reported via Issue #392522561, and has been fixed in Android 16 Beta 3.1. Android 16 Beta 3.1 now available! from r/android_beta Android 16 Beta 3.1 also includes fixes for two issues causing performance problems on devices enrolled in the Android beta. One problem resulted in excessive battery drain due to high CPU load, and another occasionally caused memory leaks in the system server, according to Google. The update features all the changes and new capabilities introduced with the initial Android 16 Beta 3 release, which marked the first time Android 16 reached platform stability. That includes Auracast support for wireless hearing aids and accessibility features for people with low vision. Android 16 Beta 3.1 will become available automatically for Google Pixel 6 and newer devices enrolled in the Android Beta Program. The update is being rolled out over the air, so it'll appear in Settings > System > Software Update when available. To enroll your Pixel in the Android Beta Program, visit Google's official beta website.
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Yahoo
Android 16 brings a blind fingerprint unlock perk to Pixel phones
Google is currently moving full steam ahead with the development of Android 16. Following the release of a third beta update just over a week ago, Android 16 has reached the platform stability milestone. Though the latest test build is light on feature updates, it brings a cool new trick. On Pixel smartphones, users can now unlock their phone even if the screen is completely dark. First spotted by the folks over at Android Authority, the new 'Screen-off Fingerprint Unlock' feature has been integrated within the phone's Security & Privacy dashboard. So far, Pixel smartphone users had to wake up the screen and put their thumb atop the fingerprint sensor icon on the Lock Screen. This had to be done either by waking up the screen with a tap gesture, or by pressing the power button. Thanks to the new screen-off unlock convenience, users can simply place their thumb atop the in-display fingerprint sensor and get past the Lock Screen. There is no longer an intermittent hassle of lighting up the screen. I was able to enable this feature after installing the Android 16 Beta 3.1 build, which runs atop the March 2025 security update, on a Pixel 8 smartphone. The new feature is a thoughtful convenience and works flawlessly. It does, however, take a bit of muscle memory to land the thumb right above the fingerprint sensor on an otherwise dark screen. Also worth noting here is the fact that Google won't be the first smartphone maker to offer this convenience. I tried unlocking my OnePlus 13 and Samsung Galaxy S25 without waking up the screen, and it works just fine. Both devices are currently running Android 15, and notably, offer a faster fingerprint unlock experience compared to the Pixel 8, irrespective of whether the screen is on or off. I'd like to point out that the screen-off fingerprint unlock system has arrived with a beta build, and Google might remove — or delay it — when the stable Android 16 update starts rolling out widely in the coming months. For now, your only option to experience it is by enrolling in the Android 16 beta-testing program on a compatible Google Pixel smartphone. I would, however, recommend waiting out a few more weeks for the stable update to land on your Pixel smartphone, and save yourself the buggy mess of test builds.
