Google has released the first beta for the second Android 13 Quarterly Platform Release (QPR), otherwise known as Android 13 QPR2 Beta 1. The version T2B1.221118.006 release comes in at 192MB and is rolling out to all supported Pixel devices.
Since this is a beta, there will be some issues, some of which Google has already highlighted in its release notes. One of the first issues listed occurs when the Recent app list is open, and the orientation is changed. Apparently, when this happens, there is a chance that the list will become unresponsive.
Google also shares another issue with regard to screen orientation, this time having to do with the picture-in-picture (PiP) mode. Sometimes, when entering and exiting PiP after a screen orientation change, the Settings app will crash with the prompt "Settings keeps stopping." After this occurs, the Settings many cannot be opened.
The final issue happens to cause the Home Screen to become unresponsive. Google states that it is an issue with the System UI. As a final part of its release notes, it states that the Google Camera app could experience issues when switching from slow-motion video to normal video capture, where it will continue to take video in slow-motion. Apparently, this only happens if the capture speed was changed from 1/8x to 1/4x.
Google does state that if you experience the issues above, you don't need to report them. But you can leave feedback in the Issue Tracker if you see something else. The latest beta update is available for the Pixel 4a, Pixel 4a 5G, Pixel 5, and Pixel 5a, along with all Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 series devices.
While the beta is free to download, you will need to be enrolled in the program to receive the beta. Before you start, you'll want to ensure that you have everything important backed up before, as there could be issues during or after the process. As stated in the release notes, there could be general performance issues and problems with stability and battery.
Once enrolled, you should automatically receive an over-the-air (OTA) update with the latest beta. As long as you are enrolled in the beta program, you will also receive future beta updates. Since it is an OTA update, it could take some time before you receive the update, but if you want a more direct approach, you can always install it manually using our guide.