Android 14: unstable and buggy, the beta version questions

For 2 months now, Android 14 has been released from its Developer Previews, an elementary version intended only for technicians, to enter Beta Release. This stage, reserved for members of the Android test program, makes it possible to distribute the first definitive versions of the operating system to the general public before entering its final stretch.

But, while the Android 14 schedule announces a Finale Release at the end of the summer, the testers report a total instability of the environment.

Bugs, bugs again, bugs again!

Thus, many Android 14 Beta testers mention an unusual bug rate for a system at this level of development. Admittedly, the OS is in beta, but it is less than three months from its publication in final version. There is, for example, an audio player that randomly cuts the broadcast as soon as the screen is locked. This bug is found in all media playback, including voice notes on WhatsApp.

Another bug, Pixel 7s running Android 14 seem not charging properly, cutting off battery power before it is at 100%. On the interface side, the user is entitled to many freezes, if not outright a black screen forcing the device to restart. Many native Google applications (Photo, Calendar, Contacts, etc.) are almost unusable under Android 14, causing blocked screens, or even, again, untimely restarts of the smartphone. A real delight for testers…

Beta 2.1: A patch deployed urgently

With all this, it takes patience to test Android 14! But fortunately, to support its users, Google has just deployed version 2.1 of its Beta. A version dedicated to fixing the bugs and instabilities of Android 14, less than two weeks after the release of version 2.0. For the company, it is above all a question of making the OS functional and stable, in order to be able to obtain feedback on the functionalities and the interface in themselves.

The inevitable happened. This version therefore brings its own bugs, replacing the instability with another instability. For example, for testers on Pixel 6 or 7, the Camera app constantly crashes, which can even lead to the device restarting.

If you like adventure and danger, you can always join the program Android Beta and become a tester of the next version of the operating system.

On our side, we decided to run out of courage and wait for the deployment of the public version of Android 14. But we promise, its test will give rise to an article.