Google has started rolling out Android 17 QPR1 Beta 4 update. This update has been released for those Pixel smartphones which are part of the Android beta program. No major new features have been added in the new update, but many important bugs have been fixed and system stability has been improved. It is believed that this update has been released to further improve the user experience before the upcoming Pixel feature drop release.

Android QPR (Quarterly Platform Release) updates are used by Google to test new improvements and features before releasing them to general users. Android 17 QPR1 Beta 4 is also being considered an important step in this direction.

Which Pixel devices got the update?
This new update of Google has been made available for most of the recent Pixel smartphones. However, the Pixel 6 series has been kept out of this release for now. The company says that Pixel 6 series can be supported in any future beta update.

Build number CP31.260522.006.A1 has been released for Pixel 6a, Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro, while Pixel 8, Pixel 9 and Pixel 10 series have received build CP31.260522.006.

What happened right in Android 17 QPR1 Beta 4?
Google has resolved many important problems in this update. According to the company, many bugs related to system, camera, connectivity and user interface have now been fixed.

The most prominent fixes include an issue where the mouse pointer would disappear on external displays when using Work Profile or secure apps. Apart from this, the issue of Settings app crashing when opening Credential Provider Settings in Private Space has also been fixed.

There is good news for camera users also. The problem of frame jumps and jerks during video recording at 5x zoom has been fixed. The bug of back tap gesture not working has also been fixed.

Apart from this, connectivity problems in wireless ADB and local network based apps have been fixed. Some users were also facing the problem of home screen widget disappearing after reboot, which has been resolved in this update.

How to update?
Users who are included in the Google Android Beta Program can download Android 17 QPR1 Beta 4 by going to the Software Update section of their Pixel phones. Since this is currently a beta version, it would be better to backup important data before installing.

That means Android 17 QPR1 Beta 4 is not a major feature update, but it can prove to be an important update towards providing a more stable and better experience for Pixel users.