What you need to know
- Google highlighted the start of Android 15 QPR2 Beta 1 to Pixel testers on Reddit.
- The update contains the November security patch and a list of known issues users may encounter.
- The QPR2 update is expected to arrive as the March 2025 feature drop while we brace for a much earlier Android 16 launch.
The next major Android 15 update enters its first beta as Google drops the details to enrolled testers.
Google posted its announcement via the Android Beta subreddit, informing users that they can begin downloading Android 15 QPR2 Beta 1. Enrolled testers will find QPR2 Beta 1 as version BP11.241025.006 when downloading. The update is available for the latest Pixel 9 series, the original Pixel Fold, the Pixel Tablet, and the Pixel 8 down to the Pixel 6.
This patch includes the latest November 2024 security patch for Pixels. Additionally, Google delivered an advisory for this looking to exit the Beta Program following Android 15 QPR1.
- If you prefer to leave the Beta program and receive the public stable release of Android 15 QPR1 in December, you can do so without wiping your device by opting out and not installing today’s QPR2 Beta 1 update*. If you opt-out of the program* after installing Beta 1 or any future updates, all user data on the device will get wiped per usual program guidelines. Opting out will trigger a ‘Downgrade’ OTA. Ignore this update and wait for the Android 15 QPR1 public release instead.
If you do not wish to leave, Google states that those in the previous QPR beta will automatically grab QPR2 Beta 1 and those that follow. The update should appear within 24 hours, but you should continue to check throughout the week.
The company’s official changelog detailed a few “general advisories” testers should be aware of. Among them, Google states your Pixel could experience battery, stability, and performance problems. If so, it’s recommended that you submit bug reports and feedback via the appropriate channels. The log also states that some of your apps “may not function properly” in the beta.
While Google didn’t explicitly state what’s new, Mishaal Rahman (Android Authority) discovered that QPR2 adds a “Linux Terminal” app. The new tool is reportedly tucked within “Developer Options” in the Settings menu. After getting it to surface, Google’s on-device description states the Terminal app lets developers “run Linux terminal on Android.” Rahman states developers can “configure, run, and interface” apps using an instance of Debian.
Moreover, Google’s patch notes reiterate the “16KB boot mode” in the Developer Options page. This option already existed in QPR1, but it only concerned the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro. With QPR2, this has extended to the Pixel 8a.
Google prepared us for Android 15 QPR2 Beta 1 earlier this month, stating it was on the way. The company’s announcement states the patch will “build on top of” the Android 15 QPR1 update, which is expected to the December feature drop. The QPR2 beta is expected to debut as the March 2025 feature drop.
Speaking of 2025, Google highlighted a much earlier arrival of Android 16 in October. The post confirmed that the next major OS will arrive in Q2 2025, giving us April to June as a potential launch timeframe.
