The second beta for Android 13 QPR2 is at the moment rolling out for choose Pixel telephones including new experimental options and even some emojis.

For those who simply appeared on the official launch notes (opens in new tab), you’ll assume it’s nothing however a patch for fixing issues like a glitch with the person interface that “triggered the House display screen to develop into unresponsive.” However notable Android knowledgeable Mashaal Rahman managed to interrupt down all the beta in a protracted Twitter thread (opens in new tab). There’s one function particularly that has him and different Android watchers fairly excited, and that’s the means to create monochromatic app icons that replicate the Materials You theme on Pixel telephones. That means, every part has a uniform look.

The function is disabled by default, in keeping with Rahman, so beta customers should go into the telephone’s settings and toggle ENABLE_FORCED_MONO_ICON (that is almost certainly a placeholder identify). Upon turning it on, all apps that assist the function, together with first and third-party apps like Netflix, will swap over to the monochrome look. Different studies (opens in new tab) do state it in the end depends upon the app builders themselves in the event that they need to assist the function or not. This might depart “Pixel homeowners in a bizarre spot” the place launcher icons are this mishmash of monochrome and full coloration.

Extra modifications

The one different notable new function within the beta is a partial screen-sharing menu for sharing or recording an app. It features a new scrollable interface on prime of a listing of apps that seem to work with the screen-sharing device.

As for the remainder of the modifications, they seem like merely up to date variations of beforehand seen beta options. Rahman found a brand new shared library within the beta’s recordsdata known as “aoc_audio_stereo_spatializer” which he thinks refers to “enabling spatial audio over the telephone’s stereo audio system.” Spatial audio was first hinted at within the first Android 13 QPR2 beta. Sadly, Google remains to be taking part in its playing cards near its chest as lots of primary data on how spatial audio will work on Android stays unknown.

Coming again within the beta is the power to regulate sensible house units from the lock display screen, which has been within the works way back to March 2022 (opens in new tab). The change this time is the beta will recommend you activate this function if “you attempt to toggle a [smart home] gadget from the lock display screen a couple of occasions.”

As talked about earlier, the QPR2 Beta 2 is offered for obtain from the Android Beta program you probably have one of many following Pixel telephones: the Pixel 4a, Pixel 5, 5a, the bottom 6 mannequin, 6 Professional, 6a, the bottom 7 mannequin, and the Pixel 7 Professional. Bear in mind it’s not good. There are a number of threads on the Android Beta subreddit (opens in new tab) about the entire issues customers have run into after downloading QPE2 Beta 2, from the icons not turning into monochrome to Google Messages not working correctly. For those who encounter any of those issues, the corporate is asking customers to report glitches through the Suggestions app (opens in new tab).

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