Android 14 Beta 4.1 includes the following fixes [Part 1]:

• Fixed an issue where in some cases after a user performed the system back action to close an app, the app couldn't be launched again until the device was restarted.
• Fixed an issue with ScrollView that caused the over scroll effect to get stuck after performing a fling gesture.
• Fixed issues that prevented Wi-Fi calling from working in some cases.
• Fixed an issue that caused the system to fail to transfer an animatable icon to the client when using SplashScreen#setOnExitAnimationListener.
• Fixed an issue that prevented notification groups from expanding properly in the notification shade.
• Fixed an issue that could cause the screen to flicker when launching an app that uses activity embedding.
• Fixed an issue that could cause the system UI to crash if one app in split-screen mode was closed by swiping up from the Overview screen.
• Fixed an issue that caused the network status icon to display incorrectly in some cases after turning on or off one of the SIM cards on a device that had multiple SIM cards.
• Fixed an issue that could cause the system theme to change color after rebooting a device.
• Fixed an issue where lock screen shortcuts sometimes displayed incorrectly when using certain system theme color palettes.
• Fixed an issue that could cause the launcher UI to flicker when launching an app.
• Fixed an issue that caused Battery Share to be interrupted or fail shortly after it was enabled.
• Fixed an issue that would cause an erroneous "No installed apps work with this USB Accessory" message to display when a device was connected to their vehicle, which prevented users from launching and using Android Auto.
• Fixed an issue when unlocking a device while TalkBalk is enabled where TalkBalk sometimes erroneously stated that the device was still locked before stating that the device was successfully unlocked.
• Fixed an issue with WiFi scanning that sometimes caused scanning to continue even after exiting the Settings app, causing additional power consumption and slower WiFi connectivity until the device was restarted.
• Fixed an issue where, in some cases, Ultra HDR images didn't display correctly in Google Photos.
• Fixed an issue where, when a user who had enabled Fingerprint Unlock tried to launch an activity from Quick Settings on the lock screen on a device that has an in-display fingerprint scanner, the sensor sometimes failed to activate, forcing the user to re-lock the device and unlock the device first before accessing Quick Settings.
• Fixed an issue where, when a user who had enabled both Fingerprint Unlock and Face Unlock tried to launch an intent by tapping on a notification and then authenticated using their face, the intent didn't launch and the user was brought back to the lock screen.
• Fixed an issue where a white or black bar was sometimes displayed between the status bar and the top of an open app.
• Fixed an issue where the background color of the "Add to homescreen" dialog box was fuchsia instead of its usual color.
• Fixed an issue on Pixel Tablet devices where interacting with the device while transitioning from the screen saver to the low light clock could cause the system UI to crash.
• Fixed an issue on Pixel Tablet devices where the home screen sometimes only displayed the wallpaper but no app icons after unlocking the device.
• Fixed an issue on Pixel Tablet and Pixel Fold devices that caused the foreground and background colors on certain screens to have insufficient color contrast to enhance accessibility.
• Fixed an issue on Pixel Fold devices where wallpapers that were applied to the lock screen displayed left-aligned instead of center-aligned on the outer display.
• Fixed an issue on Pixel Fold devices where the "Tap to check phone" feature sometimes stopped working after folding and unfolding the device.

Google News | En

Android 14 Beta 4.1 includes the following fixes [Part 2]:

• Fixed an issue on Pixel Fold devices with 3-button navigation enabled where folding and unfolding the device while on the home screen could cause the navigation buttons to become misaligned.
• Fixed an issue on Pixel Fold devices where the wallpaper picker showed a blank thumbnail for the default live wallpaper option.
• Fixed an issue on Pixel Fold devices that sometimes caused two clocks to display on the lock screen.
• Fixed an issue on Pixel Fold devices that caused the clock on the lock screen to appear clipped.
• Fixed an issue on Pixel Fold devices that caused widgets to overlap or stack on top of each other in some cases.
• Fixed an issue on Pixel Fold devices where an app icon on the home screen couldn't be moved out of a folder while the device was unfolded.
• Fixed an issue that could cause the Pixel launcher to crash in some cases.
• Fixed system stability issues that caused UI jank in some cases.

Google News | En

Google is delaying the launch of its Find My Device network and trackers because of Apple.

Along with the announcement of Unknown Tracker Alerts (which currently only works with AirTag), Google said it will not launch the Find My Device (FMD) network "until Apple has implemented protections for iOS."

Also, Google has confirmed to 9to5Google that alerts for unwanted use of AirTag trackers are currently based on a custom implementation that differs from the upcoming specification. Android is implementing these alerts now to allay user fears, as Apple's tracker is quite widely available.

Google is working with other tracker manufacturers (Samsung, Tile, Chipolo, eufy Security and Pebblebee) to expand interoperability as part of a joint industry FMD specification.

The FMD network was originally scheduled to launch during the summer, but is now expected to launch before the end of 2023.

Google News | En

You can now run Cinematic wallpapers on Android 14... if it's rolled out for you.

In early June, I posted that Cinematic wallpapers couldn't work on Android 14 yet because the pre-installed version of Android System Intelligence (ASI) didn't have the necessary service.

There's now a new version of ASI for Android 14 on APK Mirror that includes the required service. But that still doesn't mean that Cinematic wallpapers will appear for you, as the app of the same name has to download the models to the user data partition for that to happen. There's no way you can trigger the downloading of models, so it's just a matter of luck.

In the attached block diagram I have once again given how Cinematic wallpapers work (from my observations) .

The cinematic_wallpaper_warmup_completed ASI flag is responsible for the appearance of the button in the wallpaper picker, and it is activated only after downloading the models in Cinematic wallpapers app.

Google News | En

Google has released the latest, fifth beta version of Android 14.

The release is just weeks away, the system has an almost final look. All developers APIs are ready to be integrated into applications.

Build: UPB4.230623.007 → UPB5.230623.003
Patch: August 2023

• OTAs
• Factory Images

🔗 Android beta Programm enrollment

Google News | En

Top resolved issues in Android 14 Beta 5:

• Fixed an issue where after unlocking a device using a PIN, TalkBack provides incorrect audio.
• Fixed an issue where Wi-Fi scanning was consuming too much battery.
• Fixed an issue where some pictures would glitch with extra shadow blocks.
• Fixed an issue where in some cases, the fingerprint sensor icon wouldn't appear as expected.
• Fixed an issue where voice over Wi-Fi wasn't enabled by default.
• Fixed an issue on Pixel Fold devices where the device loses antenna ranging session information and cannot recover it.
• Fixed an issue where an extraneous white bar would appear in some apps.
• Fixed a background color issue with the UI used to add a shortcut to the home screen.
• Fixed a launcher issue that was causing frequent crashes and other quality issues.
• Fixed an issue on Pixel tablets where user interaction during the transition from screen saver to low-light clock causes a • SysUI crash.
• Fixed a Pixel Fold issue where tapping would fail to wake the device.
• Fixed a Pixel Fold issue where the system buttons would have inconsistent positions after folding and unfolding.
• Fixed an issue causing SysUI crashes when removing an app pair in landscape.
• Fixed an issue the launcher doesn't fully render after setup.
• Fixed an issue where the system displayed an incorrect mobile connection type.
• Fixed an issue where navigating back to exit an app leads to users no longer being able to open the app.
• Fixed an issue where wallpaper previews were sometimes blank.
• Fixed an issue where the system theme changes from yellow to pink after rebooting.
• Fixed an overscroll issue with ScrollView.
• Fixed an issue where certain color palettes were difficult to see when the lock screen was activated.
• Fixed an issue where users couldn't enable battery sharing if a work profile exists on the device.
• Fixed an issue where a tablet screen inappropriately turns off when docked.
• Fixed an issue where the device policy manager was preventing notifications from appearing.
• Fixed an issue where group notifications couldn't be expanded.
• Fixed an issue where the lockscreen didn't properly display the clock.
• Fixed various camera issues that were causing crashes and reductions in quality.
• Fixed an issue with power consumption during video playback.
• Fixed a Weather clock rendering issue.
• Fixed an issue where the lock screen customization preview didn't match the end result.
• Fixed an issue that was causing the wallpaper selection screen to crash.
• Fixed an issue where Pixel devices weren't connecting with some routers.
• Fixed a toast search result issue where the color was too similar with the background color.
• Fixed an issue where tapping a notification before using facial unlock does not open the notification.
• Fixed an issue on Pixel Fold where two clocks were displayed at the same time when in widescreen.
• Fixed an issue where widgets would overlap and stack incorrectly.
• Fixed an issue where closing the PiP window doesn't stop YouTube playback.
• Fixed an issue with switching call audio sources.
• Fixed an issue where after unlocking a device, only the background appears.
• Fixed an issue with dragging folders to remove them.

Google News | En

You may soon be able to "link your [Android] devices" signed into the same Google account together. This will enable "call switching", which lets you switch between devices for calls, as well as "Internet sharing"!

A new "Link Your Devices" menu will appear under Settings > Google > Devices & sharing once this rolls out. The call switching feature might be using the new Telecom Jetpack library that I previously talked about.

H/T @nailsad_eleos

The Pixel 8 series will feature a Audio Magic Eraser!

A certain Twitter account "EZ" leaked marketing video showing off Google Photos' new 'Audio Magic Eraser' tool, which will be exclusive to the Pixel 8 series. This feature will remove extraneous noise from the video highlighting only the main sounds.

Also, at the end of the video we get a first look at the blue coloring of the Pixel 8 Pro, codenamed " Sky".

Google News | En