Some Pixel owners can't wait until Monday
If you're a Pixel owner running the Android 13 QPR2 Beta, Monday could be your chance to exit the beta program without having to wipe your phone. Hey, no one likes to be forced to delete the data off of his or her device especially if it wasn't backed up in the cloud. But once you've installed the stable version of the beta (which is known as the March Pixel Feature Drop), you have about a week to exit the program without penalty.
Now, this is important. In a moment, we'll go through the steps you need to take to exit the beta, but do not follow these instructions until after the stable version has been installed on your Pixel. You can find the update once it drops (hopefully on Monday), by going to Settings > System > System update. If the update appears, follow the directions to download and install it.
How to exit the Android 13QPR2 Beta program once you've installed the stable update
Once you have the stable version of the March Pixel Feature Drop installed on your Pixel, tap on this link or go to www.google.com/android/beta. Tap the button that says "View your eligible devices" and you'll be taken to a picture of your Pixel model. Underneath the image will be a rectangle that says "Opt out." Tap on it, and follow the directions to exit the beta program.
The feature allowing a Pixel user to lower the resolution of his phone's display could be part of Monday's Feature Drop
It isn't clear which features will be coming in Monday's release but one that became available for my Pixel 6 Pro after I joined the QPR2 Beta could be coming as part of the March Pixel Feature Drop. Originally released with the Pixel 7 series, this feature allows Pixel users to switch the resolution on the screen from 1440p QHD+ to 1080p FHD+. Doing this will lower the demands on the battery and you can switch back and forth at any time.
If I plan on being out for a few hours, I will switch from Full resolution (1440p) to High resolution (1080p) to extend the battery life on my phone. I usually do this while enabling the Battery Saver option to squeeze more battery life out of my handset. To toggle on Battery Saver, go to Settings > Battery Saver and toggle on Use Battery Saver. The phone will go into Dark mode and restrict background operations to reduce the use of power from the phone's battery.
When Google starts the Android 14 beta program, here's when you should join
Google is currently running the Android 14 Developer Preview 1. The Android 14 beta program, designed for public consumption, will kick off next month. Platform Stability is expected in June and July followed by the final stable version of Android 14 which could be released in August. Android 13 was officially launched on August 15th, 2022.
It isn't considered to be smart to install an early beta version of Android on your Pixel if the unit is your daily driver. That's because beta software is notoriously unstable. Battery life drops, some apps and features (including some that you rely on) might not work. You might want to wait until the beta reaches Platform Stability before joining the Android 14 beta program. This occurs when all developer APIs and underlying system behaviors have been finalized.
At Platform Stability, developers assume that there will be no more changes impacting their apps. Of course, there is no guarantee that you won't experience any problems, but if you're dying to be the first on your block with Android 14 running their Pixel, Platform Stability is probably when you should join the beta program.
The Pixel models that will be receiving Android 14 include the Pixel 4a (5G), Pixel 5, Pixel 5a, Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro, Pixel 6a, Pixel 7, and the Pixel 7 Pro. Once Google opens the Android 14 beta program next month, we will be happy to show you how to join the program.
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