Google surprised Android users once again by releasing Android 14 Beta 5.3 on September 7th instead of the final stable version of Android 14. This latest update focuses on bug fixes and overall stability improvements.
Some of the issues addressed in Android 14 Beta 5.3 include:
- Fixed apps crashing after CallStyle notifications in some cases
- Addressed call and carrier service interruptions
- Optimized background app CPU restrictions
- Improved performance issues caused by SurfaceFlinger
- Fixed taskbar visibility issues on Pixel Fold and Pixel Tablet
- Smoothed animation stuttering on animated wallpapers
- Corrected home screen layout on Pixel Fold
- Stopped lock screen clock flickering on Pixel Fold
- General stability and performance enhancements
To install the update, Pixel owners can go to Settings > System > System update. The update is around 21MB for Pixel 6 Pro devices.
This Beta 5.3 release comes after the surprising Beta 5.2 update on August 25th. Many expected that to be the final update before the stable Android 14 launch. However, Google continues to polish the software with incremental updates.
At this time, it’s unclear when Android 14 will officially launch. Most anticipated the stable version in August, but Google continues Beta releases. While frustrating for eager users, this indicates Google is taking time to refine the software before public release.
For now, Android 14 remains in Beta. But with Beta 5.3 focusing on optimizations and bug fixes, the stable version could launch at any time. Hopefully this will be the last Beta before Android 14 finally sees an official stable launch.
