Google released thesecond Android 14 QPR2 betaearlier this week, just a few days after dropping the stableDecember 2023 Pixel Feature Drop. The latest beta addsseveral new features, though Google’s release notes primarily highlight the bug fixes. This included an issue with the biometric prompt crashing before you could unlock your Pixel. So, if you thought upgrading to the latest Android 14 QPR2 beta would fix your Pixel’s biometric unlock woes, you were wrong. As manyPixel 7users are now finding out, the second QPR2 beta breaks the phone’s in-display scanner.
SeveralPixel 7 Prousers have taken toReddit, highlighting a “Can’t use fingerprint sensor error” on the latest Android 14 AP11.231117.006 beta build. This bug completely breaks the fingerprint scanner, forcing them to use the pattern/PIN or face unlock to access their device. The problem does not seem to affect other Pixel phones running the beta.
Thankfully, as spotted by9to5Google, Google has alreadyacknowledged the bugand is working on a fix on priority. If the company resolves the bug internally soon, expect Android 14 QPR2 Beta 2.1 to drop before the holidays with the bug fix.
Until Google addresses the problem, you can recalibrate the fingerprint sensor to see if that helps. Some Pixel 7 users report that recalibrating the in-display scanner fixed the biometric unlock mechanism for them. Google also recommends doing this until it rolls out a fix. You can followiFixit’s guideto recalibrate your Pixel’s fingerprint scanner. The process will require you to have access to a PC. If the tool is not working, restart your phone and try again. You must reboot your phone twice after the recalibration to get the sensor to work.
There are still over two months left before Android 14 QPR2 (March 2024 Pixel Feature Drop) is released. So, these bugs in the beta should not be a cause of concern, as they are bound to appear in beta builds during development.
If you are tired of beta builds randomly breaking key functionality on your phone, consider returning to the stable channel. The catch is that your window to go back to a stable build without a data wipe will open when the next Feature Drop lands. Otherwise, migrating now will erase your phone of all your Google accounts and data, and you will have to set up the phone from scratch.
Android 14 QPR2 Beta 2 also breaks the quick wallpaper picker, which Google should address in a future beta. On the feature side, the March 2024 Pixel Feature Drop should make Wi-Fi sharing even easier, notification cooldown, a per-app screen recorder, a revamped volume slider, and more.Android 14 QPR2 packs plenty of hidden featuresas well, though not all of them might make their way to the stable build.
