Android 14
One UI 6 Stable Version Is Near: Get Ready for Android 14 Update
Things are getting stirred up for Samsung as the firm is preparing to deliver the stable Android 14 One UI 6 to its Galaxy customers around the end of October. Most likely, the Galaxy S23 series will be the first ones to grab it. Following that, other eligible devices will receive the rollout. Along with the business, eligible users should also prepare their Galaxy devices to get the large OS update. The update may bring several new features, including a redesigned quick panel, a customizable lock screen, and a two-finger drag-and-drop function. There are several things that the users should take care of:
One UI 6 Beta 9 could be the final test build, and the next can be stable
Samsung just launched the ninth test version of One UI 6 for the Galaxy S23 series in the US and a few other places. This update is about 430 megabytes in size, and it mainly makes the software work better and fixes some problems. It also includes the security updates for October. We’re thinking this could be the final test update before Samsung gives everyone the real Android 14 update.
Samsung to End One UI 6.0 Beta Program for Galaxy S23 This Week: Last Chance to Sign Up
One UI 6 is set to make eligible Samsung phones, beginning with the Galaxy S23 series, a lot better. It will come with new icons, widgets, a fresh look for the user interface, special functions when you long-press on apps, a smarter Airplane mode, new emojis, enhancements to the Gallery and Camera apps, and many other improvements.
Backing up your data in a safer zone:
Data backups might be useful in situations where updates don’t install properly and a device needs to be reset to factory settings before it can be used again. It will also come in handy in times of manual factory resetting the phone while installing the Android 14 One UI 6 update.
- With just one click and a USB cable, it is possible to back up all the data on your Galaxy phone to Windows or Mac computers.
- For users who own Windows and want to backup only their media files, open File Explorer > This PC, click your device name, and copy the files you want by establishing a connection between your phone and Windows.
- This process is also possible using a Samsung or Google account. Under the Samsung Cloud or Google Drive section, go to Settings -> Accounts and Backup -> Backup Data.
- You can also backup data to the inserted MicroSD card or external storage drive through USB cables and OTG connectors by installing the Samsung Smart Switch app.
- Open the Smart Switch app and navigate to the SD card icon. Select the microSD or external drive where you want to backup your selected data.
- Backing up using the Smart Switch app doesn’t cover WhatsApp messages. To backup the chats individually, open WhatsApp -> Chats -> Chat Backup -> Backup. These WhatsApp media will get saved on Google Drive, and users can select between multiple Google accounts to store them.
- Chats in other applications such as Telegram, Facebook, and Instagram will backup automatically; for confirmation, users can check once.
Free up your space for One UI 6
If you doubt that your Galaxy device is getting lower storage, make sure you free up your space before installing the newer OS upgrade. By going to Settings -> Battery and Device Care -> Storage menu, users can clean up the apps that they don’t wish to have on their phone. Since it is a major OS update, we can expect it to be 3–3.5 GB. For a problem-free installation, it is advisable to free up the storage. It is requested for games that allow for progress and save data synchronization through Google Play Games if you want to remove some of them so you can pick up where you left off in the future. Multiplayer games typically save and sync your progress between devices.
Keep your battery percentage high
For a smooth installation of an operating system update, the device set to receive the update should have at least 20% of battery, but it will be great if the users keep their phone battery at more than 50% for a smooth installation and checking the new features installed.
Get the latest Android 13 update on your phone:
Galaxy devices will continue to receive routine minor upgrades with Android 13 and One UI 5.x at their cores until Android 14 and One UI 6.0 are available. It is important because significant updates to Android and One UI typically require your device to be running the most firmware based on the current version of Android and One UI. Before using Android 14, make sure that there are no pending updates on your line.
Get your applications updated
The Play Store and the Galaxy Store provide app upgrades for Samsung smartphones. By long-tapping the store’s icon in the app drawer and selecting the My apps or Update apps option from the pop-up, you can easily access the updates section in both stores. These software updates can be installed after the OS upgrade is finished; however, if you want to rapidly resume using your phone regularly following the upgrade, it could be a good idea to update all apps before Android 14/One UI 6.
Another important aspect of the OS upgrade is that it takes time to get installed. While installing the update, calls and messages resumed only after the successful installation of the OS update. Go to Settings » Software Update on your phone or tablet and turn off the option for auto-download over Wi-Fi. This will prevent the update from downloading automatically. Once you’re prepared, you may manually start the download by selecting Download and install from the Settings » Software Update menu.
Simply do not hit the Install Now button when the update notification appears on the screen if you have already downloaded the update but do not want to install it. By selecting the Schedule installation option, which is located under the Install Now button, you can potentially delay the installation.
Samsung Galaxy XCover 5 is one of the rugged smartphones that is dedicatedly made for using it in any weather condition. It is worth noticing that the company hasn’t limited it to giving tough hardware but also keeps it up to date with its fresh software. In the last major update, Android 14, it has grabbed some new features, and unfortunately, it has also got an issue with the camera, which is causing inconvenience to the users.
Galaxy XCover5 getting a camera issue after Android 14
The Galaxy XCover 5 has received Android 14 and One UI 6.0, and after installing them, users have started reporting about the camera issue. In the reports, the consumers have pointed out that they are not able to use the camera focus like before. Since the camera is the most frequently used feature of the smartphone, its malfunction is significantly affecting the overall performance of the devices.
Due to the malfunctioning of the autofocus, users are also having difficulty making payments due to the autofocus malfunction. When they open the QR code scanner, they are unable to do so because the camera is not focusing on the code.
However, the Korean giant hasn’t yet released a statement regarding the issue’s resolution, despite the fact that the issue surfaced after the last update, suggesting a software update-related problem. Hopefully, Samsung could release a proper update that will update it to the latest version.
Android 14
Google Get Inspired By Samsung; As It Copies Secure Folder Feature Housed In Galaxy Phones
Is Google following Samsung? With the Android 14 QPR3 Beta 2.1, it offers a new option for private space, which Samsung already offers with the title Secure Folder.
Google released Android 14 QPR2 Beta 1 in November 2023, which introduced a feature called ‘Private Space’ already housed in Samsung devices as Secure Folder. Since reports have been around for several days that the latest iteration of Android 15 will be dedicated to more security and will bring tons of new features to enhance users’ secure experiences, one of the awaiting features is Private Space.
The upcoming Private Space feature will allow the user to install the application in a separate, locked profile, which they can hide at any time. Although this feature has been in the development phase for a long time, it has not yet gone live. Let’s take a closer look.
The new feature named ‘Lock private space automatically’ will allow users to configure the feature to automatically lock the protected space depending on one of the two sub-options they select in it, which are ‘Every time device lock’ and ‘After 5 minutes of inactivity.’ While choosing the first, the feature will lock Privact Space instantly after they lock the device.
But here’s the catchable fact: Secure Folder, available on Galaxy devices, already offers this feature, so somewhere it seems like Google got inspired by Samsung.
The reports are also saying that when users set up Private Space, the feature now recommends them to create a dedicated Google account for using it to’stop data appearing outside private space; for instance, ‘Synced photos, files, emails, contacts, calendar events, and other data,’ and many more. This suggestion and the option to automatically lock the protected space further enhance the privacy and security of private space.
Upcoming Private Space will offer a redesign setup flow to deliver a better idea of the feature. Since this feature initially appeared in Android 14 QPR2 Beta 1 and then Android 14 QPR3 Beta 2.1, it is expected that Android 15 will bring this feature to enhance the secure experience.
Google is preparing for its second-pixel drop update for this year. To develop it, the company has already started the Android 14 QPR3 Beta updates. Now, moving forward, it has started rolling out the Beta 2.1 updates, while earlier it rolled out two more beta updates, including Beta 1 and Beta 2, which brought several fixes.
Android 14 QPR 3 2.1 beta update: What’s New
The Android 14 QPR3 beta 2.1 is now available for Pixel devices. It is carrying the firmware version number AP21.240305.005. It is still using the March 2024 patch for security, but now it is live for all the eligible Pixel devices, including the Pixel 5a, Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro, Pixel 6a, Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro, Pixel 7a, Pixel Tablet, Pixel Fold, Pixel 8, and Pixel 8 Pro. With the latest update, several issues have been fixed, which will surely improve the overall experience of the devices.
With the latest update, there are several problems related to the UI that have been solved. This includes a launcher crash, a charging issue in the Pixel tablet, the home screen, the layout of notifications, wallpaper settings, ‘Quick tap to start actions’ gesture functionality, and many more.
Along with this, the update changelog also shares information about the top open issues and some common issues related to the Android platform and Google apps. For more details, check out the full changelog below.
Android 14 QPR 3 Beta 2.1 changelog
- Fixed an issue that sometimes caused a device’s launcher to crash when trying to view recent apps. (Issue #328803294)
- Fixed an issue that sometimes prevented Pixel Tablet devices from charging while connected to the dock. (Issue #299800125)
- Fixed an issue where swiping up from the bottom of the screen didn’t always return to the home screen.
- I fixed an issue that caused the layout of notifications on the lock screen to display with additional padding.
- Fixed various issues that were causing frequent “Application not responding” errors for both system and user apps.
- Fixed an issue where swiping down from the top of the screen didn’t always show the notification shade.
- Fixed an issue for Pixel Fold devices where sometimes, when the device was unfolded, only half of the inner screen displayed content.
- Fixed an issue that sometimes prevented a user’s wallpaper settings from being backed up properly.
- Fixed an issue that sometimes stopped the “Quick Tap to Start Actions” gesture from working.
- Fixed various other issues that were impacting system stability, performance, connectivity, interactivity, and camera
Top open issues
See Top Open Issues for the latest list of issues that have been reported by developers.
Other known issues
Based on our testing, you might encounter the following issues when using Android 14 QPR3 Beta 2.1: These issues are already known, so there’s no need to file additional reports for similar issues.
Android platform
- An issue with sideloading the Beta 2 build can sometimes cause a device to fail to boot properly after sideloading is completed. Due to the potential disruption that this issue can cause, we’ve temporarily disabled downloads for OTA images until we can further troubleshoot the issue. To work around this issue, we recommend that developers flash a factory image to test devices instead.
Google apps
- The Assistant The Glance widget sometimes displays weather information for the wrong location.