Leaving the Android 15 beta just isn’t fairly working the way it ought to

Once you’re a hardcore Android fanatic, you’re going to need to stay life on the bleeding fringe of Google’s very newest software program. That most likely means not simply rocking a Pixel telephone, but in addition ensuring you’re signed as much as take part within the latest Android beta. Navigating all of your choices for accessing Android betas can get complicated, quick, and proper now Google appears to be solely including to the confusion by sending some beta testers notifications about an replace they shouldn’t be getting.

Google acquired the Android 15 hype prepare began all the best way again in February, with the primary launch of the primary Developer Preview. By April, we have been on to common beta releases, and people continued to roll out over the months that adopted. However then over the summer time, Google additionally started making obtainable the primary Android 15 Quarterly Platform Launch (QPR) for beta testing. This was a separate trial that prolonged after the common Android 15 beta, and simply since you have been attempting out that didn’t imply you additionally needed to take a look at QPR1.

This week, Android 15 left testing and arrived as an replace for Pixel telephones all over the place. And whereas the common Android 15 beta is lengthy over, QPR testing continues. What occurs when you determine you’re achieved with operating beta software program, and need to transfer again to the steady channel? Nicely, that’s additionally just a little difficult, and might require you to wipe your machine within the course of, shedding all information you haven’t backed up. Right here’s how Google explains it:

You possibly can choose out of the [beta] program at any time to return to the steady public model of Android. Once you opt-out of this system, all person information on the machine shall be wiped.

Through the beta program’s launch cycle, there shall be steady releases to the general public (the official platform launch adopted by Quarterly Platform Releases (QPRs)). Once you apply the steady launch replace for the model you’re beta testing, you possibly can choose out with no information wipe for a restricted time till you apply the subsequent beta replace.

Whereas testers on non-QPR Android 15 beta ought to be capable to migrate to Android 15 steady with out wiping their telephones, that shouldn’t but be the case for testers on Android 15 QPR1, since that steady launch isn’t anticipated till December. Anybody on QPR1 who leaves the beta now ought to see themselves introduced with the choice to return to Android 14 with a wipe of their information — after which they may all the time improve to fifteen steady.

What we’re seeing as an alternative, as on this Reddit thread began by JDS3RD, is that QPR testers leaving the beta are being introduced with the identical no-wipe possibility as non-QPR Android 15 beta testers. And whereas which will sound like a constructive step ahead, making it simpler for testers to maneuver to steady, it doesn’t truly work. Customers who try and benefit from this route report the set up failing halfway by. The set up course of will get caught on app optimization and doesn’t proceed ahead for a lot of hours.

It appears like these notifications went out in error, focusing on QPR1 and presumably QPR2 testers slightly than simply these on the first Android 15 beta. We’ve reached out to Google to see if it will possibly share any mild on what’s happening right here, and can replace you with something we be taught.

In case you’ve obtained the notification, notice that the replace will seemingly not set up. You possibly can keep on the beta construct that you’re on (even after you might have opted out), till you obtain one other such OTA notification round December when the Android 15 QPR 1 construct releases.

Because of Radomir Gadzic for the tip!