Pixel Android 15 Beta Issues: 5 Things You Need to Know

Google’s pushed a new Android 15 beta 4.2 update for Pixel devices including the new Pixel 9 series. We’re getting closer to the final release but the operating system is still plagued with issues.

Downloading the beta might be tempting, but this is unfinished software, and Google’s Android 15 beta may bring bugs and performance issues to your Pixel.

Google’s called out issues with the software and we expect the list to grow as Pixel users poke and prod the software in the days ahead.

If you’re debating a move to the Android 15 beta, you should be familiar with these issues before you install the software.

If you’re already running the Android 15 beta on your Pixel device, make sure to keep an eye out for problems. If you run into issues, you should report them to Google so the company can improve the final product.

In this guide we’ll take you through the current state of Android 15 beta problems, provide you with places to look for fixes, show you where to find feedback about the Android 15 beta, and show you how to report issues to Google.

Android 15 Beta 4.2 Problems

The Android 15 beta could have a tremendous impact on your Pixel’s overall performance. Some users might see improvements, but many others will run into trouble.

The company’s highlighted several potential issues with the fourth version of the beta and here’s what Pixel users are in for:

General Issues

• This release might have various stability, battery, or performance issues.
• For users with accessibility needs, this release might not be appropriate for daily use.
• Some apps might not function as expected when running on this release. This limitation includes Google’s apps as well as other apps.

Android Platform

• When an app window is transitioning to picture-in-picture (PiP) mode, the PiP window disappears if the device is rotated before the PiP transition finishes.
• An error page shows while adding an account during device setup.

Android Studio & Tools

• The Android 15 preview API level (VanillaIceCream) isn’t displayed in the Preview Configuration window.
• In some cases when checking for updates in Android Studio, the latest version of the Android SDK Build-Tools that includes the Android 15 preview SDK isn’t offered.
• While configuring a new project in Android Studio, the Android 15 preview SDK version is not listed in the Target SDK Version and Min SDK Version drop-down menus.
• Sometimes an Android Virtual Device (AVD) using an Android 15 system image fails to launch if the AVD is launched in embedded mode.
• An issue with the Android Emulator sometimes prevents an app from being redeployed to an Android Virtual Device (AVD) after the AVD is closed.
• An issue with the Android Emulator causes the hearing device accessibility shortcut to launch multiple settings app windows.
• An issue with the Android Emulator causes the notification window to flicker while typing a direct reply.
• An issue with the Android Emulator sometimes causes authentication flows in apps to fail and display a “Google Play services keeps stopping” message.
• An issue with the Android Emulator causes Simpleperf to crash when running a CPU profile.
• An issue with the Android Emulator causes the languages listed in system language settings to display incorrect characters.
• An issue with the Android Emulator sometimes causes the QR Code scanner to display a “Something went wrong” message and fail to launch.
• An issue with Android Studio causes the Device Manager to temporarily stop displaying “Missing system image…” warning messages after an SDK Platform is added or removed using the SDK Manager.
• An issue with the Android Emulator prevents the Google Discover feed from loading in some cases.

Apps

• An “Android System Intelligence keeps stopping” message appears while creating a file in the Google Docs app.
• The Google TV app sometimes fails to initiate video playback and instead displays a “Play Movies & TV is temporarily unavailable” message.

You can learn more about these issues, and others, over on Google’s IssueTracker.

How to Report Android 15 Beta Problems

If you run into bugs or performance issues while using the Android 15 beta 4.2 on your Pixel, you’ll want to report back to Google.

Your feedback will help the company identify, and potentially fix, issues before the official version arrives later this year.

You can share feedback directly with Google via the Android Issue Tracker and the Android Beta Feedback app. You can learn more about those over on Google’s website.

You can also share feedback with the company on the Android Beta Reddit.

How to Fix Android 15 Beta Problems

If you encounter an issue, make sure you’re running the latest version of the beta. The latest version of the beta fixes an issues that was detected within the software:

• Fixed an issue where some devices were delayed in waking up.
• Fixed an issue where a gray transparent bar was appearing when using the camera.
• Fixed a camera issue that was causing low frame rates.
• Fixed a camera issue that was causing a crash when changing zoom values.
• Fixed an issue with camera saturation.
• Fixed an issue that was causing the UI to flicker.
• Fixed an issue that was causing the YouTube app to crash.

If you’re still having issues, and you can’t wait for Google to release the next version of the beta, you’ll have to try and fix the issue(s) yourself.

The Android Beta Reddit is a great resource because solutions for bugs and performance issue will be shared there. The same goes for the Pixel Help Forums.

If you’re having trouble installing the Android 15 beta on your Pixel, you’ll want to check out Google’s guide for advice.

If the issues become far too frustrating, you can move your device off of the Android 15 beta. However, you won’t be able to unenroll from the beta and go back to a public release until you’ve wiped all locally saved data on your device.

Google notes that you might encounter issues restoring a backup.

Where to Find Feedback

Beta testers will want to monitor feedback from others testing the software. If you don’t plan to install the beta, you may want to watch its development from afar.

We’ve seen feedback emerge on social media sites like X and YouTube. We’ve also seen feedback on Google’s Pixel Help Forums, XDA-Developers, and the Android Beta Reddit.

Short-term feedback about the software is useful, but you’ll also want to make sure you dig into long-term feedback if you’re on the fence about a move from Android 14 to Android 15 beta or from one version of the Android 15 beta to another.

What’s Next

Android 15 beta 4 is a near-final build for final testing purposes which means the final Android 15 is getting close.

Google hasn’t provided a specific date for the Android 15 update’s release.