7 worst Android 16 beta bugs thus far

Android 16 is on its approach. Google has confirmed that the subsequent main Android replace is on monitor for a June 2025 launch, sooner than any latest model of the software program. Nonetheless, you’ll be able to already set up the Android 16 beta. Android 16 Beta 1 launched in January, and we will anticipate a number of updates earlier than the steady replace in June.

Putting in a beta construct of Android has at all times been a dangerous proposition. These beta builds are an opportunity for Google to check the construct within the wild and iron out main bugs forward of the steady launch. However Android 16 isn’t any completely different from earlier Android releases, its beta builds launched with a plethora of bugs that affected the Android expertise in refined and vital methods. Listed here are the worst Android 16 beta bugs we have seen thus far.

You need to frantically faucet in your display screen to alter your cellphone’s theme

In Android 16 Beta 2, tapping on any of the colour palettes within the Wallpaper & fashion menu (accessed by tapping and holding on your private home display screen, or by way of the Settings app) would not instantly change your cellphone’s theme. We examined this bug and located that we needed to faucet about 25 instances on a coloration palette icon earlier than the cellphone registered the change.

This bug occurred whether or not customers had themed icons enabled or not. Whereas themed icons are nonetheless in beta (and due to this fact extra prone to have bugs), the wallpaper theme switcher has been a steady function since Android 12. You’ll be able to solely reliably change the wallpaper theme in Android 16 Beta 2 by heading into the System colours menu, as proven within the top-left GIF above. Restarting the system didn’t repair this difficulty.

6

Telephones ignored the 80% battery limiter setting

Pixel telephones are at all times charging to 100%

Since November 2024, Pixel telephones have had a function that permits you to cease the battery from charging over 80 p.c. This function slows down battery degradation, which is essential for individuals who wish to maintain onto their telephones for so long as doable. Nonetheless, Android 16 Beta 2 broke this function and rendered this setting utterly ineffective.

For those who enabled this function in Android 16 Beta 2, your cellphone’s battery would at all times cost to 100%. Generally, telephones with this function enabled will cost to 100%, however that is an intentional aberration designed to recalibrate estimated battery capability. This bug meant your cellphone would cost to 100% each time. Draining the battery utterly or restarting the cellphone didn’t repair this difficulty.

5

Telephone calls have been randomly restarting Pixel telephones

Nonetheless, the bug was restricted to Pixel 7 units

Quite a few Pixel 7 customers on Android 16 Beta 1 reported that their units have been randomly restarting mid-call. Even worse, the issue is not equivalent throughout all units. One person famous that their cellphone restarts 4 out of 5 cellphone calls and that the problem appeared to seem across the five-minute mark. One other person reported that after the restart, their name logs had been deleted. Yet one more reported that their cellphone would restart at random instances throughout calls. Whatever the particular signs, this bug rendered individuals unable to make use of their telephones for minutes at a time.

This bug affected Pixel 7a, Pixel 7, and Pixel 7 Professional units. Apparently, this bug first appeared final 12 months and was squashed as a part of the Android 15 QPR2 Beta 3 replace in January 2025. Android 16 Beta 1 appeared to have damaged this repair once more. Google marked this bug as high-priority because of the impression it had on individuals’s private {and professional} calls.

Good dwelling controls have been inaccessible

For a lot of customers on Android 16 Beta 1, the Google Dwelling app refused to open. The Google Dwelling widget additionally refused to work, displaying the error message “widget just isn’t supported.” This left individuals unable to entry their sensible dwelling controls. Irrespective of which methodology you used to open the Google Dwelling app, it could crash or refuse to open each time.

This bug could possibly be quickly resolved by reinstalling the Google Dwelling app, however we discovered that the bug reappeared quickly after. Others managed to repair the bug by force-stopping the app and clearing the cache.

Issuing instructions to Google Dwelling by way of Google Assistant or Gemini appeared to bypass the bug, however customers might solely difficulty instructions, not open the app. This bug was comparatively uncommon, as most individuals reported that the Google Dwelling app was working tremendous for them.

3

The Google Information app crashed upon opening a PDF file

Fortunately, the bug was restricted to the Information app

Android 16 Beta 1 customers reported that the Google Information app would crash each time they tried to open a PDF file. The app would crash instantly upon deciding on a PDF file to open; the doc preview would not present.

We replicated this bug on a Pixel 8, and a whole bunch of different customers have reported this bug on numerous Pixel telephones operating Android 16 Beta 1. For some customers, clearing the app’s cache and storage mounted the problem, however for us, this methodology solely labored for the primary PDF file we opened.

This bug was restricted to the Google Information app. Different apps, together with Google Drive and third-party file supervisor apps, might open PDF recordsdata tremendous.

2

Gesture navigation damaged on third-party launchers

The Pixel Launcher was barely extra steady

Pixel customers who have been utilizing a third-party launcher observed that gesture navigation was damaged on Android 16 Beta 1. This bug stopped customers from switching between apps by swiping up on the navigation bar, forcing them to search out the app within the app drawer as a substitute of a fast swipe and faucet. The animation of switching to a latest app would present, however the person was despatched to the house display screen as a substitute of the chosen app.

This bug was predominant on third-party launchers, however Pixel Launcher customers additionally encountered it. Microsoft Launcher, Lawnchair, Niagara, and Nova Launcher customers reported that the bug disappeared once they switched again to Pixel Launcher. A number of inventory Pixel customers reported this difficulty, too, however the majority of customers encountering this bug have been utilizing third-party launchers.

Luckily, there was a simple repair

Some customers reported that font colours have been damaged within the fast settings menu on a number of Pixel units operating Android 16 Beta 1. The time and date font was unreadable as its darkish gray font blended into the black background.

Luckily, it appeared like this bug could possibly be mounted by switching the cellphone to Darkish Mode after which rebooting it. After disabling Darkish mode, the fast settings textual content was returned to regular.

Set up the Android 16 beta at your personal threat

Among the bugs, just like the random restarts throughout cellphone calls and the damaged Google Dwelling app, precipitated main issues for customers. They’re nice examples of why we do not advocate putting in the Android 16 beta on a tool you recurrently use for necessary calls.

Nonetheless, do not take these bugs as an indication of a disastrous June launch. The Android 16 beta is about as steady as latest Android beta releases and, excluding Android 15’s cussed bugs, the steady launches principally ironed out these bugs.