Google has been forced to halt the rollout of its latest Android Q beta after some users suffered bootloop borkage.
Early-installers have posted to Reddit to complain that the fourth Android Q beta, released on Wednesday, is causing problems. Users – primarily those using Pixel 2 XL and Pixel 3 devices – have moaned that the update fails to install and instead throws their Pixel into a state of constant reboot.
“Help! My Pixel 3 is stuck in a bootloop after trying to install the Q Beta 4. All I get is the Google logo with the progress bar underneath, been like that for 20 minutes now,” one user whined.
Another sobbed: “Same issue here. A good 30+ minutes to the first Factory Reset screen, and now I’m about 15 minutes into the second “G” and progress bar that I expect to fail.”
Following these complaints, Google has taken, somewhat oddly, to Reddit to announce its temporarily pausing the update while it attempts to resolve the issue.
“We’re aware of an issue with Android Q Beta 4 related to installing updates,” Google said. “We’ve temporarily paused Beta 4 OTA updates to all Pixel devices as we investigate the issue. We apologize for any inconvenience, and will provide an update once the issue is resolved.”
If you’ve already installed the update and your device is showing signs of borkage, Android Central has some tips for recovering your phone, though it might involve carrying out a full factory reset.
If you’re on the beta and haven’t installed the update yet, you should definitely hold off if it appears on your phone. If you’re one of the unlucky ones, Android Central has a few steps you can try to recover your phone (but it might involve a factory reset, sorry).
For everybody else: this is why you shouldn’t install beta builds of software on your primary phone. No matter how normalized it’s become in recent years with both Google and Apple offering public betas, they’re called “Beta” for a reason.
