Android P Beta

Has anyone installed the new android beta? And if so how stable is it to run on a daily basis, I know Google warns against this.

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Iā€™m now on the Beta, from the original developer preview :slight_smile:

I regret flashing it at 11pm after a damn long day :joy: I messed up :wink:
But now that itā€™s all happy and installed, seems fine - but as Iā€™ve learned through many years of this, itā€™s a BAD idea unless youā€™re completely fine with it ā€˜breakingā€™ unexpectedly.

The 1st preview was rock solid for me, but YMMV :slight_smile: this Beta seems very smooth (Iā€™ve had it for <12hrs though so take that with a pinch of salt :wink:
You can always flash back to your last stable update, assuming youā€™re rocking a Pixel device? (And know what youā€™re doing)

I wouldnā€™t recommend running it but Iā€™m running it on mine :grin:

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There are a few tweaks but it doesnā€™t feel a whole lot different to O. Thatā€™s probably a good thingā€¦

Iā€™ve got it doing DNS over TLS, but once the initial coolness has faded that just kinda works. Ipv6 implementation seems more consistent (it seems more willing to use it than O was).

No app issues yet, and bluetooth works.

Iā€™m running it! All great so far.

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I couldnā€™t get WiFi calling to work, so I restored back to O.

Be aware that unless you use Magisk, itā€™ll fail Safetynet, so you wonā€™t be able to get Netflix from the play store or use google pay.

How can I check this? Iā€™ve enabled it in the Settings but there doesnā€™t seem to be a visual clue like in Oreo.

For me, when I had it enabled, it would say cellular preferred rather than WiFi preferred. I just assumed this meant it wasnā€™t working.

Mine just says EE whereas on Oreo it said EE - WiFi Calling or something like that.

Edit - Oh, I see in the Settings it says Mobile preferred

Interesting :thinking:

Got it working. Found a tip to put the phone on airplane mode, then enable WiFi and make a call. That way it forces the call to go through WiFi since cellular is disabled, and the setting seems to stick afterward :slightly_smiling_face:

Nice spot on the Wifi Calling! I imagine that theyā€™ll improve this - I found in oreo sometimes itā€™d use Wifi Calling in situations it really shouldnā€™tā€¦ so this is a swing the other way perhaps.

Iā€™ve found Android P to be really smooth, the only other bug Iā€™ve found is when it wants me to sign in on open Wifi networks (eg Underground/Virgin Media) it comes up asking me to sign into network ā€œnullā€.

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Just installed P again (with Magisk, I want my Google Pay!). The WiFi Calling does work, thanks for the tip @simonb :slight_smile:

I do really like the UI, it seems much nicer.

Iā€™ve got P without Magisk and have Google/Android/Nom du Jour Pay running OK on my Pixelā€¦

Did you have a card in before you updated? If you go to add a new card, do is let you get to the choose a card screen?

If you go to Google Play, can you view the Netflix app?

Yeah I had all my cards etc. already in itā€¦

In Google Play I can search and see Netflix (Iā€™m in the Beta program if that makes a difference)ā€¦ Itā€™s also already installed and opens fineā€¦

I upgraded my phone via OTA rather than wipe/flash, so all my apps were already installed and set upā€¦

Hmm, strange. It definitely says in the notes that the preview isnā€™t CTS approved. Maybe that only applied to the first one?

Either way, my bootloader is unlocked, so I need Magisk to pass Safety net.

I havenā€™t taken the plunge (mostly because my phoneā€™s incompatible with the beta :pensive:) but initial write ups seem to be highlighting how this is the most significant update in years.

I take it youā€™re not experiencing much difference as a user? Are you using the new gestures?

Google are good at hype :stuck_out_tongue:

Theyā€™ve changed the bottom bar (needs to be switched on, and doesnā€™t feel quite ready yet) and the notification drop downs are more interactive, but beyond that not really different as a user.

Thereā€™s a new app coming that records how long you spend using various apps, but I canā€™t see myself ever using that.

There are a lot more interesting things going on the development sideā€¦ merging all the various controls + compatibility layers under the jetpack label, pushing kotlin, lots of new tools to make development easierā€¦ of course none of these are android P specific.

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Might be worth mentioning that the Monzo app is working perfectly on Android P, in case anyone was nervous about taking the plunge (at least on a Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL, I know there are other devices that can run the Beta)

In fact, all my most used apps are working. Havenā€™t come across anything problematic as of yet. For a second Beta, especially considering we are still 4 or 5 months away from the full release, itā€™s remarkably stable and in fact seems to be performing better than Oreo.

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Monzo is not working on Android P on a Nokia 7 Plus. Itā€™s an AndroidOne deviceā€¦ Monzo just hangs at the second screen and then you get an ANR. Screenshot_20180515-183439

Whatā€™s an ANR?

(Donā€™t make the same mistake as me and google it)