The development of Android 16 is progressing rapidly, which is even more impressive considering that Google is ahead of its usual release schedule this year. However, the beta program is expected to hit its platform stability milestones next month, ahead of the stable release in Q2 2025, so there’s a need to move things forward at a faster pace.
Today, Google announced Android 16 Beta 2.1 on Reddit, which addresses some minor bugs, including a fix for the issue causing random reboots on phones in Beta 2. The new version, with build number BP22.250124.010, is available for supported devices, including all of Google’s phones, tablets, and foldables released since the 2021 Pixel 6. Like Beta 2, this version includes the February security patch. The release notes for this version are now available on Google’s developer site, and we’ve included the full list below:
Android 16 Beta 2.1 (February 2025)
This small update to Android 16 Beta 2 includes the following improvements:
- Fixed an issue that sometimes prevented the device from entering Doze mode. (Issue #396603519)
- Fixed issues causing some animations to look jumbled while configuring live wallpapers. (Issue #397659072)
- Fixed an issue that sometimes caused the device to reboot unexpectedly. (Issue #396541565)
- Fixed several other issues affecting system stability, connectivity, and performance.
All eligible devices enrolled in the Android Beta for Pixel program will receive the Beta 2.1 update over the air (OTA).
The first item on the list is the Doze mode, a feature introduced with Android 6.0 Marshmallow that lets your phone go into deep sleep when certain conditions are met. Last year, Google’s VP of Engineering, Dave Burke, mentioned that as a result of improvements in Android 15, devices were entering Doze mode 50% faster than with Android 14, providing up to an additional three hours of standby time. It’s unclear if the bugs addressed in today’s update are a result of additional system changes in Android 16.
On the other hand, issues with choppy system animations while setting live wallpapers have been fixed, as well as a problem where the phone would immediately reboot into recovery mode after powering on. Google says today’s release also includes several other performance and stability improvements.
This milestone is especially important for developers who want to ensure their Android apps are fully compatible with the new version. Android 16 Beta 2.1 is being rolled out as a standard OTA update, so if you’re enrolled in the Android Beta program on a compatible device, you can install it by going to Settings → System → Software Update → System Update and tapping the “Check for Update” button. Google says the update is already rolling out but may take up to 24 hours to appear for all users.
