Pixel 11 users can now grab Android 17 QPR 2 Beta 6.1

Just last week, Google dropped its Android 17 QPR2 Beta 6 update. However, folks quickly noticed that the Pixel 11 series wasn't on the list of supported devices. That's now remedied. Google has finally announced and released Android 17 QPR Beta 6.1 for the Pixel 11, 11 Pro, 11 Pro XL, and 11 Pro Fold.

We knew it was coming

We knew that Google wouldn't leave its latest handsets out of the mix when it came to the beta track. The full release notes are on the Google Android Developer page, showing off two build numbers. Build number CP41.260831.011 will be for the Pixel 11 series, while build CP41.260831.007.A3 will be for all other compatible devices.

The only thing to really look out for in this release appears to affect the Pixel 11 Pro Fold. Towards of the top of the release notes, there's a single known issue which states: "Pixel 11 Pro Fold users may have to re-enroll Face Unlock." For the most part, that's a pretty minor thing to worry about. But if you are loading this on your Pixel 11 Pro Fold, be aware that's an issue.

Under that line, Google also shares some more details:

Hardening against call forwarding fraud
Android 17 QPR2 introduces new security restrictions on programmatic call forwarding to protect users from fraud. The system now parses and selectively restricts call-forwarding USSD codes (such as *21#) executed using the TelephonyManager.sendUssdRequest() API.
API Restriction: The sendUssdRequest() API is no longer accessible for call-forwarding codes using only the CALL_PHONE permission. Standard apps attempting to execute these codes in the background will be blocked and receive a USSD_ERROR_NOT_ALLOWED callback.
System Confirmation: To combat social engineering scams, users manually dialing call-forwarding codes in the system dialer will now see a new OS-level confirmation dialog before the command is executed.
Non-Call Forwarding USSD: Non-call forwarding enabling USSD requests (such as mobile money transfers and account checks) are unaffected by this change.
Mitigation: If your app is affected, verify that it handles the USSD_ERROR_NOT_ALLOWED failure callback gracefully. For apps requiring call-forwarding setup that don't qualify for an exempted role, migrate your flow to use the ACTION_DIAL intent to pre-fill the dialer, allowing the user to manually confirm the action.

Like any beta software, there are potential problems that can come up. This can impact your device in any number of ways. However, we always encourage users on the beta to report any problems that they experience. This allows the team at Google to look things over, make changes, and push out improvements in future releases.

It's all coming together

Like always, Google continues to push out beta updates at a feverish pace. Android 17 QPR2 is expected to land on devices in the coming months. With each beta, Google continues to make changes and implement fixes to improve stability.

While QPR updates are nice, some think they're creating fragmentation. You could be running the same version of Android across Samsung, Google, and OnePlus devices, yet the experience could be vastly different.

You could argue that Google is giving its devices an advantage with QPR updates. And maybe that's just the point.