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Android 13 QPR1 beta 3 adds a new toggle switch to a particular Pixel feature
Yesterday we told you that Google had surprised Pixel users by releasing the third and last beta for Android 13 QPR1. The Quarterly Platform Release beta program gives Pixel users "feature drops, bug fixes, and performance improvements ahead of the public release schedule." The next Quarterly Feature Drop is expected to be released on December 5th, the first Monday of the month.
While Google listed the bugs that the Android 13 QPR1 beta 3 exterminated, it didn't mention any new features. Enter Esper's Mishaal Rahman disseminated a tweet mentioning one change that was spotted after the update was installed.
The Android 13 QPR1 Beta 3 update improves the Pixel's Battery Share feature
Some Pixel models offer a feature called Battery Share. Those models include the Pixel 5, Pixel 5a, Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro, Pixel 6a, Pixel 7, and Pixel 7 Pro. Battery Share is the Pixel version of reverse wireless charging. You can help replenish the battery on a pal's Qi-compatible device by turning your phone screen side down and placing the back of your pal's device on the back of your phone as though your phone was a wireless charging mat.
When Google introduced battery share on the Pixel 5, it did something a little different than other phone manufacturers. When a user plugs his Pixel into the wall to charge, it automatically turns on Battery Share for a short period of time. After a few minutes, if the phone doesn't detect a nearby device to charge, it turns Battery Share off.
But not everyone wants or needs this and with Android 13 QPR1 beta 3 installed on your compatible Pixel, go to Settings > Battery > Battery Share. There you will find a toggle on the Battery Share page that can turn the feature on and off. Google added this feature because a Pixel 5 or later sharing its battery with another device will see its remaining battery life decline. Plugging in the Pixel while using Battery Share to charge another device will prevent this from happening.
How to get the new toggle on your compatible Pixel more than a month early
If you can't wait until December to get the new toggle, you can join the Android 13 QPR1 beta program and have it appear on your Pixel right away. Here is how to do this. Go to www.google.com/android/beta or tap on this link. You'll be taken to the Android Beta Program website. You'll see a box that says, "View your eligible devices." Press on the box and you'll be taken to a page with a picture of your Pixel device.
Underneath that low-quality image of your handset is a box that reads "Opt in." Tap on that and you'll shortly receive the beta update by going to Settings > System > System update. Follow the directions to install the beta files. Do not opt out of the beta program until Google delivers the final version of the December Pixel Quarterly Feature Drop. Otherwise, you'll be forced to wipe the data from your phone.
Another change pointed out by Rahman is the return of the expanded volume panel to the bottom of the screen instead of the center of the screen where it was found in beta 2. The menu can be opened by pressing on one of the two volume rockers and tapping on the three dots near the bottom of the vertical volume slider. In Rahman's tweet he explains that in beta 3, the "settings_volume_panel_in_systemui" feature flag is disabled by default which is why the panel is at the bottom of the display.
If you enable the "settings_volume_panel_in_systemui" feature flag, which was enabled by default in beta 2, you can arrange to have the panel appear in the center of the display.
