Google releases Android 11 Beta 1.5 ‘minor update’ with patches, Google Pay fix

Abner Li | Jun 17 2020 - 10:02 am PT

After releasing the first Android 11 Beta last week, Google is today rolling out an Android 11 Beta 1.5 patch. This “minor update” addresses device crashes and the lack of Google Pay.

Google calls this a “minor update to Android 11 Beta 1” that addresses the following issues in two categories:

General

Devices no longer crash (reboot) while using gesture navigation to switch apps in different orientations while rotating the device at the same time.
On Pixel 3 and 3a, users setting up devices after reset can now activate a pSim service if the phone is currently using an eSIM service.
Fixed issues that users were having when using contactless payments through Google Pay.

Bluetooth

The system no longer incorrectly enforces the Bluetooth privileged permission for RemoveBond. This resolves issues that could affect pairing, unpairing, and bond reset flows for Bluetooth devices, such as for Forget Watch on Wear OS device.

The most significant problem addressed is the lack of Google Pay, which is an obstacle to most people using Beta 1 as a daily driver. Meanwhile, there’s a fix for gesture navigation crashing your device and Bluetooth pairing-related issues for accessories and Wear OS.

There are still some “known issues” today focused on Android Auto. One problem involves sounds being played through the phone’s speakers instead of the vehicle’s audio system. Google has a fix rolling out with Android Auto 5.4 later this month. Meanwhile, the company is investigating Auto projection not starting on initial plug-in.

Pixel phones on the preview program will get an Android 11 Beta 1.5 OTA (RPB1.200504.020), while factory images are also available for Pixel, GSI, and Android Emulator today.

If you need help installing, follow our guide. The OTA images to manually sideload are not yet available, but “Check for update” immediately downloads the updated build.