Google releases update that fixes stuttering and freezing Pixel screens

Some Pixel users will be very happy to hear that the Android 17 QPR2 Beta 7.1 update has been released by Google, and it fixes a serious issue that, ironically, was created by the previous Android 17 QPR2 Beta 7 release.

If your Pixel display stutters and freezes, this beta update might fix these issues

According to the release notes for the update, the major bug exterminated by Google is one that caused Pixel screens to stutter and freeze for more than a second. An Android Issue Tracker noted: "Android 17 QPR1 introduced a regression in the Pixel kernel driver tree that can cause severe performance degradation under memory pressure."

Affected Pixel users are experiencing these issues

This just means that the previous QPR release, Android 17 QPR1, caused Pixel users to have certain experiences as listed in the Android Issue Tracker. The latter says that affected users reported intermittent UI stuttering, multitasking delays, temporary device freezes, unresponsive applications, and System UI not responding errors.

The Issue Tracker laid out the steps necessary to reproduce the issue:

• Install an affected Android 17 QPR1 build on a supported Pixel.
• Open multiple memory-intensive applications.
• Switch between applications repeatedly, keeping several in the background.
• Observe UI responsiveness and application switching.
• Repeat under increasing memory pressure.

Had everything worked normally, the Pixel 8 that was the focus of this report would be expected to switch responsively between apps and remain responsive while the device handled normal multitasking workloads without stalling or having apps shut down.

Memory pressure on certain Pixel models is causing this issue

In situations when more than one memory-intensive app is open, large games are running, or several complex processes are running together in the background, the Pixel puts itself in memory pressure. That is when available RAM is running low, and the phone has to work harder to make sure it has enough memory.

Memory pressure causes the UI to stutter and lag. It also causes apps that you switch away from to reload and start from the beginning when you return to that app. In more serious situations, the system will freeze. It is not a coincidence that these are the same issues being fixed with the new update.

How to install the Android 17 QPR2 Beta 7.1 update

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