As is now tradition, Google is pushing out a bug-fixing update for Android 12 Beta 4. The aptly numbered Android 12 Beta 4.1 fixes a handful of issues, including bootloops, heads-up notifications not appearing, broken volume controls while casting, and that obnoxious VPN issue. The update should be rolling out shortly for supported devices.

The full release notes for Beta 4.1 are just below:

Android 12 Beta 4.1 (August 2021)

If you’re already running a Developer Preview or Beta build, you will automatically receive an over-the-air (OTA) update to Beta 4.1.

This minor update to Android 12 Beta 4 includes the following fixes:

  • Fixed an issue that caused some devices to get stuck in a boot loop after restarting the device. (Issue #193789343)
  • Fixed an issue where heads-up notifications were sometimes not shown, requiring the user to swipe into the notification drawer to view them. (Issue #196264672)
  • Fixed an issue where the device volume controls sometimes did not work when casting. (Issue #196528545)
  • Fixed an issue where Face Unlock did not work on some devices. (Issue #189819846)
  • Fixed an issue that prevented users from granting the Nearby Devices permission to the Phone app in settings. Users who are experiencing a crash loop with the Phone app when trying to make a call over Bluetooth can now grant the required permission. To do this, long press the Phone app and tap App info, then go to Permissions > Nearby devices and select Allow. (Issue #196325588)
  • Fixed an issue where, after connecting the phone to a VPN, the phone could not connect to the internet. (Issue #196237480)

When Android 12 Beta 4 rolled out a couple weeks back, that VPN issue caused some consternation among testers — though Google doesn’t call these releases “beta” for no reason. At the time, connecting to most VPNs seemed to break internet connectivity entirely, and a thread for the issue on Google’s IssueTracker has 562 stars at the time of writing.

Anecdotally, outside the VPN issue, we haven’t had the issues Google describes as fixed in this release, but I have seen reports elsewhere, including from our readers, for issues including the bootloop problem and broken heads-up notifications.

The update appears to be rolling out to our devices, and downloads have been posted for manual installation. While other OEMs might start rolling out their own updates for their Android 12 beta programs soon, Beta 4.1 is a Pixel-only affair right now.