The Android Beta program now offers an easy exit without a system wipe
In addition to releasing QPR3 Beta 1.1 for the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro this week, Google announced that testers would soon be able to opt-out of the Android Beta Program without having to wipe their device at the end of each cycle. Those who tested Android 12L earlier this month were unable to simply switch to the stable 12.1 release before getting upgraded to QPR3. Dropping out of the Beta Program led to your device’s data being wiped. One workaround allowed you to manually sideload 12.1 over 12L Beta 3 and then exit with no data loss. Even so, you needed to do this before installing QPR3 Beta 1, which was an unexpected release.
Backlash
Many testers and users alike have expressed their dissatisfaction with this, and Google has promised to “guarantee that all beta devices receive each official stable release to the public so you can opt-out without a data wipe for a limited time until the next beta upgrade.” This will only be available at the end of a beta cycle, and how much time will be granted before a new preview begins is unknown.
That’s similar to how, before the 12L Beta started in December, Android 12 allowed a “window of opportunity to unenroll without erasing your device” in October. Google is now making this a permanent feature of the Android Beta Program, so users will no longer have to test previews on a regular basis.
Google has stated that QPR3 will have a stable public release in June with a Feature Drop. Users can opt-out of the beta program at google.com/android/beta without wiping their devices after they receive the final version of QPR3.