Pixel 6 & 6 Pro dropped from latest Android 17 QPR2 Beta 1 ahead of end of support

Google has released the first Android 17 QPR2 Beta, giving eligible Pixel devices an early look at the next quarterly platform release that will eventually become stable in December 2026. While the update introduces several bug fixes and improvements, one omission stands out more than anything else: the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro are no longer part of the beta program.

This release has explicitly confirmed that the Pixel 6 duo will not receive Android 17 QPR2 Beta 1 because the devices will reach their end of support in October 2026. Instead, users enrolled in the Android Beta Program are advised to opt out without installing today’s QPR2 Beta and simply wait for the stable Android 17 QPR1 release, which they can install without wiping their devices.

For anyone who has been following Google’s recent moves, this doesn’t come as a surprise.

The writing has been on the wall for weeks. Google dropped a major hint when it excluded the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro from an earlier Android 17 QPR1 beta release, only to bring the devices back in QPR1 Beta 7. Along the way, Google also skipped a major Tensor kernel upgrade for the pair while continuing to deliver monthly security updates. Now, with Android 17 QPR2 Beta 1, the company has finally made things official by confirming that the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro are no longer eligible because their software support ends in October.

Beyond the Pixel 6 news, Android 17 QPR2 Beta 1 fixes several issues affecting supported devices, including Bluetooth pairing failures, random reboots triggered by Gemini, disappearing notifications, lock screen media controls flashing unexpectedly, drag-and-drop gesture bugs, UI blur rendering problems, accessibility logging issues, and ML-DSA key generation errors.

While Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro owners will still receive Android 17 QPR1 and security updates through October, today’s release is the clearest confirmation yet that Google’s first Tensor-powered smartphones are entering their final months of official software support.