Update 1 (November 22, 2023)
10:50 am (IST): Google is rolling out a new Android 14 QPR2 beta 1.1 with a fix for this bug, so be sure to install it right away.
Original story from Nov. 17, 2023 follows:
The latest Google Pixel update to Android 14 QPR2 beta 1 that started rolling out this week has a known issue that is now frustrating Eufy smart home users by uninstalling the Security app from their phones.
In the official changelog, Google mentioned that there’s a known issue in Android 14 QPR2 beta 1 that prevents the system from installing apps that use the meta-data element unconventionally. However, nowhere does the changelog mention that the same update also uninstalls the apps in question. Below is how Google describes the bug in the changelog:
An issue with some apps that use the meta-data element unconventionally prevents these apps from being installed by the system.
From this wording, I wouldn’t be able to pinpoint the apps affected by this bug, perhaps because I’m no developer. So don’t be hard on yourself if you also didn’t know. However, I don’t need coding skills to know that this bug is the one preventing Eufy Security users from reinstalling the app after upgrading their Google Pixel phones to the new Android 14 QPR2 beta update. There are several reports in the Eufy and Android Beta subreddits from Pixel users who are now unable to control their smart home products because of what is essentially a known issue.
Sure, beta software isn’t perfect. These are just some of the things you get to deal with. But the fact that it’s a known issue means Google could have fixed it ahead to allow these apps to install like they used to. Alternatively, Eufy could update the app so that it stops using the meta data headers “unconventionally.” But instead, it’s innocent consumers left to deal with the glitch. Is it because of a rushed update to QPR2 beta when some of us expected an update to QPR1 beta 3 ahead of the stable release next month?
Fortunately, there’s a workaround that involves installing an older APK version that worked fine, and someone has suggested going for the January 2023 version. But I also expect a quick fix to this problem either in the next Eufy Security app or Android 14 QPR2 beta update.
Featured image: Eufy
Hillary Keverenge
2114 Posts
Tech has been my playground for over a decade. While the Android journey began early, it truly took flight with the revolutionary Lollipop update. Since then, it's been a parade of Android devices (with a sprinkle of iOS), culminating in a mostly happy marriage with Google's smart home ecosystem. Expect insightful articles and explorations of the ever-evolving world of Android and Google products coupled with occasional rants on the Nest smart home ecosystem.
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