Android 16 QPR3 Beta 1 causes camera focus issues on some Pixel phones, especially at 50MP

As expected with early beta releases, Android 16 QPR3 Beta 1 is introducing a few rough edges for Pixel users. One of the most disruptive issues reported so far affects the Pixel camera, with multiple users saying the app struggles to focus properly after installing the update.

Reports have surfaced across Reddit and Google’s Issue Tracker (1, 2, 3), suggesting this is not an isolated incident.

What Pixel users are experiencing

Several Pixel owners report that the camera initially behaves normally but begins to malfunction when switching to 50MP mode.

Common symptoms include images becoming suddenly blurry and out of focus, a noticeable wobbling or shaking motion as the camera attempts to refocus, a “fluttery” or vibrating effect at 1× and 2× zoom, and the camera failing to lock focus entirely in some cases.

Interestingly, users note that 12MP mode often works normally, while ultra-wide (0.5×) and extreme zoom (50×) may also be unaffected. The issue appears most consistently when shooting at 50MP, suggesting a software-level problem rather than hardware damage.

One Pixel 8 Pro owner says the camera “shakes every time I open the app” in 50MP mode, making the device effectively unusable for photography.

Likely a software or camera HAL bug

Multiple reports indicate that the issue started immediately after installing QPR3 Beta 1, happens every single time, and was not present on earlier Android 16 builds or QPR2.

Based on user descriptions and screen recordings, this strongly points to a camera HAL or software regression introduced in this beta, rather than a physical camera defect.

Google Issue Tracker entries tied to build CP11.251114.006 confirm that the bug affects multiple devices and regions, with users on different carriers reporting identical behavior.

Google has acknowledged the problem

The good news is that the issue has already been flagged for investigation. Several Issue Tracker reports have been accepted and assigned, meaning Google is aware of the problem and actively looking into it.

As with any major Pixel camera bugs in beta releases, a fix will likely arrive in a future QPR3 beta 1.x update.

For now, affected users report limited success with switching back to 12MP mode, avoiding manual focus taps, and restarting the camera app (temporary relief at best). There is currently no permanent workaround if the issue triggers consistently on your device.

As always, this serves as a reminder that beta software can introduce regressions, even in critical areas like the camera.