With the Pixel 6 series now eligible to enter the Android Beta Program, it's the perfect time for Google to release the third Android 12L beta. If you've got a Pixel 3a or later and are enrolled in the program, you should see the over-the-air update coming right now.

Betas do be betas, though, so it's always a game of whack-a-mole in beating old bugs and encountering new ones. You can check the Issue Tracker for active cases.

Here's what got taken care of in build version S2B3.220205.007.A1:

Fixed an issue that prevented weather information from showing in the system's At a glance widget. (Issue #210113641).

Fixed an issue where the screen off animation was not displayed consistently when turning off the device's screen. (Issue #210465289)

Fixed issues that caused the system launcher to crash when attempting to enter split-screen mode using the Pin to Top option. (Issue #209896931, Issue #211298556)

Also included in this update are changes to the testing environment.

In addition to joining the beta program, you can sideload the OTA image or factory image at the appropriate hyperlinks. Feedback can be sent via bug reports and shared more generally in the r/android_beta subreddit.

12L is meant to show off more optimizations for the tablet and foldable form factors — of which, the Pixels are not — so we'll be waiting for when the sole sanctioned third-party device, the Lenovo Tab P12 Pro, gets its third beta update.

UPDATE: 2022/02/09 17:19 EST BY STEPHEN SCHENCK

Downloads return

Almost as abruptly as it disappeared, all of Google's Android 12L Beta 3 content is right back up, like nothing happened at all.

Over on the Reddit thread where Google announced the release, the company acknowledges the hiccup, describing it as "a temporary site glitch that removed the Beta 3 documentation." In any case, it's all resolved now, so you can get started checking out everything that's new.

UPDATE: 2022/02/09 14:55 EST BY STEPHEN SCHENCK

Beta 3 downloads removed

Just about an hour since first making its Android 12L Beta 3 factory images and OTA downloads available, Google has seemingly backtracked and pulled those releases. Eligibility for the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro is once again marked as "coming soon." Release notes have also been reverted to their Beta 2 state.

That said, Google's announcement of Beta 3 is still up, so this may only be a temporary glitch — we'll keep you updated.