A fix for breaking Google Messages is rolling out on Android 14

Android 14 recently moved from developer beta to public beta, but the first build every Pixel user could install was riddled with bugs. Google released a fix two weeks later, but the new Android 14 Beta 1.1 is now causing problems in the beta version of the Google Messages app, which frequently crashes. Fortunately, Google has already rolled out a fix.

Bugs in Android 14 crippled the operating system into a near-unusable state, because several critical system elements such as cellular connectivity and fingerprint unlock were broken. The ensuing bullet release only fixed a few issues that Google has acknowledged from the current crop. However, if you use Google Messages regularly, especially the beta version, you will run into more problems.

The latest Messages beta (build 20230428_01_RC00) simply refuses to work on Android 14, 9to5Google reports. The app crashes frequently and won’t launch even if you are using a lite theme. You might have some luck viewing the list of conversations with the dark theme enabled, but the message contents are barely legible in black text on a dark gray background.

Moreover, clicking on any chat also instantly crashes the app. Effectively, the Messages beta makes RCS chats and SMS completely unusable for all practical purposes. We just hope you weren’t expecting any post-update 2FA codes.

The fix is ​​in progress

Aware of the app crash issue, Google quickly pushed an update to the Messages app beta (v20230502_01_rc01 build). Affected users can visit the Google Play Store and install this update to resolve the issue. A few of our readers reported that the fix is ​​already rolling out to their devices. If you leave automatic updates turned on, this fix is ​​supposed to install in the background so maybe check the app to see if it still crashes. Alternatively, you can Download the app from the APKMirror side If the patch update is not yet available in your region.

Thanks: nick