Google discussed Android 14 in great detail during its I/O developer conference in 2023, releasing the second beta at the same time. The business has, at last, provided some much sought further information regarding the significant impending release that will hit the top Android phones in 2023 and 2024. There is a lot in Android 14, and it’s undoubtedly a bigger upgrade than Android 13 was in comparison to Android 12 if you want a complete review of what’s new and what to anticipate.
Android 14 timeline and potential release date
The roadmap for Android 14 is the same as it was for previous iterations. As you can see in the timeline provided by Google below, we’re looking at two developer previews, the first of which was published in February and the second of which was released in March. Google first made the beta accessible on April 12; two weeks later, Beta 1.1 became accessible. The company has a habit of delaying the release of some of the most exciting consumer-facing changes until Google IO, its developer conference, which takes place on May 10. This time was no different. On stage, a number of announcements were made, including a few fascinating new features for Android 14.
multiple form factors
The support for tablets and flexible form factors in Android 14 builds on previous versions, and we have been developing tools and resources to enhance your app experiences, such as design inspiration and development manuals.
Table of Contents
Android 14 Overview:
Smarter system UI
The Android operating system’s features are provided by the framework, which provides services, and the System UI, which gives the user control over those services. These two separate but equally important packages collaborate to make this possible. The system UI of Android Beta 1 has undergone the following changes, all of which have been made better with each new Android release.
New back arrow
The gesture navigation experience offers a more pronounced back arrow when using your app to improve back gesture comprehension and usability. The back arrow fits in well with the device theme or wallpaper for the user.
Share sheet towards a better system
On Android 14, apps may now add special actions to the system share sheets they call. When developing your own Chooser Action using the Chooser Action, use a list of your personalized Chooser Actions as the Intent. Create the Intent by using the EXTRA_CHOOSER_CUSTOM_ACTIONS of the Intent. assemble Chooser.
The system now uses additional app signals as well to rate the direct share aims. You transmit the signal by executing push Dynamic Shortcut to report shortcut usage with the proper capability bindings.
More graphics capabilities
The new graphical improvements made to Android 14 will make your app even more noticeable.
Paths may now be interpolated and queried
The Path API for Android is a potent and adaptable tool for designing and producing vector graphics. You may query paths to see what is inside of them as of Android version 14. The updated APIs allow for morphing effects, interpolation between pathways whose structures perfectly match, and backward compatibility with API 21 through the AndroidX library. Here are more details.
personalization
App-specific language preferences
With the improved app-specific language preferences in Android 14, IMEs may access the UI language of the current app and dynamically change the languages that are shown in the per-app language list in Android Settings. You can configure your app to support per-app language choices automatically with AGP 8.1.0-alpha07 and Android Studio Giraffe Canary 7. The LocaleConfig file is generated by the Android Gradle plugin using the resources in your project and is referenced in the manifest file that is built, so you won’t need to manually create or update the file if your language support changes. Automatic per-app language support has more details and a feedback form.
Privacy
Limiting visibility to disability-focused accessibility services
With the introduction of the accessibility Data Sensitive feature in Android 14, applications may restrict the visibility of certain views to services that purport to assist users with impairments. Play Protect makes ensuring that applications downloaded from the Play Store are accurate in their promises. This characteristic won’t have an impact on Talk Back or other services that market themselves as accessible to users with impairments.
Applications may think about utilizing accessibility Data Sensitive to:
- Protect user information, such as unencrypted passwords or personal information.
- Stop important operations from being carried out by accident (such as sending money or paying for anything using an app for shopping).
APP compatibility
If you haven’t already, you should check your app’s compatibility with Android 14 right away! Now that Android 14 is in beta, we’re granting early adopter users and developers access to it. In the upcoming weeks, more users are likely to test your app on Android 14 and report any faults they find.
Install your published app on a device or emulator running Android 14 Beta, then run through each flow to ensure compatibility. Analyze the behavioral changes to focus your testing. Post an update as soon as you’ve rectified any issues.
Get started with Android 14
Everything you require to test your apps, check out Android 14 features, and provide feedback is included in today’s Beta release. Using the Android Emulator in a tablet or foldable configuration in the most recent preview of the Android Studio SDK Manager is the simplest method to begin testing your app on tablets and foldable. With the beta stage now over, you can sign up for any compatible Pixel smartphone here to get future Android 14 Beta and feature drop Beta updates wirelessly. The 64-bit system images may be used using Android Studio’s Android Emulator if you don’t own a Pixel device.
Use Android Studio Giraffe’s most current preview (or more recent Giraffe+ versions) for the greatest Android 14 development experience. Following your setup, you should complete the following:
- Try the new features and APIs: As we complete the APIs, your input is crucial. On the feedback page, please report any concerns in our tracker.
- Test your current app for compatibility: find out whether Android 14’s default behavior changes have an impact on your app. Install your app and also test it on a device or emulator running Android 14.
- Test your app with opt-in changes: Only when your app is designed to run on Android 14 will it be affected by opt-in behavior changes. It’s critical to recognize and evaluate these changes as soon as possible. You may toggle the modifications on / off separately to make testing simpler.
Throughout the Android 14 release cycle, we’ll update the beta and preview system images as well as the SDK often.
Android 14 Beta 1 will be made accessible to you automatically if you are already a participant in the Android 13 QPR Beta program and your device is compatible.
Visit the Android 14 developer site to find out all you need to know about getting the beta.
New Android 14 Top 12 Features:
Improved Battery Life
Although it doesn’t have a particularly unique feature, Google has worked hard to make Android more efficient in order to reduce battery use. Due to modifications made to the way the operating system manages background tasks, downloads, and uploads, among other things, Android users should be able to somewhat increase the battery life of their phones. Additionally, it looks that the “screen time since last full charge” option from the battery options menu, which was removed in Android 12, is back.
Larger Fonts and Smarter Scaling
On Google’s Pixel phones, switching to a bigger font in Android 13 was only possible at a 130 percent scale. With Android 14, this scaling is now possible up to a 200 percent scale. The method employs nonlinear scaling to eliminate goofy layouts, which means that any words that are already scaled up (such as headlines) won’t get larger, making the text easier to read for those who are visually impaired.
Notification Flashes
You may activate screen and camera flashes for receiving alerts in Android 14. This has long been a feature of iPhones and other Android handsets (such as Samsung models), but it hasn’t yet been integrated into the operating system. You may activate either one, both, or none, and select the color of the flashing light on your display. It is primarily made to assist those who have hearing loss, but it may be useful for anybody who doesn’t want their phone to buzz or make a noise every time a notification comes in.
Better Support for Large Screens
Google’s inaugural developer preview opened with a help announcement for programmers seeking to create applications that elegantly adjust to various screen sizes. Apps that function effectively across smartphones, folding phones, and tablets are something we can anticipate as more tools and design guidance become accessible to developers. This would be similar to what Apple has done to ensure that the move from iPhone to iPad to MacBook is smooth in its app ecosystem.
Restricting Photo and Video Access
You will be happy to know that Android 14 provides an option to pick the particular photographs and movies it is authorized to access if you are concerned with the all-or-nothing aspect of giving an app access to your photos and videos. Similar functionality was added by Apple in iOS 14.
Enhanced Security
Android 14 won’t let you install any older apps from Android 5.1 and before since malware frequently targets older versions of Android to get around security enhancements in more recent versions. Although there have been other security-enhancing changes implemented in the background, the better authentication support provided by passkeys—which enables biometric login rather than passwords for more apps—might be the most significant.
Regional Preferences
With Android 14, you can set these preferences system-wide, so whether you want the temperature in Celsius or Fahrenheit, Monday or Sunday as the start of the week, or certain dates or numbers, they will persist after backup and restore. Additionally, there is better support for gendered languages like French as well as improved regional language customization.
Satellite Connectivity
There has been a lot of discussion about satellite connectivity for phones ever since Apple debuted Emergency SOS via Satellite with the iPhone 14 last year. The inclusion of such a link in Android 14 was confirmed in this tweet by Hiroshi Lockheimer, senior vice president for Android at Google. The precise ramifications are unclear, although it may improve connection in remote areas that are now without mobile service.
Predictive Back Gestures
For simpler gesture navigation, Google has introduced a sizable back arrow that matches your background or theme. It should be simpler for people to comprehend how to navigate and where they will land when predictive back gestures, which give you a preview of the screen that a swipe-back motion would take you to, are combined with them. In Android, it’s not always clear where a back swipe will take you; sometimes, it can be to the home screen, sometimes to a previous screen, or it might be to an app.
App Cloning
For individuals who have two accounts in the same app, this one will be helpful. When you start a program in a second instance, you can use two accounts at once. While some smartphone manufacturers offer workarounds and other solutions to achieve this, it will probably work better if an official Android option is added to the settings menu. This is only being tested by Google for now, so it might not make it into the final Android 14 release.
Health Connect
You could use one app for jogging, one for tracking your sleep, and another for your smart scales. Although it is still in beta, Google’s Health Connect app provides a mechanism to centralize and share your health and fitness data with other applications and services. It’s possible that all Android 14 smartphones will have the software preloaded.
Improved Share Options
For a long time, the share menus on various Android devices and applications were inconsistent. In addition to allowing apps to add custom actions to system share sheets, Google is using more app data to grade your potential share targets. As a result, you should be able to create a sharing menu that is more dependable and useful and includes the programs and individuals you actually want to share with.
How to Download and Install Android 14:
Google has launched the first official beta version of Android 14 after releasing two developer previews. The Android 14 beta is for Google Pixel owners who wish to try out the newest features; the previews were designed for developers. The Android 14 beta shouldn’t be installed on your primary phone since bugs and troubles will inevitably arise.
If you’re determined to give it a shot, you’ll need an Android Beta for a Pixel smartphone (Pixel 4A 5G or later) and to sign up for the program. Your eligible devices will be listed when you access that link while logged into your Google account, and you can simply click Opt-in. Please be careful to first back up your Android device. Regular beta releases that ought to be rather reliable will be made available, but you should be aware that you will have to erase your phone if you wish to leave the program and go back to the most recent stable public Android version.
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