On April 12, Google released the first Android 14 beta, marking another milestone on the road to a stable Android 14 release later this year. Google phones can already install the preview version on phones with Android 14 installed, and users of other brands of phones will have to wait for OEM-specific versions in a few months. The early previews also gave us a good look at what to expect in terms of features and tweaks. Let's take a look at what's new in Android 14.
Android 14: name and release date
Before Android 10, Google used to name its versions of Android after sweet treats. This includes Android 6.0 Marshmallow, Android 8 Oreo, and Android 9 Pie. These days, Google just sticks with the version numbers, so Android 14 is simply called Android 14. However, Google still uses dessert names internally, and Android 14 is called Upside Down Cake. .
As for the final release date of Android 14, there is no official word yet. However, Google notes that Android 14 is expected to hit the platform stability milestone in June, and developers will have "a few weeks" to test their apps before a stable release.
Looking back at previous versions, Android 13 was released in August 2022, Android 12 in October 2021, and Android 11 in September 2020. So, it's safe to say that early Q3 to Q4 launches are coming. OEMs typically take longer to release new Android versions, though, and companies like Samsung and Xiaomi need to customize them with their own software skins first. .
Android 14 Accessibility
Google has done a good job implementing accessibility features over the years. Android 13 introduces a new reading mode, native braille display support, and audio description for visually impaired users. Meanwhile, Android 12 offers improved screen magnification and the ability to control the screen with facial gestures.
font gets bigger
Android has supported large fonts for a long time, but what if the largest option isn't big enough for you? Well, you're in luck, because one of the biggest features of Android 14 (literally) is bigger fonts.
In particular, Google notes that users can now expand font sizes up to 200% in Android 14, up from 130% on Pixels in Android 13. Interestingly, the company says it will also use non-linear font scaling so that already large text won't see further size increases. For example, a title might not increase in size, but smaller text below the title might grow larger.
notification flashing
If you're hard of hearing, Android 14 will let you use the camera flash and the display to light up to view notifications. You can toggle these settings in the "Accessibility" section. Your options are to use the camera flash, the display flash, or both at the same time. With the display flash, you can also choose the color of the flash, which is nice. However, you can't change how the blinking occurs (pulse, blink, wave, etc.), nor can you create per-app customizations. The function is "on" or "off".
language-related improvements
Android 14 also brings language-related tweaks, starting with better support for gendered languages (such as French and German) through the syntax inflection API.
Another language-related tweak is that developers can now take advantage of more granular per-app language controls. These controls now enable app developers to "customize the language list per region, run A/B experiments, and serve updated locales when apps are pushed using server-side localization."
Regional Preferences
If you are a European living in the United States, you may need to use European measurements, calendars, and other systems. With Android 14, this will be possible. For example, you can set the temperature unit to be Celsius and the first day of the week to be Monday, system-wide.
Android 14 battery features and tweaks
Android 14 brings various changes to improve battery life. You shouldn't expect big stuff like Android Marshmallow's hibernate mode or extreme battery saving modes, but these under-the-hood changes should still yield substantial savings.
Google tinkers with Android's inner workings
First, Google is tweaking two Android APIs (Foreground Services and Job Scheduler) to improve the efficiency of background activities and tasks like downloading large files.
"User-initiated data transfer jobs will make it easier to manage user-initiated downloads and uploads, especially when they need to be restricted, such as downloading only on Wi-Fi," Google said of its file download/upload-related Say when adjusting.
The focus on battery life doesn't stop there, as Android 14 also revamps the platform's internal broadcast system for greater efficiency.
New Permissions for Alerts
Google is implementing the "schedule exact alarm" permission, requiring all newly installed apps that aren't clock or calendar to request this permission from the user. The company explained that the precise alert feature can impact battery life and other resources.
Familiar statistics return
One returning feature we're excited to see is the "screen time since last full charge" feature. The option is back in the battery settings menu after being hidden in Android 12 to support your battery usage over the past 24 hours. This return option is handy if you want to get a more accurate idea of how long your phone will actually last.
Android 14 privacy features and changes
Android 14 doesn't have a ton of privacy and security-related features compared to previous versions. But we still have one major change that will likely cause a lot of controversy.
Say goodbye to installing super-old apps
One of the biggest differences between Android 14 and Android 13 is that the new update now prevents older Android apps from being installed. Google says the change is specifically for apps built for the Android 5.1 Lollipop API and earlier.
That's quite a change, and the search giant argues that malware often targets older API levels that don't take advantage of more modern security and privacy protections.
This tweak means that many abandoned apps (for example, old games and niche apps) cannot be installed on Android 14 phones. If it's any consolation, Google says older apps will stay on your device if you upgrade to Android 14. But that's clearly not the case for devices that start with Android 14 out of the box.
Share only certain photos and videos
In Android 13 and lower, you can say yes or no when an app asks for permission to access your photos and videos. With Android 14, you get even more control. You can now allow apps to access certain photos and videos using the following permission notifications, which is great for privacy as apps can only see the pictures and videos you want them to see.
Enhanced Password Privacy
In the Android settings, you can turn off the animation when entering the PIN. This will make it harder for "shoulder surfers" to see you enter your PIN and remember it. This small change could be the difference between whether someone is able to gain access to your phone. As of now, this feature is set to "off" by default.
Cross-device improvements for developers
Android has been doing cross-device gaming for years, and Google is continuing the push in Android 14. This time around, we're getting developer-focused additions like window size classes and sliding-pane layouts so apps can adapt to different screens more efficiently.
Finally, Google says it's offering a preview of its cross-device SDK to make it easier for developers to build apps that run on different devices and form factors.
Needless to say, as we've seen with Android 12L, there don't appear to be any major user-facing cross-device improvements here. But we're still happy to see Google offer improved tools for making apps work well on regular phones.
Other expected and rumored Android 14 features
The above entries are just the features and tweaks officially confirmed by Google so far. However, there are also some Android 14 features that have been officially confirmed before, or are expected based on hints in Google's code.
satellite connection
Companies like Qualcomm, Huawei, and T-Mobile have all announced satcom capabilities in the past six months or so. Thankfully, Google did bring native satcom support to Android 14 as well.
The news comes from a tweet from September 2022, provided by Google executive Hiroshi Lockheimer. Unfortunately, the company didn't clarify specific features here, such as support for two-way communication and multimedia formats. But still, native support should make things easier for smartphone brands and service providers.
One question about native support for satellite connectivity is whether we'll see the 2023 Pixel opt in to the feature. But we'll just have to wait and see for now.
Anticipate the back gesture
Android's back gesture feature can be a little unpredictable at times. Does the gesture take you to the previous screen or the home screen? Who knows! Thankfully, it looks like Google is working on a solution for Android 14.
Veteran journalist and code sleuth Mishaal Rahman has uncovered evidence that Android 14 will offer predictive back gestures by default (it was optional in Android 13). This will give you a visual preview of where the back gesture will take you.
Integrated Health Connect
The Health Connect app is actually a hub for gathering health data from various fitness and wellness apps. It does support health/fitness data from big players like Samsung, Fitbit, and Peloton.
It's still a downloadable app, though, but Rahman has spotted signs that Google could integrate it into Android 14 out of the box (either as an app or via Project Mainline). Either way, you probably won't have to download this app in the next version of Android.
cloned application
Some OEMs have features that allow you to clone apps. This is useful for logging into an app with two different accounts. You simply clone the app, log into the secondary account in the clone, and open any app you want.
There is evidence that Google may be working on app clones for Android 14. This will allow you to clone apps without buying a phone from an OEM that supports it, as all Android phones have it. We're not sure if this will make it into the final release, but it appears to be a work in progress.
software finder
Sometimes, as soon as you insert your SIM card into your phone, a lot of software is downloaded and installed behind the scenes. Google hopes to fix that with a feature it's working on for Android 14. This feature, currently called "Apps Installed in the Background," will show you any and all apps you've secretly downloaded, and allow you to quickly uninstall them. This feature needs to be activated using a hidden developer flag, so it might not make it to the stable Android 14 build — but we sure hope it does!
Other discovered or rumored Android 14 features
- Quick Pair in the Connected Devices menu.
- New emoji wallpaper feature for Pixel phones.
- Advanced memory protection prevents exploits (Armv9 chips only).