Google just released the first developer preview of Android 14, and you can install it now on Google Pixel 7 Pro and other supported Pixel phones. It offers a preview of what we can expect from the new version of Android, but as the name suggests, it’s primarily aimed at developers. That means it almost certainly doesn’t contain all of the upcoming consumer-facing features yet, and could be even less stable than a beta, which is expected to arrive in April. With that in mind, here’s what Google announced for Android 14 Developer Preview 1 and what else we can expect.
With Developer Preview, Google is primarily focusing on improvements for apps and how they behave. As with other recent versions of Android, Google prioritizes compatibility, which means most changes to apps are opt-in. This makes it less likely for older apps to break on Android 14. To test out the activation changes, developers have the option to force-enable or disable new features in Android Developer Options.
There might be more exciting updates with a new system or Pixel-exclusive features later, once the betas come out.
Google has big screen optimization and battery improvements in mind for Android 14
Android 14 is supposed to pick it up where Android 13 and 12L started. The new operating system will have additional APIs and documentation to make things easier for developers. create layouts for all form factors Android runs on, whether smartphones, foldables, tablets or Chromebooks. Google says it has updated its widescreen app quality checklists, which give developers an easy way to gauge how their products perform on different devices. There are also new sample layouts for different types of apps, which are meant to inspire developers to create similar responsive layouts and apps that make the most of available screen real estate.
Google plans to improve backup battery life with Android 14. It’s possible thanks to adjustments to sound internal broadcasting system, this is how Android communicates certain status changes like current battery level or connectivity to apps. Developers are also strongly advised not using exact alarms for their apps, unless it’s a calendar or an alarm clock, as this method of scheduling tasks is particularly heavy on the battery. Newly installed apps targeting Android 13 or above that want to use exact timers will need to ask users for permission.
Source: Google
On the accessibility side, Android 14 allows you to increase text zoom level to 200% rather than the old limit of 130%. New linear font scaling is automatically added to ensure that already large enough text doesn’t get bigger again, which should help with layout issues. Developers will also have more control over language settings per application to display in which regions, and a new Grammar Inflection API will make it easier to address users in languages that have different grammatical genders.
Probably the biggest change to Android 14’s security architecture is Google block the installation of applications targeting older versions of Android. On Android 14, you will no longer be able to install or download apps that target SDK version 22 or earlier. Google cites malware as the reason, which likes to evade security enhancements added to version 23 of the SDK, introduced with Android 6 in 2015. Virtually it shouldn’t affect anyone today, and if you absolutely need to access to an old app, there’s a new ADB command that lets you bypass the restriction.
What else can we expect in Android 14
Apart from the officially revealed features that are part of the developer preview, Google shared a few other additions earlier. For a, gesture navigation is about to get a serious upgrade, with predictive back navigation allowing you to peek at what’s coming next as you navigate back, much like it works on iOS. Developers can implement custom animations for this or use the defaults provided by Google. On the other hand, Google’s Hiroshi Lockheimer confirmed last year that Android 14 will support satellite connectivity natively.
There are also some leaks and rumors pointing to more new features we can expect. Some devices with specific processors may upgrade to 64-bit only when launched with Android 14. The share menu could get a major update, decoupling it from system updates. Android 14 could also make it possible to use Bluetooth to measure distances, helping you find lost devices or trackers.
Like any version of Google’s mobile operating system, Android 14 is codenamed internally, and it’s just a little less witty than you might think. It’s known as Android 14 upside down cake, following Google’s usual alphabetical order. Before that, there was Android 13 Tiramisu and Android 12 Snow Cone, for example.
Android 14 Developer Preview and Beta program timeline is live
As usual, Google has also released a timeline that shows its plans ahead of the final release. As you can see in the graphic below, we have two developer previews, with the first seeing release today and the second in March. Google then moves to the beta program in April, which is more easily accessible to everyone. We expect the company to drop a slew of features held back in the May beta, which will likely coincide with its developer conference, Google I/O 2023.
Source: Google
Beta 3 and 4 then reach platform stability in June and July, which means developers can start building apps for Android 14, knowing there won’t be any more new tweaks. APIs. Google still leaves the final release month open, as it has in the past, but if history is any indication, we’ll see it either in August or September, well before the Google Pixel 8 is released.
How to get started with Android 14 Developer Preview 1
To get started with Android 14 Developer Preview, download the compatible factory image from Android developers and install it on your Pixel phone. Google says Google Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro, Pixel 6a, Pixel 6 Pro, Pixel 6, Pixel 5a 5G, Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a (5G) are compatible. You can also choose to use a generic 64-bit image in an emulator.
If your phone’s bootloader is still locked, you may need to unlock it, which will wipe your device. Once you install the developer preview, however, you are eligible for live updates. If you don’t know how it all works, find out how to install Android 14 developer preview with our guide.
For a more comfortable live update that doesn’t involve losing all your data, you’ll have to wait for the beta program in April 2023. If you’re not a developer, this is probably what you should do in anyway – or at least don’t install the developer preview unless you have a spare phone. Google warns that “the initial preview is for developers only and is not intended for everyday or consumer use, so we are making it available for manual download only.”
In the meantime, you can expect us to immediately dig into the Android 14 developer preview and let you know the finer details of what’s new.
