Android 14: release date and everything else we know

Android 14 is scheduled to be released in Fall 2023. The first developer previews were released in February 2023, and beta updates are available from April 2023.

Google is already working on Android 14, the big version update for 2023. The yearly release cycle means there’s always something new on the horizon for Android users. This is what we know.

As crazy as it sounds, Android 14 is actually the 34th release of Android. Some versions were decimal releases, such as Android 8.1 Oreo, which kept the name but increased the version number. That doesn’t really happen anymore, with the exception of Android 12L, especially after the dessert moniker change.

When is the Android 14 release date?

Android 14 will follow a release schedule similar to Earlier version. Google doesn’t share exact release dates, but we can expect releases in the following months:

• February: Android 14 Developer Preview 1
• March: Android 14 Developer Preview 2
• April: Android 14 Beta 1
• Can: Android 14 Beta 2
• June: Android 14 Beta 3 (Platform stability)
• July: Android 14 Beta 4

Google did not share a month for when the final release will be released. However, we can look at previous versions to get an idea of ​​when to expect it. Big Android version updates almost always happen in August, September, or October.

What’s new in Android 14

As of this writing, Google hasn’t revealed much about the changes facing the consumer in Android 14, but there are a couple of areas of focus, as well as some features in progress to look forward to.

satellite communication

He The iPhone 14 has an emergency satellite communication feature that allows you to literally connect to satellites when you don’t have Wi-Fi or a data connection. Hiroshi Lockheimer of Google has already confirmed that Android will have the same technology in the next version, Android 14.

Split Share menu of system updates

The Android sharing menu is one of the areas of the operating system that generates the most complaints. It’s the menu that appears when you want to share something from one app with another, or with specific people. Currently, the sharing menu update requires full system updates, but Android 14 could break it down into a separately updatable module. This would allow Google to update it more frequently and easily.

Adaptation of applications to different screen sizes

First, Google continues to work on making Android ideal for many different screen sizes. This has become important in the age of foldable devices with changing screen sizes. Google updated its big screen app quality checklist, making it easier for developers to see how their apps are scaling. They have also introduced new designs.

Setting regional preferences

Android 13 introduced per-app language settings, and Android 14 seems to be taking that idea to other formats. A new “Regional Preferences” feature will allow you to set preferences for weather units, calendar format, and numbers. This way, for example, you won’t need to tell a weather app that you prefer Fahrenheit manually.

Better physical keyboard and trackpad support

Speaking of screen sizes, Android 14 may include better support for using physical keyboards with Android tablets. Google is getting ready to add support for customizing modifier keys, including Caps Lock, Ctrl, Alt, Windows, etc. This would make keyboards much more useful with Android devices. There may also be more options for how touchpad gestures and scrolling should work.

Pointing Bloatware

Some Android devices come with an annoying amount of bloatware pre-installed. This can be anything from carrier apps to sponsored games. Android 14 may include a section in the Developer Options menu to uninstall”Apps installed in the background”, which is the name of the function. It is not yet clear if this will be for Android 14 or 15.

predictive back gesture

play the video

Android’s back gesture isn’t the best, especially since apps don’t always make it clear where you’ll go when you use the gesture. To make this a bit clearer, Android 14 show you a preview of where you’ll go when you use the gesture. As you swipe in from the side of the screen, you’ll see a glimpse of the previous screen.

More restrictive app sideloading

Sideloading is the act of installing an app from outside the Play Store. It’s remarkably easy to do, even on Windows 11 and Amazon Fire tablets, making it less secure than installing from an app store. Android 14 will not allow apps that target SDK version 23 (Android 6) or lower to be sideloaded.

Dual SIM auto switch

Currently, using dual SIM on your phone is a bit of a pain. You have to manually switch SIMs if the main SIM does not have good reception. TO The new option in SIM settings aims to fix that. Users can toggle on “Switch mobile data automatically” and Android will try to automatically switch between SIMs based on cellular coverage. iPhones have had this feature for a few years.

App Cloning

App cloning is something you’ve you needed a third party app or samsung phone in the past. Android 14 may officially bring the feature to Android. A new “Clone Apps” menu is present in the “Applications” section. Not all apps will be available for cloning, as developers and manufacturers can opt out of the feature.

Use your Android phone as a webcam

apple made it possible used iPhones as webcams last year. Now, Google is also looking to add the capability to Android devices. A project in progress will allow you to plug and play an Android device as a “USB Video Class” (UVC) webcam. This means it would easily work as a webcam on most devices instead of being locked into a system like Apple’s method.

Passkey support for apps

Passcodes are shaping up to be the new way to log in to your phone. They replace passwords and PINs with more secure biometric data. Dashlane, a popular password manager, already announced passcode support in Android 14. 1Password also announced passcode support, and we should only see more to come.

iOS-like photo permissions

The iPhone has a privacy option:Introduced in iOS 14, which allows you to give an app access to only select photos instead of all or nothing. Android 14 may get a similar feature. When an app requests access to media, you can choose to only give the files or allow the app to access all files. It’s not clear if this will be in the final version of Android 14, but it would certainly be a welcome change.

Android 14 Dessert Nickname

TO The code change at the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) revealed that the official internal codename for Android 14 is “Upside Down Pie”.

For a long time, Google had a dessert moniker for every major Android release. However, it stopped after Android 9 Pie in 2018. Since then, it’s been simple with Android 10, Android 11, Android 12, and Android 13.

Public nicknames may be over, but internal nicknames have stuck. Android 10’s internal codename was “Quince Tart”, Android 11 was “Red Velvet Cake”, Android 12 was “Snow Cone”, and Android 13 was “Tiramisu”.

Which devices will get Android 14?

The big question with a new Android update is which Android phones will get it. Google has already announced which of its Pixel phones are compatible with Android 14 developer previews.

• Pixel 7 and 7 Pro
• pixel 6a
• Pixel 6 and 6 Pro
• Pixel 5 and 5a
• Pixel 4a (5G)

Generally, only Google Pixel phones can install developer previews. However, more devices will be able to install Android 14 Betas. In the past, we’ve seen OnePlus, Nokia, Oppo, Xiaomi, Samsung, and a few other device manufacturers release beta updates.

A Generic System Image (GSI) will also be released that can be installed on devices that support Project Treble. This is more complicated than signing up for the beta program, but it is an option for enthusiasts and developers.

That’s the story of Android 14, so far. There will be more to discover in the lead up to a final public release in fall 2023.