The 5 Best Features in Android 14 Beta 1
Google is slated to release Android 14 to the public in August or September 2023. Ahead of that, the company has made the beta build of the OS available to Pixel users for testing. While still in the development stage, the Android 14 Beta packs several new features and enhancements that should make their way to the final release.
Below is a look at all the major new features in the first Android 14 Beta.
1. An Improved Back Navigation Gesture
Google is introducing a new back arrow that you’ll see while usinggesture navigationin the Android 14 Beta. Like the rest of the System UI, the arrow is now also Material You-themed, so it picks up the color from your phone’s wallpaper or theme.
The updated back arrow ties in nicely with the predictive back animations that are also part of Android 14. You can see this in action in supported apps, where a preview of the screen you’ll go to is displayed when you swipe across your phone’s display to go back. It takes some of the mystery out of Android’s back gesture.
2. An Enhanced Share Sheet
The Share sheet is one of the most powerful aspects of Android, as it makes data sharing across apps easier. With Android 14, Google is making the share menu even more potent by allowing apps to add custom actions.
While many Android apps already do this, they use a custom share sheet to achieve this. Google is introducing a new API in the Android 14 Beta to fix this, enabling apps to display extra actions within the native share sheet.
Another improvement coming to the Share sheet in Android 14 is the ability to display a preview of all the photos you are sharing. This is currently limited to three pictures.
If you own a compatible Pixel phone, you caninstall the Android 14 Betaon it to test it out today.
3. Faster and More Secure PIN Entry
The Android 14 Beta makes using a PIN more secure by allowing you to disable the PIN entry animation. Disabling the pattern trail animation was already possible, so the option to toggle the PIN entry animation was long overdue.
It’s a simple change and means that the buttons on the keypad aren’t highlighted when you tap them. It makes it harder for shoulder surfers to see your PIN.
Additionally, when entering a six-digit or longer PIN, the OS will automatically recognize that the correct numbers are entered and unlock your phone. In Android 13 and earlier, you need to press the Enter key to verify the PIN.
4. Separate Ringtone and Notification Volume Sliders
The Android 14 Beta finally separates the ringtone and notification sliders, so you can set their sound levels individually. This will enable you to set your ringtone for incoming calls to be louder than the alert for your notifications. Manythird-party Android skinslike Samsung’s One UI have long provided this option, but it hasn’t made its way into Android officially until now.
5. Accessibility Improvements
TheAndroid 14 Beta packs several accessibility improvements. For starters, you can now scale the text size by up to 200%, whereas Android 13 only allows scaling text to 130%. To avoid any UI issues due to the larger font size, Google will use non-linear font scaling. This means text that’s already big won’t be blown up further, as it could cause the content to get cut off.
Another important accessibility addition is support for Flash notifications. You can set your phone’s display or camera LED to flash whenever you get new notifications. There’s even the option to have both these things flash together.
And finally, a small but welcome improvement is the ability to use the Imperial or Metric measurement style irrespective of your location.
Google Will Continue Adding New Features to Android 14
Android 14’s beta cycle will continue until August or September when Google drops the final release for compatible Pixel phones. Until then, expect the company to keep adding more new features to the OS—and maybe even remove a few.
Do note that if you use a non-Pixel phone, its Android 14 build may not contain all the features mentioned above. This is because it is up to manufacturers to decide which Android features they want in their own skins.
One UI 5.1 is available for many modern Samsung phones. It’s a small update, but contains a number of handy features that are worth using.
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