Google has made available to the public the first beta of its newest operating system, Android 14. With a focus on system navigation, privacy, performance, and user customization, Android 14 beta introduces a number of new features. The beta release gives consumers the opportunity to test the improvements for themselves, whereas the earlier two developer-only previews provided us a sneak peek of what to expect.
The gesture navigation tool has been upgraded with a Material You-themed back arrow that adapts to match the device's theme or wallpaper. This is one of the major changes in Android 14.
By previewing the screen users are navigating to within applications, this improved back arrow not only has a more aesthetically pleasing appearance but also aids users in understanding Android 14's predictive back gesture experience.
Additionally, Android 14 adds a new system share sheet that enables developers to add unique, app-specific actions to the share menu's top. Compared to the current Android share sheets, where share targets are always sorted alphabetically, this offers a better user experience. The direct share targets that show near the top of the page should rank higher according to the new share sheet, which takes more app signals into account.
Several problems that app developers had previously encountered are now resolved, including the inconsistency of the visual design while creating their own share sheets and the limitation of adding just two share targets to appear higher in the share list.
The initial release of Android 14 beta contains enhanced language settings and more graphical capabilities, such as morphing effects and automatic application-level language adaptation.
By allowing apps to restrict the visibility of sensitive information to accessibility services that ostensibly help people with disabilities, Google is further boosting privacy in Android 14. In order to guarantee that privacy is protected, Google Play Protect will examine these claims. These updated privacy safeguards are particularly useful in avoiding more vulnerable users from unintentionally transferring money or paying for something in a shopping app.
The Android 14 developer site has comprehensive instructions and information on downloading the beta version for anyone anxious to try out Android 14 before it is officially released. The initial Android 14 beta will be sent automatically to those already enrolled in the Android QPR beta programme.
