Android continues to improve with each release, so we anticipate each update with bated breath.
The next new version of Android is usually a significant event in the tech calendar, whether it’s an aesthetic redesign, a slew of new features, or security patches behind the scenes.
Here’s all we know so far about the next Android 14 generation. Google unveiled a slew of new features during its Google I/O event on May 10, 2023, which we’ve broken down below.
When will Android 14 be released?
Although Google demonstrated new Android capabilities at Google I/O, it did not provide a release date for Android 14.
Each year, Google teases the new version of Android with developer previews before releasing it officially in Q3, when the flagship Pixel phones are generally released.
These early copies of the future Android upgrade allow developers (but anybody) to download them and test out the new features on compatible devices, which helps Google discover faults. It also allows you to test new Android features before they are officially released.
Following the release of the most recent Android Developer Preview for Pixel smartphones, Google releases a public beta that anybody with a compatible device may download.
Android 14’s public beta release is now in its third version. You can now register your compatible Pixel phone on the official beta website.
We expect the public beta to go through numerous release upgrades in the coming weeks, delivering improvements and new features that will allow Google to verify the platform’s robustness before the general release.
After all of these public betas, Google occasionally releases the new version of Android alongside the debut of its new Pixel phones, but it also does so for current devices ahead of time.
While there is no official release date for Android 14, we expect it to emerge alongside the Pixel 8 series in Q3 2023. Google’s releases have been a little sporadic in recent years, although they normally come after the summer. When were the most recent complete versions released?
- Android 13 – August 2022
- Android 12 – October 2021
- Android 11 – September 2020
- Android 10 – September 2019
What will Android 14 be called?
When it comes to naming each version of Android, Google takes a very humorous approach. These were usually based on deserts, however when Android 10 was released in September 2019, this tendency ended, and the company instead went with the number. This hasn’t stopped internal codenames from making their way into the public domain, complete with sugary implications. For example, at Google, the numbered Android versions are lovingly referred to as:
- Android 10 – Quince Tart
- Android 11 – Red Velvet Cake
- Android 12 – Snow Cone
- Android 13 – Tiramisu
As you might expect, each version begins with the following letter of the alphabet, thus Android 14’s desert of choice will begin with U. While it appears that this is a difficult letter to make a pudding reference in, According to 9to5Google, it has been called Upside Down Cake by Google engineers. It’s a bit of a stretch, which is perhaps why the corporation now uses version numbers. Google is now more than halfway through the alphabet with Android 14.
What new features will we see in Android 14?
Google showcased a few new Android features at Google I/O, despite the fact that we still don’t know when Android 14 will be released. We’re guessing that many of the new improvements are for Android 14, although it’s unclear whether they will be, or whether they will come to previous versions of Android as well.
AI
Google adores artificial intelligence. Artificial intelligence via software is strongly incorporated into the company’s products, from its Bard chatbot assistant to entertaining current applications on Android phones like Magic Eraser in Google Photos. Android 14 is no exception.
There will be an aesthetic upgrade in Android 14 (first for Pixel phones), as well as a couple of new features in June. This might imply that Android 14 will be released at that time.
Google copied Apple’s iOS 16 lock screen wallpaper modifications. On Pixel phones, you’ll be able to modify the clock design on the Android lock screen and access various widgets. There is also a new emoji wallpaper selector, which is pretty similar to what Apple provides.
There will also be additional AI smarts in Android 14, such as cinematic wallpapers, which allow you to choose a photo from your gallery and apply a 3D effect to it if you set it as your wallpaper. This will also be available in June.
New generative AI wallpapers are even more stunning. Again, on Pixel first, you may write a prompt for AI to make a unique image, such as ‘London in a pop art style,’ which will generate a few photos for you to look through and select. Google promotes the function as a method to make your phone seem completely unique.
Google claims it won’t be available until the autumn, thus it’ll most likely be released as an update when Android 14 is already available on certain devices.
At Google I/O, these were the only new features unveiled. The information below was previously obtained through betas and leaks.
Privacy-first screen recordings
Mishaal Rahman, a brilliant Android researcher, discovered a unique new feature for Android 14: a new screen recording option that may record only one app at a time, rather than the entire screen. It indicates that the recording does not contain screen UI elements or notifications, simply what you do when recording in the app you’ve chosen. Take a look at his tweet below:
Hands-on: I finally got this fully working, so here's a full demo of Android 14's new partial screen recording feature.
This feature lets you record a single app without any System UI elements or notifications appearing in the video!
(Resulting video in the follow-up reply.) pic.twitter.com/T7cCFJK13N
— Mishaal Rahman (@MishaalRahman) May 19, 2023
New share sheet
When you press share in any app, the share sheet shows as a pop up. We like how it looks on iPhones, with frequent contacts and applications presented first in a very similar manner, regardless of whatever app you’re in. The Android share sheet has always been a little more disorganized, and Google is working to improve it with the Android 14 beta.
The sheet will now allow developers to write in additional personalized ideas, such as forwarding a link to a frequent contact or sending your Wordle score to the Wordle WhatsApp group you’re a member of. It will hopefully improve its ability to predict your purpose.
You’ll also be able to scroll through a sample of multiple photographs if you’ve chosen several to ensure you’re not sending the incorrect item to the wrong person. Google will also apparently be able to tweak the behavior of the share sheet more regularly now that the system recognizes it as an independent app. It’s a little change, but one you could find useful.
Satellite calls
Hiroshi Lockheimer, Google’s Senior Vice-President for Android, indicated in a tweet in September 2022 that his team was “designing for satellites.”
Wild to think about user experiences for phones that can connect to satellites. When we launched G1 in '08 it was a stretch to get 3G + Wifi working. Now we're designing for satellites. Cool! Excited to support our partners in enabling all of this in the next version of Android!
— Hiroshi Lockheimer (@lockheimer) September 1, 2022
Assumably, this means being able to make emergency calls using satellite coverage, as seen in the iPhone 14 line. It remains to be known if this will work with old phones or only new ones, though we assume the latter.
Predictive Back Navigation
If you’ve ever been annoyed by hitting the back button or utilizing the swipe gesture to move to a previous page only to discover that you’ve stopped the app instead, Android 14 may be the solution.
Because various applications employ the back gesture in different ways, there isn’t always consistent behavior that the user can rely on. With the new predictive return navigation, you will now see a preview of the home screen show before you finish your command, letting you determine whether or not you want to do that. Sounds difficult, but it should be simple to use and prevent you from mistakenly exiting an app. The feature was originally intended for Android 13, but it appears that time ran out before that version was released, so it should now make its official debut in Android 14.
Nearby share could be restricted to Google-licensed phones
This one won’t effect many people, but Google has announced that Android Beam, the forerunner of Nearby Share, is being deleted from the AOSP (Android Open Source Project). This is only crucial because Nearby transmit is based on Google Mobile Services, which implies that manufacturers that have not signed up to Google’s licensing agreements (such as Huawei) may no longer be able to wirelessly transmit data between devices using NFC. Most people will not notice this, but it is worth noting.
Will your phone get Android 14?
Most Android phones released in the last year or so should be able to update to Android 14, however how soon this happens depends on how rapidly manufacturers deploy the changes. The only way to be certain is to visit the manufacturer’s website and see if your device is listed.
