The most widely used mobile operating system in the world, Android 14, has been updated with the promise of improved performance, security, and privacy. The OS's managing firm, Google, has also made it a priority to enhance the user experience on bigger devices, such as tablets and foldable smartphones. Android 14 is now available for compatible devices. Here, we dissect the characteristics that have drawn our attention.
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| Android 14 Features |
In case you were wondering, although Google no longer uses alphabetical names for Android desserts starting with Android 10, the versions are still internally codenamed using the same system. Upside Down Cake is this year's U-lettered dessert; last year's was Tiramisu. Now let's get started.
Downloading and Install Android 14
Installing Android 14 on a Google Pixel phone (Pixel 4A 5G and above) is currently possible. Just select Check for update under Settings > System > System update.
The newest version of Android is always released first for Google's Pixel smartphones. You should receive the update later this year if you own a handset made by any of the following manufacturers: Samsung, Asus, HMD (Nokia phones), iQOO, Lenovo, Motorola, Nothing, OnePlus, Oppo, Realme, Sony, Tecno, Vivo, or Xiaomi. Some of these devices are eligible for the Android 14 beta program, if you can't wait (Google provides a list of manufacturers here). Because there will inevitably be bugs and problems, we do not advise installing the Android 14 beta on your primary phone. Before everything else, be careful to backup your Android phone in case you misplace something important.
Although updates will probably appear automatically, you can always go to Settings > System > System update and select Check for update to see if you have the most recent version. Do you want to return to Android 13 and exit the beta? Visit Google's Android Beta page, locate your device by scrolling down, and select Opt-out. As all locally saved data will be erased, be sure to backup your device before doing this. An update prompt allowing you to revert to the previous version will appear.
To find out when Android 14 will be released if you don't own a Pixel or a device in the beta program, keep a watch on the website, forums, or social media accounts of your manufacturer.
Top Features of Android 14
We're showing some of the greatest new features and updates in Android 14, which seems to be a touch better than its predecessor from what we've seen so far. To find out more, visit Google's developer website directly.
More Customization
Although you could personalize your home screen for a while, Android 14 offers additional customization options for your lock screen. Support for Ultra HDR photos, a monochrome theme, a lock screen picker, and lock screen templates are all included. Additionally, you can make cartoon-style wallpapers with your favorite emoji, parallax effect wallpapers using your own photographs, and even generative AI wallpapers that are triggered by text.
Improved Battery Life
While there isn't a standout feature here, Google has worked hard to make Android run more smoothly and consume less battery life. With a few further modifications and changes to the operating system's handling of background processes, downloads, and uploads, Android users should be able to get a bit extra life out of their phone batteries. Additionally, it appears that the battery settings menu's "screen time since last full charge" feature—which was eliminated in Android 12—has returned.
Larger Fonts and Smarter Scaling
In Android 13, the maximum font size adjustable on Google's Pixel phones was capped at 130 percent. However, with the release of Android 14, this restriction has been lifted, allowing users to scale fonts up to 200 percent on their Pixel devices. The method uses nonlinear scaling to eliminate goofy layouts; this means that words that are already scaled up, such as headlines, won't get bigger, making the text easier to see for people with vision impairments.
Notification Flashes
You may activate both screen and camera flashes for incoming alerts on Android 14. Although it hasn't been integrated into the operating system itself, this has long been a feature of iPhones and other Android handsets (such as Samsung models). You can select the color your display will flash in and switch on either one or both of them. It can be useful for anyone who wants their phone to not buzz or make noise whenever a notification comes in, even if its primary purpose is to assist those who have hearing loss.
Better Hearing Aid Support
For those who have hearing loss, there's further good news: Android 14 will no longer mix hearing aids with other Bluetooth devices. You can select which noises should be played through the device's speakers and which ones should go to your hearing aids on a newly created page only for them. Additionally, Android 14 will alert you with a pop-up message if you have been listening to loud music for an extended period, helping to minimize hearing damage.
Better Support for Large Screens
Google's first announcement during the original developer preview was support for developers attempting to create applications that smoothly transition between screen sizes. Applications that perform effectively across tablets, smartphones, and foldable phones are expected to become increasingly prevalent as developers gain access to additional tools and design guidance. This would be similar to what Apple has done to ensure a smooth transition for its app ecosystem between the iPhone, iPad, and MacBook.
Restricting Photo and Video Access
Giving an app access to your data is all-or-nothing, but Android 14 offers the ability to select which specific photos and videos it can access, which should ease your anxiety. Apple revealed a similar feature in iOS 14.
Enhanced Security
Android 14 prevents you from installing older apps from Android 5.1 and before because malware prefers to target older versions of Android to evade security improvements in current versions. Several additional security enhancements have been implemented behind the scenes, with one of the most notable being the enhanced support for passkey authentication. This feature enables biometric login for a wider range of apps, reducing reliance on traditional passwords.
Protected PIN
Android 14 provides an additional upgrade for security and usability regarding the PIN feature. To make it more difficult for someone else to spy on your pins, you may now disable the animations that show up when you enter your PIN. You can even remove the OK button at the end and have it unlock when you enter the last number if your PIN is six digits or longer.
Data Protection
It's far harder than it should be to monitor what games and applications are doing with your data. Installing an app may allow you to give it access to some of your data, but what happens if the app is bought out by another business or changes its policy for some other reason, and then decides to sell your data to advertisers or other third parties? Every month, Android 14 will notify you when an app's data-sharing practices have changed.
Regional Preferences
You can specify system-wide preferences in Android 14 for things like the temperature in Celsius or Fahrenheit, Monday or Sunday as the start of the week, or particular calendars or numerals. These changes will remain intact even after backups and restores. Additionally, there is enhanced regional language customization and support for gendered languages like French.
Predictive Back Gestures
For easier gesture navigating, Google has included a noticeable return arrow that blends seamlessly with your theme or wallpaper. In conjunction with predictive back gestures, which provide you a preview of the screen that you will access with a swipe-back gesture, people should have a simpler time figuring out how to navigate and where they are going to land. On Android, it's not always clear where a back swipe will take you—it can send you to the home screen, a previous screen, or an app.
Health Connect
You may utilize separate apps to monitor your sleep, run, and use your smart scales. Although it is still in beta, Google's Health Connect app provides a means to centralize your fitness and health data and share it across many apps and services. All Android 14 smartphones have the app preinstalled and set to update automatically.
Improved Share Options
For a long time, different Android devices and apps have had inconsistent share menus. The ranking of your possible share targets is now based on more app data, and Google is also enabling apps to add custom actions to system share sheets. This ought to make it possible for a sharing menu with the contacts and apps you truly want to share with others to be more consistent and helpful.