Everything You Need to Know About Android 14

Google has just released the first Android 14 developer preview, bringing us one step closer to the stable Android 14 release later this year. This preview gives us a good idea of what to expect in terms of features and improvements, so let’s take a closer look.

Name & Release Date

Android 14 is simply referred to by its version number, as Google no longer uses sweet treat names for its Android versions. However, internally, it is referred to as Upside Down Cake. As for a release date, there’s no official word yet, but it is expected to reach platform stability in June, with a likely Q3 to early Q4 release.

Accessibility Features

Google has been doing a great job at implementing accessibility features in its Android versions. Android 14 builds on the accessibility features introduced in previous versions, such as a reading mode for visually impaired users, native braille display support, and audio descriptions.

Larger Font Sizes

One of the biggest new features in Android 14 is larger font sizes. Users can now scale fonts up to 200% compared to Android 13’s maximum of 130%. Additionally, non-linear font scaling will be used so that text that is already large won’t see further size increases.

Language-related Improvements

Android 14 also brings some improvements related to language, such as better support for gendered languages and more granular per-app language controls.

Battery Features & Tweaks

The new Android version brings several changes aimed at improving battery life, such as tweaks to foreground services and job scheduler APIs, and improvements to the platform’s internal broadcast system. A “schedule exact alarm” permission has also been added, requiring newly installed apps such as clone phone app to request permission to use precise alarm functionality. A familiar feature, “screen time since last full charge,” has also returned to the battery settings menu.

Privacy Features & Changes

While there aren’t many new privacy features in Android 14, there is a major change related to installing older Android apps. The new update now blocks apps built for Android 5.1 Lollipop APIs and older from being installed. This is due to the fact that malware often targets older API levels that don’t take advantage of modern security and privacy protections.

Overall, Android 14 brings a number of new and improved features, from larger font sizes to battery and privacy changes. Pixel owners can already install the first developer preview, and we can expect the stable release later this year.