Google has released beta 1 of Android 14. This beta is for developers and Top, and can be installed on Pixel 5 phones and later. The new Android version will include clearer gesture navigation and a better share menu.
Android 14 is getting a new back arrow that should more clearly indicate which is which gesture The user can do and what this finger gesture does. This Android 14 back arrow has the same color as the background or theme of the smartphone. Another UI improvement relates to the share menu that users see when they want to share something with an external app. Developers can now better define which apps or actions should appear here. Previously, sorting on this post was automatic, though developers could choose two apps or actions to be at the top. In Android 14, developers can add more options for that.
Google continues to speak about new turnEffects within the interface and support for different languages automatically within the applications. For a long time, Android applications followed the system language of the smartphone, so the Android smartphone that used English as its system language always had applications in English. Google has been trying to get away from this for a few years and allow apps to deviate more easily from the language of a smartphone’s system.
Application developers will also have the option to protect certain user information from accessibility services to prevent abuse. For example, apps can choose that accessibility services have difficulty accessing passwords in plain text, or actions such as purchasing products or transferring money.
The company also says it has better support for tablets and foldable devices, and talks about improvements in privacy, security, and performance. With the release of Beta 1, smartphone makers and app developers can test their products on Android 14 and the changes within that operating system. Beta releases will follow until June, after which platform stability builds will be released. The stable version of Android 14 will not be available until after July.
