Google launched the first public beta of Android 14, following two developer previews, signifying the beginning of the predictable cycle of Android’s development. While the beta release is available to anyone with a supported Pixel device going back to the Pixel 4a 5G, there is still no official support for non-Google phone users. Users should note that this is primarily aimed at developers who want to test their apps and early adopters who can’t wait for the stable release, as betas can be prone to breaking.
UI Updates
Android 14 has few new features. However, two user-facing UI updates are worth noting. To enhance the understanding and usefulness of back gestures, Google introduced a new back arrow in the gesture navigation experience that matches the user’s wallpaper or device theme for a personalized experience.
Google has introduced a new back arrow in the Android 14 that appears when interacting with an app. This helps users to better understand the purpose and usefulness of the back gesture, marking the first user-facing UI update in the beta release. This arrow’s color will match the user’s wallpaper or device theme, making it a personalized feature for each user.
Smarter Sharing
Developers can now add custom actions to the system sharesheet, and the sharesheet is now smarter about ranking sharing targets.
Developers can add custom actions to the system sharesheet in the Android 14 beta. This change will make sharing easier for users, and the sharesheet will rank sharing targets more intelligently.
Other Changes
Android 14 beta includes two UI updates to enhance back gesture understanding and custom actions in system sharesheet for developers.
Android 14 beta includes new privacy settings and per-app language settings, as announced by Google earlier.
Conclusion:
Android’s latest release, Android 14 beta, is an evolutionary step with user-facing updates and new features. More announcements are expected at Google I/O. However, users should be aware that it’s a beta version, and things can break. As we previously reported, the beta also includes split view for WhatsApp on Android tablets.