What it’s worthwhile to know
- Google has unveiled the second developer preview of Android 14.
- The newest launch prevents apps from working whereas they’re frozen and gives a safer passkey sign-in possibility.
- Customers may even have the ability to enable an app to entry particular pictures as a substitute of a complete library with out utilizing the Photograph Picker characteristic.
Android 14 continues to be removed from being prepared for basic consumption, however it’s now in its second developer preview stage, which introduces a bunch of privateness and safety enhancements in addition to extra stringent background app restrictions.
The brand new launch focuses on two classes that customers care about essentially the most: safety and privateness. One of many extra attention-grabbing bits of this software program drop is that Android 14 will additional restrict apps frozen within the background as a way to enhance useful resource utilization and, by extension, battery life.
Apps constructed to focus on the next-generation OS will grant foreground apps extra management over how different apps they work together with can begin actions. Background apps will likely be unable to carry out any actions just a few seconds after they enter the cached state, other than lifecycle APIs, which is principally one other approach of barring them from utilizing up battery and RAM when they don’t seem to be required.
On the privateness entrance, the second Android 14 DP2 permits apps to entry chosen pictures and movies as a substitute of a complete library, even with out the brand new Photograph Picker that was first launched with Android 13, as a safe technique for selecting media information shared inside apps. As with the brand new Photograph Picker, the purpose is to stop pointless entry to your information.
The preview depicts how the brand new permissions dialog will seem (above). There are three choices: enable an app to entry all pictures, restrict their entry, or utterly block them.
Google can be putting extra emphasis on passkeys when signing in to varied apps, though Android 14 nonetheless helps passwords. The newest DP features a new API for making app login rather more safe and seamless with out using passwords.
The search big has additionally moved the Settings menu for altering regional preferences comparable to temperature items to a extra accessible centralized hub. As soon as these preferences are set, the identical settings will apply even after resetting your machine, supplied you have backed up your information.
Android 14 Developer Preview 2 is now accessible for a lot of of Google’s finest Android telephones, together with the Pixel 7 Professional, Pixel 7, and Pixel 6a, in addition to older fashions such because the Pixel 6 Professional, Pixel 6, Pixel 5a 5G, Pixel 5, and Pixel 4a (5G).
Should you’ve already put in the first developer preview, you must quickly see an OTA notification to replace. Nonetheless, if you do not have a Pixel telephone, you possibly can at all times use Android Studio’s Android Emulator to check out Android 14.
The Pixel 6a represents Google’s daring new imaginative and prescient for mid-range telephones. It has the identical nice appears and highly effective Google Tensor processor because the costlier Pixel 6, however prices lower than the Pixel 5a.
