Android has long supported the ability to access certain tools or data from the lockscreen with relative ease, but many have come with the minor annoyance of requiring you to authenticate before actually using those tools. In Android 13, Google is stripping away the need to unlock your phone for lockscreen smart home controls. Here’s how.
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Google has decided to rename Android’s classic “Do Not Disturb” setting to “Priority mode” in the second preview of Android 13.
Update: Google now seems to be walking back this change.
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All of the changes we’ve seen in Android 13 developer previews have formed into our first look at Android 13 Beta 1. Some of those changes seem to be interesting features, if not reversions to former iterations of the OS. For instance, the Pixel Launcher app drawer in Android 13 Beta 1 has changed to the familiar Google widget search bar rather than the on-device version.
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Google radically redesigned Android’s visual language with Android 12, and it seems the company is set to refine that look in Android 13. As a part of the first beta to Android 13, Google has updated the media player notification with a new squiggle look for the track scrubber.
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While digging through the Android 13 Developer Preview 1 build, we’ve spotted that the in-built “Silent mode” now completely disables haptic feedback across almost all areas of your Pixel device.
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Beta 1 of Android 13 is available today and will be most people’s introduction to Google’s next major OS version. We’re diving into today’s release of Android 13 Beta 1 to find what new features have been added.
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Today marks the first time that Google is running two Android Beta Programs simultaneously. Those running Android 12 QPR3 Beta 2 on their Pixel do not have to wipe their device to get Android 13 Beta 1.
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Google usually launches the first beta of the next major version of Android at I/O in May. The cycle this year has been accelerated and Android 13 Beta 1 is rolling out earlier than normal for Pixel phones today. The install process is now just a simple opt-in, but there’s one thing existing QPR3 Beta users should watch out for to avoid wiping their device.
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Android 13’s second developer preview adds a handful of new Material You styles, but they’re not very easy to access at this point. Barely a week later, though, the fun app Repainter has added support for Android 13’s new Material You styles.
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Android 13 Developer Preview 2 includes work toward an editor for your clipboard, a redesign for the Pixel Launcher search bar, and more.
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For Android 13, Google has been working to expand Material You’s dynamic color system to offer different color theme styles. Here’s how to try them out early.
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Battery life is something that can always improve, and Google is introducing a handful of battery-preserving measures in its next mobile OS version. The most notable is a system notification in Android 13 for apps with excessive background battery usage.
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The ability to adjust your display and text size in Android is crucial. Now, it’s even easier to do so in Android 13 Developer Preview 2, where both of these sliders are combined into one settings page.
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Android 13 seems to be doubling down on user profiles, probably as tablets become a more central focus for Google. In the latest Android 13 preview, Google is making it possible to customize your user profile photo.
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Once a Pixel 6 exclusive feature, Google seems to have enabled the flagship’s excellent Assistant voice typing on more Pixel phones.
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Introduced in Android 12, the Camera and Mic access Quick Settings tiles both help you take control of your privacy and security. However, in Android 13, those security settings have found a new, easier access button in the Quick Settings. Here’s what it looks like.
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Android 12L renewed Google’s focus on big screen devices, seemingly just in time, and Android 13 is only expanding on that. In the latest Android 13 preview, we’re seeing a new app drawer on the taskbar.
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One expected new feature in Android 13 is the ability to set languages on a per-app basis, instead of globally for the device as a whole.
Update 3/17: Per-app language settings are now available in Android 13’s second developer preview, unchanged from our original coverage below.
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Before Android 13’s debut, it was reported that the system would gain a native QR code reader. Now, in Android 13 Developer Preview 2, we’ve been able to try out the new QR code reader on our device. Here’s how it works.
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After sitting just behind the curtain in the first Android 13 developer preview, Google has released the new music notification panel with an updated design including (wonderful) album art integration and more.
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Google just released the second developer preview of Android 13, with a redesign to the Quick Settings panel that shifts other buttons to a new part of the display.
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Ahead of the first beta in April, Android 13 DP2 remains focussed on developers. With that in mind, we’re diving into today’s release of Developer Preview 2 to find what’s changed.
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The next update to Android 13 is here with Developer Preview 2 (DP2) rolling out for Pixel phones today. This should be the last release before beta-quality builds commence next month.
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For years now, iPhones and even Samsung’s Android smartphones have supported the ability to adjust the brightness of the LED flashlight on the back of your phone. Now, in Android 13, Google is finally delivering this ability to adjust flashlight brightness natively, and we’ve been able to try it out.
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