At the Google I/O conference, the search giant introduced Android 13 Beta 2. The update focused on improving the appearance of the system and improving security. To try out the fresh OS, in addition to pixel owners, now can owners of gadgets of another 11 brands. Here are the details.
Design
Some of the animations were also redrawn, the changes are noticeable when moving between the settings and unlocking the device. Added advanced options to adjust font sizes and system elements. Also improved the battery status widget. It displays the battery charge of the smartphone and all connected Bluetooth accessories. The Pixel Launcher has returned to global search from Android 12, which was absent in the previous beta. It allows you to search for applications, files and other content on the device or through Google on the Internet.
In the latest build, the developers continue to develop the design code of Material You. There are more options for colour schemes for the design of the interface in a single style. In addition, now these themes are supported by third-party software. Once again refreshed the media player in the notification curtain and on the lock screen. Changed the location of the buttons. The settings are hidden in the icon, which is located in the corner of the window. With a long press, the option to hide the player pops up.
Security and autonomy
On the privacy side, you are testing apps asking for permission to send notifications. Soon they will add the ability to manually specify the photos and videos to which the program will access. Another important improvement is the support for encryption in group chats when using the RCS messaging protocol. It’s available on Google Messages.
There was a function to automatically turn on the dark theme on a schedule or before bedtime. It works at the expense of the utility “Digital Well-being”. The minimum charge level at which the power saving mode is activated was increased from 5 to 10%. According to the developers, this will help to extend the autonomy of the gadget.
Other innovations
Some chips were borrowed from Android 12L – an operating system adapted for large diagonals. On tablets and folding devices, the taskbar is displayed – a series of icons at the bottom of the screen in the manner of desktop operating systems. Here it is convenient to fix the necessary programs and quickly start the mode of splitting the display. It is activated by a long press on the dock panel.
Finally, Google is rolling out a fast pairing option for gadgets connected to the Matter smart home ecosystem. The system has acquired support for the energy-efficient wireless standard Bluetooth LE Audio. In addition, Android 13 allows you to set the interface language for each application separately (if the necessary localization is provided by the developer).
Availability and release date
The second beta version of Android 13 can be installed on Pixel 4, Pixel 4 XL, Pixel 4a, Pixel 4a (5G), Pixel 5, Pixel 5a, Pixel 6, and Pixel 6 Pro. In addition, owners of the following models will be able to test the fresh OS: ASUS ZenFone 8, Lenovo P12 Pro, Nokia XR20, OnePlus 10 Pro, OPPO Find X5, OPPO Find N, realme GT 2 Pro, Sharp Aquos sense6, Tecno Camon 19 Pro 5G, Vivo X80 Pro, Xiaomi 12, Xiaomi 12 Pro, Xiaomi Pad 5, ZTE Axon 40 Ultra. A full list of supported devices is available on the website for developers of the “green robot”.
The final release of Android 13 will take place this fall. Waiting for an update?