Google is testing Android 14 Beta – get in now!

The initial beta version of Google’s Android 14 OS is now accessible for download, showcasing fresh features centred around system navigation, privacy, performance, and user personalisation.

Although the first two developer-exclusive previews provided a glimpse of what was to come, this beta release marks the public’s maiden opportunity to explore the modifications.

Gesture navigation has undergone an upgrade, incorporating a more prominent Material You-themed back arrow that adapts to suit the device’s theme or wallpaper.

Not only is this visually appealing, but it also assists users in comprehending the predictive back gesture experience in Android 14, as it now previews the screen they are navigating to within apps.

Furthermore, Android 14 debuts a new system share sheet, which appears when users tap to share content. This enables developers to append custom app-specific actions at the top of the share menu.

Google characterises this as a superior experience when compared to the current Android share sheets, where share targets (the app receiving the shared content) are always organised alphabetically.

The revamped share sheet also employs additional app signals to determine the ranking of direct share targets at the top of the page (though the precise signals remain unclear).

This resolves several issues. In the past, app developers seeking to feature particular apps higher in the sharing menu either had to create their own share sheets – which lacked visual uniformity and hindered users from developing muscle memory across apps – or incorporate custom share targets.

A maximum of two share targets could be specified to appear higher in the share list, and Esper.io observes that Google itself discourages developers from using this feature, as it reduces the number of share targets that the device system can suggest.

Additional enhancements in the first Android 14 beta encompass new graphical features such as morphing effects and refined language settings, which automatically configure apps to support language preferences on a per-app basis.

Privacy is also bolstered by enabling apps to limit the visibility of sensitive information to accessibility services purporting to assist users with disabilities. Google Play Protect will verify these claims.

Google proposes that these updated privacy safeguards can help protect vulnerable users from unintentional actions like transferring money or completing a purchase in a shopping app.

To try Android 14 ahead of its full launch, visit the Android 14 developer site for more information and instructions on downloading the beta. For those already enrolled in the Android QPR beta programme, no action is needed; the first Android 14 beta will be delivered automatically.