Google provided the very first developers’ preview version, Android 13. It’s important to understand that this is just a “first look” at the forthcoming OS and is meant for developers only. The first beta version to be released to the general public is expected to be available in April, and the official version of Android 13 is scheduled for later in July.
To review the entire timeline Google has released, I can expect another developer preview in the coming month, followed by an open beta in April and another in May. Then, two “Platform Stability” builds (release candidates) will be held in June and July.
We are now examining what’s new. With a renewed focus on security and privacy, Android 13 brings a new system-wide photo picker that acts as a standard and secure way to share photos from local storage and cloud-based sources. It’s a step further than the existing Android document picker, allowing you to upload files without granting access to any media stored on the device, including images and videos. It will eventually be available to more Android users via Google Play updates for devices running Android 11 or higher (except Android Go).
Concerning Google Play updates, these will be able to cover “more of Android” by adding new modules to the update system.
The next step is that applications will be able to find connections to devices nearby through Wi-Fi without needing location permission. Adding customized tile tiles into Quick Settings can be simplified using a brand new API and a new system dialogue that lets you add tiles from within the application.
The Material You are dynamically adjusting colour engine extends in Android 13 to all app icons, not just Google’s. Of course, developers must provide compatible icons for their apps for this to work. These custom icons will be available on Pixels at first, but Google promises it will work with its device manufacturer partners to bring them to more phones.
You also get a per-app language preference in Android 13, which should suit multilingual users nicely.
Suppose you’re a developer interested in trying out this build of Android 13. In that case, you can apply a system image to the Pixel 6 Pro, Pixel 6, Pixel 5 with 5G connectivity, Pixel 5a, Pixel 4a, 5G, Pixel 4 XL and Pixel 4. The build is named TPP1.220114.001
