Google releases first preview of Android 14 – here's what's new
Google has released the first Android 14 developer preview, offering initial hints of what's to come from this year's major OS update.
The preview, which is not intended for consumers and is released so developers can begin the process of upgrading their apps, suggests that there will be several overall priorities with Android 14. These are: better grip support for larger screens and better battery optimization. , accessibility and user safety.
In a post on the Android Developers Blog, Google says Android 14 will continue the work of Android 12L and 13 by improving support for foldables and tablets. This preview includes more tools to help developers build apps that seamlessly adapt to different screen sizes.
"With each release, our goal is to make it easier for you to optimize your app on all Android surfaces," said Dave Burke, Android Engineering Manager.
Google is also focusing on improved personalization with an accessibility feature where users will be able to scale their text by up to 200% (instead of 130%), which will be useful for people with visual impairments.
Android 14 will also try to streamline the background work of apps, which users should see the battery life benefits of. For example, the developer can ensure that background work occurs when users are on Wi-Fi
The company is also working on a new grammar inflection API, which will allow app developers to add support for languages where the sentence changes based on grammatical gender. For example, the translation of the sentence: “You are a subscriber to…” In French.
To provide a similar sentence in French, there are a few options:
Masculine form: “You are subscribed to…” (English: “You are subscribed to…”)
Form with feminine accents: “You are subscribed to…” (English: “You are subscribed to…”)
Neutral phrase that avoids inflections: “Subscription to… activated”
"Today we're releasing the first developer preview of Android 14, and your feedback in these previews is a vital part of making Android better for everyone," Burke said. “Android 14 continues our work to improve your productivity as developers, along with improvements in performance, privacy, security, and user personalization. This preview is just the beginning, and we'll have a lot more to share as we move through the release cycle.
Of course, that's just the beginning for Android 14. We'll start seeing user-facing stuff in future releases and certainly when public previews start rolling out in the spring.
