Google has released the first public Beta of Android 14 with new features focused on system navigation, privacy, performance, and user customization to both developers and early adopters.
“Today we’re releasing the first Beta of Android 14, building around our core themes of privacy, security, performance, developer productivity, and user customization while continuing to improve the large-screen device experience on tablets, foldable, and more,” Google said in a blog post.
Among the features, a new back arrow has been updated under the gesture navigation to help improve back gesture understanding and usefulness while interacting with your app.
The back arrow also compliments the user’s wallpaper or device theme.
Android 14 also introduces a new system share sheet — the page that opens when you tap to share content, allowing developers to add custom app-specific actions to the top of the share menu.
Google describes this as an ‘improved’ experience compared to Android share sheets that always sort share targets alphabetically.
In addition, the new share sheet uses more app signals to determine how the direct share targets should rank, the company mentioned.
Android 14 beta also includes new graphical features, such as morphing effects and enhanced language settings, which automatically assign language preferences to applications.
Privacy is also improved by allowing apps to limit the visibility of sensitive data to access services that claim to assist disabled users.
According to Google, users who are particularly vulnerable can take advantage of the new privacy protections to prevent accidental transfers of money or purchases in shopping apps.
