Google has launched the Android 13 Developer Preview 1, which is a great opportunity to take a look at what coming down the road. Android 13 comes with new privacy and security features as well as improved tools for developers.
Privacy and security
Android 13 continues Google’s focus on making Android as secure and private as possible. This continues with the new secure photo picker. You will get a photo picker that will only share what you choose to share with the app that is requesting it.
Developers will also get new nearby device permissions for Wi-Fi. The new permissions are now required for apps that call commonly used Wi-Fi APIs. Developers will be able to request nearby Wi-Fi devices, but not request user location. This keeps your privacy as secure as possible but still allows the apps to get the functionality that they need.
Developer productivity and tools
Developers will now have the option to send you a prompt asking if you would like to add a custom tile to the quick settings menu. This allows users to know what options are available to them in the quick settings menu.
Android 12 introduced Material You. It allows your Android device to pull colors from your wallpaper and set it as the color theme for your device. Google is extending the capabilities for Android 13. All your apps will now gain the ability to inherit the color theme of your device, allowing for a more uniform and visually pleasing experience.
You will also have the ability to select your language preferences for each app that you use. Developers will gain the ability to make the text on your display easier to read with improved hyphenation. They will also gain improved programmable shaders. In addition, Google will be updating Android to align with OpenJDK 11 LTS release.
App compatibility
Google will be bringing more updates to the Google Play store with project mainline. This will allow for features like the photo picker and OpenJDK 11 support to come to older Android devices. Google is calling for app optimization for larger devices like tablets, foldable, and Chromebooks.
This developer preview gives developers an easier environment for testing and debugging changes. It also will give plenty of notice about upcoming platform stability milestones. This should ensure an easier transition from Android 12 to Android 13.
The Android 13 Developer Preview is available for the Pixel 6 Pro, Pixel 6, Pixel 5a, Pixel 5, Pixel 4a (5G), Pixel 4a, Pixel 4 XL, or the Pixel 4.
