Android 13 Developer Preview 1 is now out to let builders expertise the primary look of Android’s subsequent launch. Google is designing Android 13 with maintaining “privacy and security as well as developer productivity” on the centre stage. It is known as “Tiramisu” — named after an Italian dessert. The new Android model comes simply weeks after the discharge of Android 12L that was primarily aimed to supply higher help for bigger screens. Android 13 Developer Preview 1 is supposed for app builders to allow them to begin making their apps prepared for the subsequent main Android replace. It is initially obtainable for choose Google Pixel gadgets. Developers can, although, additionally expertise it by way of the Android Emulator in Android Studio.

Android 13 Developer Preview 1 compatibility

Google introduced by way of a blog post that the Android 13 Developer Preview 1 may be put in on the Pixel 4, Pixel 4 XL, Pixel 4a, Pixel 4a (5G), Pixel 5, Pixel 5a 5G, Pixel 6, and the Pixel 6 Pro. Notably, the Pixel 3 sequence isn’t appropriate with the Android 13 Developer Preview as it’s now not capable of obtain any new Android model and safety updates. Similar is the case with the Pixel 3a sequence. The Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL are additionally not appropriate with the developer preview of Android 13 as each fashions are reaching the stage of end-of-software help in May.

System images for all of the eligible gadgets can be found for obtain. Alternatively, the primary developer preview of Android 13 may be put in on a pc by way of the Android Emulator in Android Studio. Google has additionally launched Generic System Images (GSIs) for broader testing.

It is essential to notice that the Android 13 Developer Preview 1 launch is particularly meant for builders and isn’t meant for finish customers. You are, due to this fact, suggested to proceed with its obtain solely on a secondary system.

Android 13 launch timeline

Alongside saying the newest developer preview, Google has detailed the discharge timeline for Android 13 to assist builders preserve their apps prepared by the point the brand new working system will likely be obtainable to customers. You can verify the timeline beneath.

• Android 13 Developer Preview 1: February
• Android 13 Developer Preview 2: March
• Android 13 Beta 1: April
• Android 13 Beta 2: May
• Android 13 Beta 3: June
• Android 13 Beta 4: July

It is value stating right here that Google has determined to have simply two developer preview releases of Android 13. This is fewer than the same old plan of bringing three developer preview releases. To give additional reference, there have been three developer previews of Android 12 final yr. Reducing the developer launch rely would assist Google speed up the rollout of the brand new Android replace for finish customers.

Android 13 launch timeline means that the replace may arrive early
Photo Credit: Google

After the final beta launch in July, Google could have a launch candidate to check all the essential parameters earlier than bringing Android 13 to customers. We can, although, count on Android 13 to debut as an replace at the very least on Google Pixel telephones and will likely be obtainable to system producers someday as early as August. This is one month earlier than the same old September launch.

Android 13 options

Unlike Android 12 that introduced a lot of tweaks to the interface stage, Android 13 appears to enhance the expertise launched by the final launch. The new Android launch can also be aimed to boost person privateness and safety in addition to present developer productiveness to spice up app experiences.

With privateness in focus, Android 13 introduces a system picture picker that can permit customers to share particular pictures and movies with apps whereas maintaining their different media recordsdata protected. Google calls the brand new picture picker as a typical and optimised method for customers to securely share each native and cloud-based pictures.

Android 13 comes with a system picture picker
Photo Credit: Google

Android already has a doc picker that permits customers to share particular paperwork with an app, with out letting the app to view all media recordsdata on the system. This has been prolonged to pictures and movies by way of the picture picker.

Apps will be capable of use the picture picker APIs to entry the shared pictures and movies, with out requiring any permissions to view all media recordsdata. The expertise will even be broadened over time to extra Android customers by way of Google Play system updates for gadgets operating Android 11 and better (besides the Android Go variations).

Interestingly, Apple already has a similar experience on iOS 14 and later variations the place customers can allow apps to have entry to solely choose pictures and movies.

Android 13 additionally brings a runtime permission known as NEARBY_WIFI_DEVICES for apps that handle the system’s connections to close by entry factors over Wi-Fi. This will allow apps to find and connect with close by gadgets over Wi-Fi, with out letting them have entry to person location.

Google has additionally launched themed app icons which can be part of Android 13. It primarily extends the present Material You dynamic color performance that is part of Android 12 to let customers customise app icons on the premise of their wallpaper and different theme preferences.

Android 13 contains themed app icons help
Photo Credit: Google

Developers are required to produce a monochromatic app icon together with their apps to let the system change the icon colors and design on the premise of the system theme. This works much like how Google apps presently tweak their icons on the premise of the theme you choose on an Android 12 system.

Google stated that themed app icons are initially supported on Pixel gadgets, although it’s working with system producers to increase the expertise.

The different main user-focussed change that Android 13 brings is per-app language preferences. This will natively permit customers to decide on a language that’s completely different from the system language. A brand new platform API has been developed that apps can name to set or get the person’s most popular language. The same API will even be added within the upcoming Jetpack library to increase the brand new expertise.

Android 13 additionally carries Quick Settings Placement API to let app builders immediate customers to straight add customized time to the set of energetic Quick Settings tiles. A brand new system dialogue will seem on the display screen from the place you possibly can add the tile, with out leaving the app. This will even scale back the steps that you’d usually take when going to the Quick Settings so as to add that individual tile.

Google has introduced that it has optimised hyphenation efficiency in Android 13 by as a lot as 200 % to ship higher rendering of textual content. Hyphenation helps make wrapped textual content simpler to learn and allows the interface to develop into extra adaptive to customers.

Graphic rendering on Android 13 can also be aimed to be enhanced over earlier variations because it carries help for programmable RuntimeShader objects, with behaviour outlined utilizing the Android Graphics Shading Language (AGSL). Using the brand new addition, builders will be capable of implement ripple results, blur, and stretch overscroll on their apps.

Android 13 additionally brings Core Libraries aligning with the OpenJDK 11 LTS launch to enhance system-level experiences. The Core Library adjustments will even be obtainable to gadgets operating Android 12 and better by way of Google Play system updates over time.

Google is moreover increasing Project Mainline that’s aimed to assist deliver speedier software program updates straight by way of Google Play. It will permit the corporate to push new options like picture picker and OpenJDK 11 on to customers on older variations of Android by way of updates to current modules — as an alternative of updating the whole working system.

Android 13 additionally takes Android 12L developments into consideration and continues to optimise the app experiences for giant display screen gadgets, together with tablets, foldables, and Chromebooks.

Developers additionally get simpler testing and debugging help by way of Android 13 the place they will have toggles to force-enable or disable sure adjustments inside the Developer choices.

Some of those preliminary Android 13 options can be found to builders by way of the primary preview, whereas others are anticipated to return within the subsequent few months.

In addition to the brand new expertise, Google has this time revealed the title of its subsequent Android model. It is one thing uncommon, particularly once we have a look at the historic data for the reason that launch of Android 10 in 2019 when Google did away with any public-facing names.

As reported by 9to5Google, Android 13 is known as Tiramisu, and the title is seen below the Android model settings. It was prompt to be the title for the subsequent Android model prior to now however wasn’t formally confirmed.

Android 13 title has been talked about within the settings of the developer preview
Photo Credit: 9to5Google

Last yr, Google’s Vice President of Engineering for Android, Dave Burke, revealed that Android 12 was codenamed “Snow Cone”. The title was not obtainable within the settings menu, although.