Thomas Dietrich
Last month Google released the first developer preview of Android 14, today the company is back with the second developer preview. The new version includes additional improvements related to privacy, security and performance. There are also other adjustments for tablets and foldables. The Developer Preview 2 is the last preview before the first beta version in April. Then there are three more betas until the stable release.
A new feature of the Android 14 Developer Preview 2 is that apps can only access selected photos and videos, all or nothing at all. Apps can also log in with passkeys via the Credential Manager. There are also improvements to the account selector UI design as well as changes to the API. Apps running explicitly on Android 14 need to get permissions to start background activities.
The DP2 also includes optimizations for Android’s memory management system, which improves the resource usage of background apps. Also, Android 14 will see fewer persistent notifications and improved APIs for app stores.
Android 14’s regional settings allow you to personalize the temperature units, first day of the week, and numbering system based on your region. As a European, for example, you no longer have to convert Fahrenheit to degrees Celsius in the USA.
As the name suggests, the second developer preview is still only recommended for app developers to test apps. As soon as the first beta comes out next month, there will also be simplified access for beta users. The Android 14 Developer Preview 2 can be installed on Google Pixel-Handys starting with the Pixel 4a 5G.
