Android 15 has been launched in the form of a developer preview
Android 15 is here – although for now only in a very early form that developers can test. Google has made downloads available for recent Pixel devices, including the Pixel 6, Pixel 7, and Pixel 8.
In a blog post by Google’s Dave Burke, we get mentions of productivity increases, “superior media experiences”, improvements in battery life, app performance upgrades, and protections for user privacy and security.
Many of the early features are under-the-hood tweaks, as you’d expect from a developer preview. For example, app makers will have more control over how the camera processes photos in low light and how bright the camera flash becomes. Also new is the ability to capture only part of the screen in screen recordings.
Developers also get access to more efficient power modes (to reduce battery drain) and additional file integrity protections that can check for file tampering before an app can access them.
Public betas
We don’t have any major new features to report yet, but small tweaks are already being noticed – such as more flexibility when operating the keyboard vibration strengthand a ‘cooldown’ function for notifications busy group chats.
Code spotted in the Android 14 betas also gives some clues as to what’s coming our way with Android 15: a good battery health percentage indicator, the return of lock screen widgets, and support for the improved Bluetooth Auracast standard.
None of these features are visible yet, and in the coming months you can expect functionality to come and go as Google tweaks the code for Android phones and tablets. As with previous previews and betas, the idea is to test the software – and at this stage it’s not something you should think about installing yourself.
The codename for this version is reportedly Vanilla Ice Cream, and the logo badge matches the same space theme we saw with Android 14. Google’s published timeline suggests public betas will be available in April, with a full launch later this year.