Google released the first beta version of Android 15 last week, a couple of months after its first Developer Preview version. Android 15 Beta 1 is now available for all compatible Pixel smartphones and tablets. Android 15 features will be publicly showcased during Google I/O 2024, which will happen on May 14.
Hopefully, Samsung will release the One UI 7.0 Beta update a few months after the Google I/O event. So, what’s new with the Android 15 Beta 1 update?
Android 15 Beta 1 features
Unlike what some expect, Android 15 won’t bring a massive redesign compared to Android 14, as spotted by 9To5Google. It will likely only bring smaller changes to the UI. Google is introducing UI changes to natively bring a Samsung DeX-like desktop UI to Android. To that end, Google is making it easier to make apps appear full-screen. It also adds more security options for cellular and Wi-Fi networks, default app settings for note-taking and wallet apps, and more.
Edge-to-edge apps
By default, apps made for Android 15 appear edge-to-edge, making them appear more like desktop apps. The status bar at the top and the navigation bar at the bottom float over the apps with translucency effects. This makes apps more aesthetically pleasing, especially when displayed on an external monitor or screen.
Taking notes directly from the lockscreen
While Samsung phones and tablets with an S Pen have always been able to create notes directly from the lockscreen, the stock version of Android didn’t support this feature. Google is finally adding support for taking notes from the lockscreen.
The company has created an API that app developers and OEMs can use to make apps that can become the default note-taking app on a phone or tablet. Google Keep is one such app that has used this API, and the feature will probably released in the coming months. It will be available on all compatible Pixel devices.
This API will likely make Samsung’s lockscreen note-taking feature even more reliable.
Cellular network security
Every new version of Android comes with improved privacy and security. Android 15 brings a new feature called Cellular Network Security. It notifies you if the cellular network you’re connected to lacks data encryption or if it records the phone’s IMEI or IMSI.
More Wi-Fi security options
The Wi-Fi network menu now has a new toggle called ‘Send Device Name.’ Enabling the feature improves device security as the device name is not sent to the Wi-Fi access point or router.
Widgets for the Pixel Weather app
Google’s Pixel phones and tablets come with the Pixel Weather app pre-installed. With Android 15, the app has received two weather widgets (3×3 and 4×2). These widgets won’t likely come to Galaxy devices.
Default wallet app setting
While the stock version of Android had the option to set an app as the phone’s default payment app, it never had a feature to set any app as the default wallet app. That’s changing with Android 15, as it allows apps to become a device’s default wallet app. Google Wallet can become the default wallet app on Pixel and other devices running Android 15.
This feature may be added to Galaxy phones. Currently, Samsung Wallet is the default wallet app, but with One UI 7.0, Google Wallet or other wallet apps could be set as the default.
Easier updates to NFC features
Certain features on Android can be updated without needing to update the whole operating system. Once they are added to Project Mainline, these features can be updated via Google Play System updates. NFC has now been added to Project Mainline (via Mishaal Rahman).
Google can now update NFC-related features and security directly without the smartphone maker needing to update it.
Lockscreen widgets for tablets
Android once allowed users to add widgets to the lockscreen, but that feature was later removed. Google is now bringing the feature back to stock Android. However, it is currently available only on tablets. Mishaal Rahman spotted this feature and reported via Android Authority.
Some of the supporting widgets on the Pixel Tablet’s Hub Mode include the following:
- Battery
- Calendar
- Chrome
- Clock
- Contacts
- Digital Wellbeing
- Drive
- Fitbit
- Gmail
- Google Keep
- Google News
- Google TV
- Photos
- Pixel Weather
- Translate
- YouTube Music
Apps can be archived to manage storage space better
In Android 15, the app archiving is a system-level feature. This is a handy feature when a device runs out of storage space. This feature can be found inside the Settings app. This feature was introduced by the Google Play Store last year, but now that feature can be used by any third-party app.
Once an app is archived, its icon will be visible in the app drawer or home screen, but it will turn gray to denote that the app can’t function until it is unarchived.
Additional security feature to stop malicious apps from running in the background
While Google is light on details, Android 15 is said to have a feature that stops malicious apps from running in the background by bringing other apps to the foreground.
Disabling Bluetooth temporarily rather than turning it off completely
When you turn off the Bluetooth from the quick setting toggle, Android 15 will temporarily disable Bluetooth and ask if you want it enabled the next day. This feature is useful for the Find My Device network to be effective. Google launched the Find My Device network to help find lost devices and help users track their phones, wireless earbuds, tablets, and objects tagged with object location tracking devices.