Skip to main content

Android 15 Beta 4 has arrived. Here’s why it’s so important

Android 15 logo on a Google Pixel 8.
Joe Maring / Digital Trends

Google has just released the fourth beta update for Android 15. This one doesn’t add much in terms of new features, but it does push the software to another key milestone in terms of platform stability. Developers can lock in all the crucial changes before the final public release.

This would be the second one, actually, as Android 15 reached the first platform stability stage with the arrival of the Android 15 Beta 3 update in June. “Developer APIs and all app-facing behaviors are now final for you to review and integrate into your apps, and apps targeting Android 15 can be made available in Google Play,” explains Google.

Recommended Videos

One of the biggest shifts in the latest beta update is the move away from PNG-based emoji font files to those based on the vector format. A crucial benefit of vectors is that they are scalable without losing visual quality, making them an ideal choice for responsive design across various screen sizes and resolutions.

Partial screen recording in Android 15.
Partial screen recording in Android 15. Nadeem Sarwar / Digital Trends

The decision was made a couple of years ago with Android 13, but Google kept both in flux to give developers time to shift from PNG to SVG vector foundations. Now, Google is ready to make the jump, and as a result, some phones (read: Pixels) will exclusively rely on vector emojis.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

Nothing screams design revolution better than crisp vector emojis, eh?

The update also tweaks app activity behavior, keeping apps active unless they are launched or the user interacts with them. With this update, Google is also releasing Private Space to the masses.

One of the most eagerly anticipated features of Android 15, Private Space lets you create a hidden space for apps behind a layer of passcode or biometric security. This is a perfect space to keep banking, communication, gallery, and social media apps hidden in plain sight from prying eyes.

Notification cooldown in Android 15.
Notification is one of the nicest Android 15 tricks. Nadeem Sarwar / Digital Trends

There are a whole bunch of other features that are now ready for developers to integrate. Among them is a new exposure model for camera capture that lifts the quality of images captured in lowlight situations. Partial screen sharing is among my favorite additions.

The ability for an app to flag when it’s being recorded is also a solid addition. We have a detailed overview of Android 15 from its preview days and will soon bring an exhaustive review as the public release inches closer.

Nadeem Sarwar
Nadeem is a tech journalist who started reading about cool smartphone tech out of curiosity and soon started writing…
Google just announced Android 16. Here’s everything new
The Android 16 logo on a smartphone, resting on a shelf.

No, that headline isn't a typo. A little over a month after Android 15 was released to the masses in October, Google has already announced Android 16 and begun rolling out its first developer beta of the newest Android version.

If this seems like a much earlier release than usual, that's because it is. We typically expect the first developer beta of the next Android update to arrive in February. For Android 16, however, Google has pushed the timeline up by a few months and launched Android 16 Developer Preview 1 in mid-November.
Why Android 16 is launching so much earlier

Read more
Android 15 is officially coming to these seven Motorola phones
A person holding the Motorola Edge (2023) with its screen turned on.

Following the official release of Android 15 on October 15, there's been much anticipation about which companies will be the first to update their phones to the newest Android version — and which phones will be included. Most recently, Motorola confirmed that a few additional devices will receive the Android 15 treatment.

Although Motorola hasn't made any official announcements regarding its Android 15 plans, the company has been updating support pages for its devices and confirming Android 15 updates that way. As part of this latest round of updates, Motorola has now confirmed that Android 15 is coming to the following smartphones:

Read more
A must-try Android app has finally arrived on the iPhone
Person holding a phone with Google Gemini Live being shown.

A few days ago, Google Gemini appeared in the Apple App Store for a user in the Philippines, who was even able to download it. We took it as a sign that the new AI assistant would soon make its way to the App Store in the U.S. Well, we were right, as you can now download Gemini as a standalone app on your iPhone, after previously only being able to access it through a browser.

The Gemini app is free to download and has a surprising number of features available. More powerful functions are available for a $20-per-month subscription, but you can try Gemini Advanced out for one month for free. It grants priority access to new features and gives a "1 million token" context window.

Read more