Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Mobile
  3. News

A new Android 14 update is here — but you still shouldn’t download it

Andy Boxall
By

Google has released the second developer preview of Android 14, as the next major version of the operating system takes another step toward a full release. Like the first Android 14 developer preview, the clue as to who it’s for is in the name.

This early version is designed for developers to test new features and designs in their apps, and to explore how new tools in the software could help improve them. It’s not designed for everyday use by consumers — that version will come later.

The Android 14 logo.
Google

The second preview comes a month after the first, and includes enhancements based on feedback from the initial version, along with further changes to some of the early new features being introduced with Android 14. Don’t expect deep insights into how Android 14 will look and operate here, as the tools are very much aimed at app development, rather than showing direct consumer-facing design and feature elements.

Related

What we can see is further emphasis on privacy and security, plus more changes to make Android 14 work even more seamlessly on large screens. For example, Google has introduced guidance on app quality for devices with large screens, more tools to help predict motion and stylus movements, and a gallery with design inspiration for different types of apps running on tablets and folding smartphones. There are all changes that make sense with a Pixel Tablet and Pixel Fold looming around the corner.

Recommended Videos

For security and privacy, the introduction of Credential Manager is a big move, as it promises to simplify sign-in procedures — either through the use of passwords or (more interestingly) passkeys. Google discussed Passkeys in Android last year, and this helpful feature promises to be part of Android 14’s enhanced security suite. Other changes being experimented with in the second Developer Preview include fewer non-dismissible notifications, optimized background memory management, and a more user-customizable personalization menu.

The second developer preview of Android 14 must be manually installed and is currently only compatible with Google Pixel phones starting with the Pixel 4a, and leading up to the most recent Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro models. Even if you have one of these phones, we don’t recommend trying to install the new preview of Android 14 unless you’re a developer. In the near future, as it has done in the past, Google will release a beta version of the software that’s suitable for non-developers to try. It’s best to wait until then before trying to see what Android 14 offers today.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Andy Boxall
Andy Boxall
Senior Mobile Writer
Andy is a Senior Writer at Digital Trends, where he concentrates on mobile technology, a subject he has written about for…
Don’t buy the Pixel Tablet; get this cheaper Android tablet instead
OnePlus Pad with official Stylo pencil stylus on a wooden table.

The market for Android tablets appears to be sinking, but the likes of the Pixel Tablet may have some role in salvaging it. The Pixel Tablet, launched last week -- exactly a year after it was first unveiled -- marks Google's reentry into the tablet segment after almost a decade.

While this development may help bring more manufacturers onto the scene, Google itself feels shy about making big claims about performance and productivity. Instead, the Pixel Tablet is projected as a mere hybrid upgrade to the Nest Hub and Nest Hub Max.

Read more
When is my phone getting Android 14? Here’s everything we know
The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra next to the Google Pixel 7 Pro.

Google has released the second public beta for Android 14, its upcoming smartphone software for Google Pixel devices. We've officially left the developer preview stage and are a major step closer to Android 14's final release later this year.

With Android 14, there are some priority changes in app behaviors and compatibility instead of just new features and other enhancements. There are also going to be improvements made to settings for privacy, security, and even system health. In short, Android 14 may not be packed with a ton of brand new features, but it will refine and streamline what is already there.

Read more
Have the Android 14 beta on your Pixel? You need to download this update now
Google Pixel 7a held in hand showing home screen

Google revealed a bunch of new goodies during its opening keynote for Google I/O 2023, showing off its latest advancements in AI with Bard, as well as the brand new Pixel Fold and Pixel Tablet. There was also a sneak peek at upcoming features in Android 14, including new lock screen clocks, shortcuts, and generative AI wallpapers.

If you have a Pixel phone, like the new Pixel 7a or the older Pixel 7 or Pixel 7 Pro, then -- surprise -- Google is rolling out the Android 14 Beta 2 starting right now.

Read more