Summary
The first developer previews of Android 15, which will be launched later this year, have already been made available to the public. These previews provide a sneak peek at some of the new features and improvements that will be included in the program. In the meanwhile, we regular people will have to wait until either the release of the Android 15 beta or Google I/O in May, whichever comes first.
There is little doubt that we will see the typical selection of improvements to aspects such as performance and efficiency, which, despite their lack of excitement, are of considerable significance. We are also hearing about some rather significant adjustments that are going to take place in the near future. Even though they may not be as significant as the alleged intentions that Apple has for iOS 18, nevertheless, the improvements are nonetheless rather interesting. We are discussing new methods of communication, improved support for foldable phones, and a number of changes specifically aimed at improving privacy and security.
There is still a great deal that we do not know, and there is no question that Google will fill in the gaps at a later time; nonetheless, for the moment, these are the nine Android 15 changes that we are most enthusiastic about.
Communication with satellites
As support for the satellite communication system has already been included in the second Android developer preview, Android is on the verge of catching up to Apple and offering its own satellite communication system. Nevertheless, Google may go one step farther than Apple’s solution, which is restricted to communication in emergency situations, by providing two-way satellite messaging with everyone, not only emergency services.
At least in the beginning, it is possible that this specific function will only be available on Pixel phones. However, this implies that you have a far lower chance of finding yourself in a location where you are completely isolated from the rest of the world when you do not choose to be there. From the sounds of things, it will just be text messages, which is mainly to prevent people from waste bandwidth by sending memes. Additionally, we should definitely anticipate paying a premium for messages that are not considered to be an emergency.
A higher level of privacy and safety
There is not a single modification that will be made to the privacy and security of Android 15; rather, we have heard of a number of minor changes that, when combined, should make the Android experience that much more secure.
The first one is a whole new privacy sandbox that gives developers the opportunity to concentrate on improving user privacy while still maintaining the ability to provide tailored advertisements. Due to the fact that Google and developers are really fond of their money. It will also be possible for Android 15 applications to recognize when they are being filmed and immediately alert you to the fact that this is happening. Additionally, it is anticipated that the Android 15 version will provide enhanced security for two-factor authentication codes. This will ensure that unreliable applications will not be able to get access to the 2FA credentials that you have been issued. It would seem that you will also have the ability to block two-factor authentication codes from displaying on the lock screen, where they might be seen by unauthorized individuals.
Support for folding cover screens that are improved
It is necessary for the software to be able to adjust to a wide range of various screen sizes and shapes in order to guarantee that everything functions in the most efficient manner possible. Android devices come in a wide variety of forms and sizes. Android 15, which will feature enhanced support for cover displays in foldable flip phones (or flippables, if you prefer), will be released in response to the growing popularity of foldable phones, including those the company Google has manufactured.
There are times when the cover screens do not appear correctly. This is due to the fact that they are smaller than a conventional screen, but they are still big enough to run full Android applications. As a result, Google is providing improved support for applications that are shown on cover displays, and it is also providing developers with the opportunity to opt into this support if they so choose. By extension, this should also guarantee that applications that do not perform as well on screens of such a reduced size are limited to the primary display.
Sharing of the screen in part?
If you operate a desktop computer and use one of the finest video call applications, you are aware that you have the option to share either the whole of your screen or just a single window. An app that allows users to share a single app without broadcasting everything to the people on the other end of the conversation will be available on devices running Android 15, which will introduce a function that is comparable to this one.
Another aspect of the partial screen sharing function is the ability to record a specific application rather than the whole screen. This is something that certain Android phones already have the capability to accomplish. You are able to accomplish this using the built-in screen recorder on Pixel phones, for example; but, this should extend that capabilities to other Android phones when they improve this feature.
Better assistance for missing devices
The debut date of Google’s updated Find My Device network is yet unknown; however, it is possible that Android 15 will make it simpler to locate misplaced Pixel 8 phones, even when the phone is turned off. This is the case even if the phone is turned off. Despite the fact that it will not be accessible on the Pixel 7 or any other older smartphones, Apple has been doing this for quite some time, and now Android is beginning to catch up.
A pre-computed Bluetooth beacon may now be stored in the memory of the Bluetooth controller thanks to the newly developed Powered Off Finding Application Programming Interface (API). The fact that these beacons continue to function even after the phone has been switched off gives you the ability to locate it without any difficulty. Nevertheless, these beacons will still need power; hence, if the battery is entirely depleted, it is possible that it will not function.
Widgets for the lock screen
On Android, lock screen widgets were formerly accessible; however, they were removed from the platform about a decade ago with the release of Android 5 (Lollipop). The good news is that it seems like Android 15 may bring them back from the dead, or at least that is what some errant code discovered in the Android 14 QPR 2 beta says. This should not come as a surprise given that Apple introduced lock-screen widgets in iOS 16 and integrated interactive features into them in iOS 17.
Mishaal Rahman, an Android sleuth, was only able to get a few Google app widgets to run on the lock screen. He speculates that this feature may only be available on devices that are capable of running Android’s hub mode, such as the Pixel tablet. However, the beta version of the widgets was not what we would consider to be full, which means that a great deal of things may be altered. This would certainly be a nice first step toward a genuine resurrection, even though we hope that Google has broader ambitions to roll out lock screen widgets again in the next years.
Slowdowns in the notification
In the event that you are sick and tired of applications continually pinging you with alerts, the “notification cooldown” function that is said to be included in Android 15 might make your life a great deal simpler. It is possible to assign a cooldown to all alerts or to certain conversations, and the ringer volume will gradually decrease with each subsequent notice that you get. This is the concept of the cooldown method.
This makes it much simpler to ignore them, but it also eliminates the need to completely stop using the Do Not Disturb feature. This means that you will continue to get all of the other alerts that have not been put to a cooldown, and the ones that are causing you the most trouble will not be entirely quiet. This will allow you to return to them when you are ready and able to continue using them.
By making edge-to-edge displays necessary, Android 15 may also be ensuring that applications make the most of the available screen area. This is because edge-to-edge displays are now the norm. At this time, developers have the ability to leave a gap where the Android status bar should be. On the other hand, edge-to-edge displays expand what is on the screen beneath the bar all the way to the very edge of the screen.
At the moment, edge-to-edge mode is not required; nevertheless, this does imply that there are circumstances in which applications do not make the most of the available screen area. Additionally, it ensures that you will not be left with any gaps or unsightly black bars that will disrupt the appearance of your screen, regardless of the direction in which you have your phone positioned.
Continue to use applications on Fold
Last but not least, owners of the Pixel Fold will be pleased to learn that Android 15 is anticipated to allow users to continue using applications even after the primary screen has been closed. In other words, if you are in the midst of a work and need to move from the interior display to the cover display, you should be able to continue with the task as usual.
There are options that can be discovered in the Android 15 developer preview 2 that indicate that you will have the ability to configure this to always happen, or you will have the choice to “swipe up to continue.” To put it another way, you will be need to expressly enable the screen transition by swiping up from the home bar icon. In the event that it seems familiar, this is because to the fact that it is really very comparable to something that the OnePlus Open already accomplishes, and we anticipate that additional foldable phones will follow suit in the future.
The prognosis for Android 15
It seems like Android 15 will be a relatively standard update for Google’s mobile environment; however, this may be subject to change in the future. Android 15 seems to be more focused on a large number of improvements that are made behind the scenes to improve the user experience in a variety of smaller and less noticeable ways. This is in contrast to iOS 18, which is rumored to feature a strong push to integrate artificial intelligence and maybe even a redesign of the UI.
Having said that, this is not necessarily a negative thing since there is still a great deal going on. Not only is it expected that Android 15 will bring about a substantial number of beneficial, if minor, modifications to the software, but it also seems that Google is making every effort to catch up to some of the recent advancements made by Apple. To tell you the truth, after all this time, I can’t wait to have the widgets that are on the lock screen back.
