Google releases one major Android update each year, and Android 14 is on track for late 2023. The first Android 14 Developer Preview arrived in February, and now the second build is available.
Google has released the second Android 14 Developer Preview, aimed at developers who want to get their apps ready for the next major Android update. Google makes it clear this isn’t intended for regular people who want to try Android 14 on their primary phones — you can only get it through a manual download. When Android 14 reaches Beta status, you’ll be able to try it on supported Pixel phones through optional updates directly in the Settings app.
The initial Developer Preview included new APIs for app and game developers, new system text scaling options, and other minor enhancements — the major changes are expected to arrive with the first few beta releases. The second preview is an even smaller update, with Google only mentioning “improvements in the UI styling for the account selector” for Credential Manager, and optimizations to memory management for improved battery life. There are also improvements to selecting photos and videos, non-dismissible notifications, and location-based preferences.
Perhaps the most significant change in Android 14 so far is blocking old apps from being installed — apps built for versions before Android 6.0, specifically — and that change is still in Developer Preview 2. Google is now “looking for input on our APIs, along with details on how platform changes affect your apps.”
You can try out Android 14 Developer Preview 2 now on a Pixel 7 Pro, Pixel 7, Pixel 6a, Pixel 6 Pro, Pixel 6, Pixel 5a 5G, Pixel 5, or Pixel 4a (5G). Keep in mind, this is still experimental software, so you should probably just keep your Pixel on Android 13 unless you have a good reason. There will also be system images available in the Android Studio Emulator.
Source: Google
