Android 15 Hits Platform Stability With The Third Beta, So Things Are Going Well
In the timeline for Android 15, things start with the Developer Previews, which as the name suggests, gives app developers an opportunity to preview the operating system far ahead of its launch. After that comes the Beta Releases, and with yesterday’s announcement, we are now on the third beta. We will keep getting betas until it is time for the final release of Android 15, but at some point in the late beta cycle, we hit a point that Google terms Platform Stability. With the latest beta, we’ve just gotten there.
Now, Platform Stability refers to the point in the Android 15 development cycle where all the developer-focused aspects of the upcoming operating system — such as developer APIs, app-facing behaviors, and more — are finalized and ready to go. What this means is that app developers can now start creating applications that will be compatible with Android 15 and they can even begin to host them in the Google Play Store.
Only One Major Developer-Focused Addition: Single Step Passkey Support
Once you upgrade to Android 15, apps that specifically target Android 15 and that use passkeys will now allow you to sign in one step by using a biometric sign-in option. That’s going to make sign-ins a lot faster than before. Developers will need to choose to integrate this functionality into their apps, however.
There Are Several Minor Changes In Android 15 Beta 3
Android 15 Beta 3 comes with several minor changes and additions. You might not notice most of these changes to be honest, unless you dig around in settings, but it is a little easy to see why some of them were made. Let’s swiftly go over a few of the more major ones, with help from our friends at 9to5Google.
Adaptive Timeout Feature
Instead of needing to set your screen timeout based on time, the new Adaptive Timeout feature will be able to detect when you’re using your device (not sure exactly how) and turn off your screen if you’re not.
Android Safe Browsing
This feature will let you know if webpages or links are harmful and will alert you accordingly. This will work when browsing within any supported apps, and not just in Google Chrome.
New Screenshot Preview Design
The stock Android screenshot preview that appears in the bottom left corner of your screen has changed a little. Now, the actions accompanying the preview will appear beneath the screenshot thumbnail instead of beside it. The old look is the leftmost one above.
Option To Show Long App Names
Currently, apps with super long names will be cut off and ended with an ellipsis, but now, you can enable a feature to let the name show in full, which will bring the overflowing text down to the next line. The middle image shows what it looks like when disabled and the right one shows what it looks like when enabled.
New Wallpaper Editor For Pixel Fold
If you have a Google Pixel Fold and attempt to change your wallpaper, you’ll now be able to see a preview of what your home screen will look like on both the outer and inner display at the same time.