Android OS 13 Beta: August 2022 saw the launch of Android 13, which over time was made available on all the greatest phones, including the flagship Google Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro, which came preloaded. Since its replacement, Android 14, was released in October 2023 and brings deliberate improvements to a reliable pre-existing system, the release is essentially out of date. It’s gradually arriving on all new Android phones. Even though Android 13 was still receiving upgrades, you might still want to learn everything there is to know about it, including all of the quarterly feature drops.
We also have a condensed guide to the finest new features on Android 13, which may be simpler to read, even if this resource provides you with an overview of all you need to know about the operating system. Also, see our review of Android 13 for a critical look at the operating system.
Android OS 13 Beta A Quick Overview
To assist developers in getting their apps ready for the stable release, Google published the first developer preview of Android 13 in February 2022, giving us our first look at the operating system. Anyone daring enough to install beta software on their Pixel phone might get the first Android 13 beta in May 2022. Following that, the business concentrated on enhancing the final details until the program was released in August 2022.
The most recent version of Android was released first for Pixel phones, as it is every year. But the business bid adieu to a few of its more antiquated phones. Android version updates are no longer available for devices older than the Pixel 4 and 4a; the former will only receive updates until October 2022, while the latter will only receive updates through August 2023.
Since the initial developer preview was released in February, it was anticipated that Android 13 would arrive ahead of previous recent Android versions, and in fact, that is exactly how things turned out. Arriving on August 15, 2022, it was issued on one of the earliest dates we’ve seen. On the other hand, Android 14 was delayed and will now ship in October 2023 instead of August.
New wallpaper tools
Google hinted at the addition of cinematic wallpapers with a 3D look and emoji wallpapers that let you personalize your backdrop with emoji and patterns of your choice during its developer conference, Google I/O. With the June Feature Drop, both of these choices will be accessible.
By long-pressing an empty area on your home screen, you can access the Wallpaper & Style shortcut, which allows you to configure emoji wallpapers. You are free to select any combination of emojis that you can think of. Also, a variety of designs in different sizes are at your disposal, letting you personalize your emoji experience. Additionally, there are other backdrop color options. Emoji wallpapers that you’ve set as your backdrop will animate whenever you unlock or press your home screen. Your phone’s chosen emoji momentarily turns over to reveal lightning bolts upon connecting in.
Android 14 Beta 3 included cinematic backgrounds, however, emoji wallpapers have been around for a long. Long before they were revealed at I/O, the two wallpaper choices were discovered in the code.
Camera improvements for Pixel phones
A few new camera features have been included with the June Feature Drop. A gesture-controlled timer is now supported on Google Pixel 6 and later models. You may raise your hand to start the countdown when you take a self-portrait and set a timer for three or ten seconds. Because you may position yourself as needed and don’t have to worry about the timer starting while you’re not ready, this makes taking hands-free selfies effortlessly.
Macro video recording is also planned for the Google Pixel 7 Pro. The video camera uses the ultrawide camera’s ultra-close focus to produce crisp, up-close films, much like it does with macro photographs. Despite the Pixel 6 Pro’s ability to take macro photos, it appears that Google chose not to enable this capability for it.
Pixel Feature Drop updates
The most current operating system updates are included in the feature drops for Android 13, which are full of both major and minor adjustments. For this reason, we began this tutorial with a detailed breakdown of all the new and updated features, beginning with Android’s Pixel Feature Drop.
New Google Recorder capabilities
Since Google Recorder is more frequently used for memoranda than for recording in-depth interviews, you may wish to distribute your voice recordings in an attractive package. This is made possible via Google’s June Feature Drop. An option to export your notes as a movie with speaker labels included has been added to the latest version of Recorder.
Additionally, you may export the transcript to Google Docs and search for speaker labels in it. Although Google Recorder is not an Android upgrade in and of itself, we didn’t want to leave it out because Google announced it together with the Feature Drop.
Safer PIN entry screen
It’s important to keep your device PIN as safe as possible because it might be used to access your Google account. Google is rolling out a feature that should make it harder for someone looking to steal phones over the shoulder to get a peek at your lock screen. You may choose to conceal the digits you input and the button-pressing animations by selecting the Enhanced PIN privacy option, which is a new feature under Security & privacy > Device Unlock. This makes it more difficult to quickly see what you’re putting in your PIN pad, but you should still use caution while you’re out in public.
Conclusion
Android 13 was launched in August 2022 and is gradually being introduced on all new Android phones. The first developer preview of Android 13 was released in February 2022, with the first beta available in May 2022. The most recent version of Android was released first for Pixel phones, but updates are no longer available for devices older than the Pixel 4 and 4a.
In the June Feature Drop, Google hinted at adding cinematic wallpapers with a 3D look and emoji wallpapers that allow users to personalize their backdrop with emoji and patterns. Emoji wallpapers can be configured by long-pressing an empty area on the home screen, and they will animate when the phone is unlocked or pressed. Cinematic backgrounds were included in Android 14 Beta 3.
FAQ
Is Android 13 in beta?
Anyone daring enough to install beta software on their Pixel phone might get the first Android 13 beta in May 2022. Following that, the business concentrated on enhancing the final details until the program was released in August 2022.
Is Android OS 13 out?
August 15, 2022, saw its release to the general public and the Android Open Source Project (AOSP). The Pixel 7 and 7 Pro were the first gadgets to come with Android 13. The most popular version of Android was Android 13, which was running on 33.05% of Android devices as of August 2023.