Google has just released Android 14 Developer Preview 2, even though the monthly security update has been delayed, the next preview for Android 14 is right on time.
This is still a developer preview, so there’s not a lot of new features coming in this release, and we’re also not recommending people run this on their daily driver. There’s a reason why this is not available as an OTA update. That will come with the next release, which is set to be a beta. A full month ahead of Google I/O.
What’s new in Developer Preview 2?
Not much. Google is highlighting that they are giving users more control over their data in this update. Stating that privacy and security are a core part of Android and that they are committed to an intuitive and secure experience for users and developers. This does also include changes that allow users to let an app have access to specific photos instead of their entire library.
Google is also offering safer and easier ways to sign-in. That’s coming from a new API that will offer a more secure passwordless sign-in option using passkeys.
And the other key interest for Google with this preview is Android device system health. In Android 14, Google is making changes to streamline the app performance, which includes preventing them from running while they are frozen, to help improve battery life and consumption.
This should be the last developer preview for Android 14. With the public beta opening up next month. Which is still a bit odd, since Google I/O is in May, and that would give Google a way to show off the new features coming in Android 14 – similar to what Apple does at WWDC. But this has been the schedule they’ve taken for the past couple of years. So it’s possible that Beta 2 could be a bigger update than Beta 1.