Google releases Android 14, available for Pixel phones

Google has released Android 14, the latest version of the Android operating system (OS). The OS is now available on Pixel phones (4A 5G and up), with phones from manufacturers including Samsung, Nothing, OnePlus, and more supporting it later this year.

“Android 14 is here, and it’s packed with updates that help you customize your device experience, give you more control over your health and safety and improve accessibility,” Dave Burke, vice president of Engineering at Android said in a blog post.

The latest Android OS brings with it some new security features such as deeper passkey support, privacy protections to deal with data brokers and several UI, customisation, and health updates.

Android 14 customisations

The headlining feature of the latest Android OS is that it gives users new lock screen customisations.

“Android 14’s updated customisation picker makes it easier to switch between wallpapers and update what you want to see at a glance,” said Burke.

“You can now set custom lock screen shortcuts, such as QR reader or the Google Home app, so you have quick, one-tap access to your most used controls directly from your Android lock screen.”

Users can swap between different clock styles and formats, making the phone’s style a bit more personal. Burke said Google is adding an AI-powered wallpaper generator.

Coming first to Pixel 8/8 Pro, generative AI wallpapers use AI-generated text-to-image diffusion models to help users create wallpapers that match their vision. Users can choose from pre-set suggestions to create never-before-seen wallpapers in just a few taps.

Android is also helping to improve users’ photo and camera quality. Building on Android 13’s support for high dynamic range (HDR) video, Android 14 supports HDR images with Ultra HDR. Ultra HDR helps your photos look their best by bringing out vibrant colours, brighter highlights and darker shadows.

More control over your security and data

Android 14 is extending passkey support, allowing users to use their fingerprint to sign into third-party apps. The new OS enhances personal identification numbers (PIN) security by encouraging users to set a six-digit PIN. After typing in the correct six-digit or longer PIN, users won’t need to hit enter anymore as the device will automatically unlock.

Burke said mobile apps can use Android’s new Credential Manager to pull together all of a user’s sign-in methods, such as passwords and “Sign-in with Google,” as a way to simplify the login experience and present just the most secure option.

Other new features include an improved magnifier for low-vision users, hearing accessibility to connect and interact with a user’s hearing aids, better camera extension support, and Android’s new Health Connect feature — which stores health and fitness data on the device, similar to Apple Health.

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