The official launch of Android 13 is just a few weeks away! Today, we’re sending you Beta 4, the final update for your testing and development while we polish the upcoming version of Android. Make sure your apps are prepared right away!
There is a lot to discover in Android 13, including productivity improvements like themed app icons and per-app language support, privacy features like the new notification permission and picture picker, and cutting-edge standards like HDR video, Bluetooth LE Audio, and MIDI 2.0 via USB. Additionally, we’ve expanded the changes from 12L to provide you with greater capabilities for using tablets and other large-screen devices.
By signing up for over-the-air updates on this page, you may test Beta 4 on your Pixel smartphone right away. The update for today will be sent to you automatically if you already signed up. On a few of our partners’ partners’ devices, you can also receive Android 13 Beta. For further information, go to the Android 13 developer site.
Keep an eye out for updates on the official Android 13 release as they become available.
What’s new in Beta 4?
A release candidate build of Android 13 for Pixel smartphones and the Android emulator is included in today’s update. All app-facing surfaces, including SDK and NDK APIs, app-facing system behaviours, and limitations on non-SDK interfaces, are final as of Beta 3 since we attained Platform Stability at that point. Beta 4 provides you with all of the tools necessary to finish your testing, along with the most recent fixes and improvements.
Prepare your applications now!
We are requesting that all game and app developers do their final compatibility testing and upload their compatibility upgrades prior to the official release of Android 13 because it is only a matter of time. Your downstream app and game developers may be banned until they receive your changes, thus it’s critical for SDK, library, tool, and game engine developers to offer appropriate updates as soon as possible.
Install your app on a smartphone running Android 13 Beta 4 and run through the app flows, checking for any functional or UI issues, to test your app’s compatibility. Review the behaviour changes in Android 13 for all applications to concentrate on the areas where your app could be impacted.
Make sure your apps look their best on tablets and other large-screen devices as part of your testing as Android 13 builds on the tablet improvements introduced in 12L. By setting up an Android emulator in Android Studio, you may test large-screen features. Alternatively, you can utilise a large-screen device from one of our Android 13 Beta partners. Here are some things to look out for:
Taskbar interaction: See how your software behaves on huge displays when the new taskbar is shown. Make sure the taskbar is not blocking or cutting off your app’s user interface. Read more here.
Make sure the app supports split-screen properly because multi-window mode is now turned on by default for all apps, independent of app setup.
Improved compatibility experience: If your app isn’t yet tablet-optimized, such as by utilising a fixed orientation or not being resizable, see how it reacts to compatibility mode changes like letterboxing. Read more here.
Media projection: If your app makes use of video projection, see how it behaves when streaming, casting, or playing back media on big displays. On foldable devices, be careful to take this into consideration as well. Read more here.
Camera preview: When using multi-window or split-screen mode, see how your camera preview UI performs on huge displays when your programme is restricted to a certain area of the screen. Check how your app behaves when the posture of a foldable device changes as well. Read more here.
Start using Android 13
Everything you need to test your app and use Android 13 features is included in today’s Beta 4 release. Enroll your Pixel smartphone and the update will be delivered wirelessly. Installing the Android 13 SDK is the first step.
Additionally, you may test your app with Android 13 Beta on hardware made by a number of our partners. To view the complete list of partners and links to their websites for information on the devices and beta builds they support, beginning with Beta 1, go to android.com/beta. Each partner will manage their own registrations, customer service, and direct delivery of Beta updates to you. Try Beta 4 on Android GSI images for even more testing, and if you don’t have a device.
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