Android 13 Developer Preview 1 is now available, allowing developers to get a first look at Android’s next release. Google is designing Android 13 with “privacy, security, and developer productivity” at the forefront. It’s called “Tiramisu,” after the Italian dessert of the same name.
The new Android version arrives just a few weeks after the release of Android 12L, which was designed primarily to provide better support for larger screens. Android 13 Developer Preview 1 is intended for app developers to allow them to begin preparing their apps for the next major Android update.
It is initially available for a limited number of Google Pixel devices. Developers, on the other hand, can test it out using the Android Emulator in Android Studio.
Android 13 Developer Preview 1 compatibility
Google announced in a blog post that Android 13 Developer Preview 1 is now available for the Pixel 4, Pixel 4 XL, Pixel 4a, Pixel 4a (5G), Pixel 5, Pixel 5a 5G, Pixel 6, and Pixel 6 Pro. Notably, the Pixel 3 series is incompatible with the Android 13 Developer Preview because it can no longer receive new Android versions or security updates.
The Pixel 3a series is in the same boat. The Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL are also incompatible with the Android 13 developer preview, as both models will reach the end of software support in May.
Downloadable system images for all eligible devices are now available. Alternatively, the first developer preview of Android 13 can be installed on a computer using Android Studio’s Android Emulator. Google has also made Generic System Images (GSIs) available for wider testing.
It is important to note that the Android 13 Developer Preview 1 release is intended solely for developers and not for end-users. As a result, it is recommended that you only download it on a secondary device.
Android 13 release timeline
Along with the announcement of the latest developer preview, Google has detailed the Android 13 release timeline to assist developers in keeping their apps ready by the time the new operating system is available to consumers. The timeline is provided below.
- Android 13 Developer Preview 1 is scheduled for February.
- Android 13 Developer Preview 2 is scheduled for March.
- Android 13 Beta 1 will be released in April.
- Android 13 Beta 2 is set to be released in May.
- June is the release date for Android 13 Beta 3.
- July is the release date for Android 13 Beta 4.
It’s important to note that Google has decided to limit Android 13 developer preview releases to just two. This is one less than the usual three developer preview releases. In addition, there were three developer previews of Android 12 last year.
Android 13 features
Unlike Android 12, which introduced a number of interface tweaks, Android 13 appears to improve on the experience introduced by the previous release. The new Android release also aims to improve user privacy and security while also increasing developer productivity to improve app experiences.
With privacy in mind, Android 13 includes a system photo picker that allows users to share specific photos and videos with apps while protecting their other media files. The new photo picker is described by Google as a standard and optimized way for users to securely share both local and cloud-based photos.
NEARBY WIFI DEVICES is new runtime permission in Android 13 for apps that manage the device’s Wi-Fi connections to nearby access points. This allows apps to discover and connect to nearby Wi-Fi devices without granting them access to the user’s location.
Google has also released themed app icons as part of Android 13. It essentially extends Android 12’s existing Material You dynamic color functionality to allow users to customize app icons based on their wallpaper and other theme preferences.
Google has revealed the name of its next Android version, in addition to the new experience. It’s unusual, especially when we consider the historical records since the release of Android 10 in 2019 when Google removed all public-facing names.
According to 9to5Google, Android 13 is codenamed Tiramisu, and the title can be found in the Android version settings. It has previously been suggested as the name for the next Android version, but this has not been officially confirmed.