At this year’s Google I/O, Google is announcing a bevy of new features for Google Play, including many that leverage generative AI to make it easier to market your app. Here’s a summary of what they announced 🧵:
(Click the hyperlink for my tweet thread summary!)
(Click the hyperlink for my tweet thread summary!)
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Google highlighted some major improvements to Jetpack Compose at Google I/O 2023. Here’s a summary of some of the highlights:
(Click the hyperlink for my tweet thread summary!)
(Click the hyperlink for my tweet thread summary!)
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Google has announced that in Android 14, Health Connect "will be a core part of Android and available on all Android mobile devices." As I previously reported, this is because Health Connect is being shipped as part of a new, mandatory Project Mainline module.
Health Connect in Android 14 will introduce a new exercise routes feature to let users share maps of their workouts and improvements to menstrual cycle logging. And because it's a new Mainline module, it can be updated through Google Play System Updates.
Health Connect in Android 14 will introduce a new exercise routes feature to let users share maps of their workouts and improvements to menstrual cycle logging. And because it's a new Mainline module, it can be updated through Google Play System Updates.
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Google's blog post on Android 14 Beta 2 is now up!
The Android 14 beta is available from partners including iQOO, Lenovo, Nothing, OnePlus, OPPO, Realme, Tecno, vivo, and Xiaomi.
Android 14 adds the Ultra HDR format that's backward compatible with JPEG.
Camera Extensions have been improved, lossless audio experiences over USB wired headsets is now supported, custom meshes are now supported, the aforementioned Health Connect Mainline module, data sharing updates feature, and full screen intents permission are also mentioned.
Predictive back remains gated by the developer option.
The Android 14 beta is available from partners including iQOO, Lenovo, Nothing, OnePlus, OPPO, Realme, Tecno, vivo, and Xiaomi.
Android 14 adds the Ultra HDR format that's backward compatible with JPEG.
Camera Extensions have been improved, lossless audio experiences over USB wired headsets is now supported, custom meshes are now supported, the aforementioned Health Connect Mainline module, data sharing updates feature, and full screen intents permission are also mentioned.
Predictive back remains gated by the developer option.
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In this thread, I’ll cover EVERYTHING that’s new in Android 14 Beta 2 👇
(Click the hyperlink for my tweet thread!)
(Click the hyperlink for my tweet thread!)
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Google has formally announced App Streaming on Chrome OS, which lets you stream apps from select Android 13 devices to your Chromebook. It's part of the broader Phone Hub feature.
This feature quietly rolled out for users in early April. You can see my hands-on of it here.
Here's Google's announcement and the support article.
The support article says app streaming currently only works on the Pixel 4a or later running Android 13, as well as the Xiaomi 12T, 12T Pro, 13, and 13 Pro running Android 13. It should also be available on other non-Pixel phones soon, as I previously reported.
This feature quietly rolled out for users in early April. You can see my hands-on of it here.
Here's Google's announcement and the support article.
The support article says app streaming currently only works on the Pixel 4a or later running Android 13, as well as the Xiaomi 12T, 12T Pro, 13, and 13 Pro running Android 13. It should also be available on other non-Pixel phones soon, as I previously reported.
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Mishaal's Android News Feed
Google's blog post on Android 14 Beta 2 is now up! The Android 14 beta is available from partners including iQOO, Lenovo, Nothing, OnePlus, OPPO, Realme, Tecno, vivo, and Xiaomi. Android 14 adds the Ultra HDR format that's backward compatible with JPEG.…
Here is the full list of OEM devices that currently have an Android 14 beta available for them:
* iQOO 11
* Lenovo Tab Extreme (WiFi)
* Nothing Phone 1
* OnePlus 11
* OPPO Find N2
* OPPO Find N2 Flip
* Realme GT2 Pro
* Tecno Camon 20 series
* Vivo X90 Pro
* Xiaomi 12T
* Xiaomi 13
* Xiaomi 13 Pro
* Xiaomi Pad 6
You can find links to the Android 14 beta programs run by each device's respective OEM here.
(Some of the links are broken/lead to unpublished posts, though!)
It's also worth noting that the beta builds OEMs are offering probably aren't up-to-date with what's in Google's Android 14 Beta 2 release for Pixels (I don't know when partners forked).
Also, these builds are generally unstable and lacking features (ie. most are basically AOSP, but some will have their respective OEM "skins" implemented on top already). You probably shouldn't flash these builds unless you're a developer who needs to test their app on a device they already own!
* iQOO 11
* Lenovo Tab Extreme (WiFi)
* Nothing Phone 1
* OnePlus 11
* OPPO Find N2
* OPPO Find N2 Flip
* Realme GT2 Pro
* Tecno Camon 20 series
* Vivo X90 Pro
* Xiaomi 12T
* Xiaomi 13
* Xiaomi 13 Pro
* Xiaomi Pad 6
You can find links to the Android 14 beta programs run by each device's respective OEM here.
(Some of the links are broken/lead to unpublished posts, though!)
It's also worth noting that the beta builds OEMs are offering probably aren't up-to-date with what's in Google's Android 14 Beta 2 release for Pixels (I don't know when partners forked).
Also, these builds are generally unstable and lacking features (ie. most are basically AOSP, but some will have their respective OEM "skins" implemented on top already). You probably shouldn't flash these builds unless you're a developer who needs to test their app on a device they already own!
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The Wear OS 4 Developer Preview is live! The first (64-bit only) emulator build is available right now if you have Android Studio Hedgehog installed. The build ID is TWD3.230425.001.E2 and it's based on Android 13.
According to Google, some of the new features in the Wear OS 4 Developer Preview are support for the new Watch Face Format, support for Tiles 1.2 which brings platform data bindings (tiles that use platform data sources like heart rate, step count, or time are updated 1/s), support for tile animations, and built-in support for splash screens (a platform feature carried over from Android 12).
Wear OS 4 will also bring some nice user-facing enhancements, like the ability to backup & restore apps, device-to-device transfer of app data, syncing permissions for apps you've already granted permissions to on your phone, and general performance and battery improvements.
If you're a developer, you can get started with the Wear OS 4 Developer Preview from this page.
—-
EDIT: Oh yeah, another feature I forgot to mention that's likely coming to Wear OS 4 (thanks to Adam Conway for reminding me): Material You support.
Watch faces that use the Wear Watchface API can expose their colors to the system, which can choose its color palette based on this.
According to Google, some of the new features in the Wear OS 4 Developer Preview are support for the new Watch Face Format, support for Tiles 1.2 which brings platform data bindings (tiles that use platform data sources like heart rate, step count, or time are updated 1/s), support for tile animations, and built-in support for splash screens (a platform feature carried over from Android 12).
Wear OS 4 will also bring some nice user-facing enhancements, like the ability to backup & restore apps, device-to-device transfer of app data, syncing permissions for apps you've already granted permissions to on your phone, and general performance and battery improvements.
If you're a developer, you can get started with the Wear OS 4 Developer Preview from this page.
—-
EDIT: Oh yeah, another feature I forgot to mention that's likely coming to Wear OS 4 (thanks to Adam Conway for reminding me): Material You support.
Watch faces that use the Wear Watchface API can expose their colors to the system, which can choose its color palette based on this.
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Android 14 is adding a new safety feature to protect your hearing: Headphone loud sound alert.
Android will alert you if you've been listening to audio at a volume above the recommended level for long periods over your headphones. You can keep listening or lower the volume.
This was announced during the "what's new in Android Accessibility" session (H/T Cooooooob on Telegram).
I've actually been tracking this feature since before Google announced it and have a few more details to share.
Android keeps track of how often you’re “exposed” to excessively loud “sound doses.” The OS can show warnings about “momentary exposures”, but once you exceed 5x the “loud sound signals” you can “safely listen to in a week over headphones”, Android can auto lower the volume.
This feature is controlled by config_audio_csd_enabled_default, which is now enabled by default in Android 14 Beta 2. It seems this “headphone loud sound alert” feature is intended to comply with updated recommendations in the IEC 62368-1 3rd edition.
I couldn’t get my hands on a copy of this document to tell you exactly how this works. You have to pay ~$452 for it, and all I want to see is chapter 10.6.5 - protection of persons. Sorry, I ain’t paying that lol.
I did find a document summarizing the requirement, though. “In 2018, IEC 62368-1 was reviewed and the concept that weekly sound dose should be limited to the equivalent of 80dBA for 80 hours/week or 1.6 Pa²h as a standard safety level was also added to this standard.“
If I'm not mistaken, the volume safety recommendation in the previous edition of IEC 62368-1 is what formed the basis of Android's existing warning when you try to raise the volume of audio (when connected to a headphone) above a "safe level", as required IIRC in the EU.
Parts of this feature are already implemented in AOSP (eg. the HAL), though I'm not sure if the feature is actually functional in Beta 2 yet. Once Android 14’s source code is out, we can see exactly how it works. If you see this feature in Beta 2, let me know!
Android will alert you if you've been listening to audio at a volume above the recommended level for long periods over your headphones. You can keep listening or lower the volume.
This was announced during the "what's new in Android Accessibility" session (H/T Cooooooob on Telegram).
I've actually been tracking this feature since before Google announced it and have a few more details to share.
Android keeps track of how often you’re “exposed” to excessively loud “sound doses.” The OS can show warnings about “momentary exposures”, but once you exceed 5x the “loud sound signals” you can “safely listen to in a week over headphones”, Android can auto lower the volume.
This feature is controlled by config_audio_csd_enabled_default, which is now enabled by default in Android 14 Beta 2. It seems this “headphone loud sound alert” feature is intended to comply with updated recommendations in the IEC 62368-1 3rd edition.
I couldn’t get my hands on a copy of this document to tell you exactly how this works. You have to pay ~$452 for it, and all I want to see is chapter 10.6.5 - protection of persons. Sorry, I ain’t paying that lol.
I did find a document summarizing the requirement, though. “In 2018, IEC 62368-1 was reviewed and the concept that weekly sound dose should be limited to the equivalent of 80dBA for 80 hours/week or 1.6 Pa²h as a standard safety level was also added to this standard.“
If I'm not mistaken, the volume safety recommendation in the previous edition of IEC 62368-1 is what formed the basis of Android's existing warning when you try to raise the volume of audio (when connected to a headphone) above a "safe level", as required IIRC in the EU.
Parts of this feature are already implemented in AOSP (eg. the HAL), though I'm not sure if the feature is actually functional in Beta 2 yet. Once Android 14’s source code is out, we can see exactly how it works. If you see this feature in Beta 2, let me know!
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