Google officially releases Android 14 beta with enhanced privacy and user personalization features

Google has released the beta version of its Android 14 operating system, offering users a glimpse into the new features and enhancements that will be available when the full version is launched.

The beta release includes upgrades to system navigation, privacy, performance, and user personalisation.

One of the standout improvements is the gesture navigation upgrade, which includes a new back arrow that adapts to the device's theme or wallpaper, providing a more visually appealing and predictive back gesture experience.

The revamped share sheet is another exciting feature, allowing developers to add custom app-specific actions to the top of the share menu, which can be ranked according to app signals to determine direct share targets' position.

This means that app developers no longer have to create their own share sheets or incorporate custom share targets to feature specific apps higher in the sharing menu. Android 14 also features morphing effects, refined language settings, and a new system share sheet that automatically configures apps to support language preferences on a per-app basis.

Privacy has been improved by allowing apps to limit the visibility of sensitive information to accessibility services, which can help protect vulnerable users from unintentional actions such as transferring money or completing a purchase in a shopping app.

To try the beta version of Android 14 ahead of its full launch, visit the Android 14 developer site for more information and instructions on downloading the beta.