Updates normally pop up routinely, however you may all the time examine whether or not you’ve got the most recent model in Settings > System > System replace by tapping Verify for replace. Wish to get off the beta and return to Android 14? Go to Google’s Android Beta page, scroll down to search out your system, and hit Choose out. This can wipe all domestically saved knowledge, so again up your system first. You may get an replace immediate to return to the older model.
Of us with no Pixel or supported companion system ought to watch their telephone producer’s web site, boards, or social media to be taught when to count on Android 15.
High New Android 15 Options
These are our favourite options and enhancements in Android 15. You may be taught extra at Google’s developer site. And be sure you learn our story on all the brand new options coming to Android and the Android ecosystem—together with Put on OS, Android Auto, and Android TV—in this story here.
Personal Area
Courtesy of Google
Android 15 features a new Personal Area the place you may preserve delicate apps separate from the remainder of your telephone. Whether or not you need to safeguard well being knowledge or your banking apps, Personal Area retains them safely behind a second layer of authentication, protected with the identical password you employ to unlock your system or an alternate PIN. When your Personal Area is locked, apps are hidden from the Recents view, notifications, settings, and different apps. You may wipe your personal area fully too.
What’s That Tune?
We now have a information on how to identify songs with your phone, however Google is making it simpler than ever with Circle to Search in Android 15. If a tune taking part in in your telephone or a speaker close by catches your consideration, long-press the Dwelling button or navigation bar to activate Circle to Search, then faucet the music button to determine the observe title and artist. You even get a hyperlink to the YouTube video.
Improved Audio Picture Descriptions
Android has a display reader referred to as TalkBack for folks with vision loss, and Android 15 makes use of Google’s Gemini AI to enhance its capacity to explain photographs. Historically, picture descriptions on web sites had been restricted to no matter was enter within the alt textual content subject, however Google’s AI can analyze photographs and describe them in higher element. This new function additionally works with photographs in your digicam roll, social media photographs, or photos in textual content messages.
Earthquake Alert System
Of us within the US will get doubtlessly life-saving warnings about impending earthquakes as Android 15 employs crowd-sourced earthquake detection technology. This new function additionally consists of tips about what to do within the aftermath of a quake.
Extra Satellite tv for pc Connectivity
Courtesy of Google
There’s a major enlargement for satellite tv for pc connectivity in Android 15. Some RCS and SMS apps ought to now be capable to ship textual content messages by way of satellite tv for pc (it was beforehand restricted to emergency use). Google has additionally standardized the pop-ups and different person interface components to make it clearer when linked by way of satellite tv for pc. To this point, solely the Pixel 9 range supports satellite messaging.
Offline Maps on Put on OS
When you have a Wear OS smartwatch to companion together with your Android telephone, now you can entry offline maps. Any map you obtain to your telephone can be utilized for instructions in your wrist, so you may depart your telephone behind if you go for a run.
Higher Bluetooth
Android 15 will deliver a variety of Bluetooth enhancements. For starters, the short settings tile now opens a popup that permits you to decide on particular person units, bounce into their settings, and pair new units, slicing down on settings menu navigation. It additionally appears as if Google is altering how the Bluetooth toggle works, so if you toggle Bluetooth off, by default, it would routinely flip again on the following day. This function will probably assist Android’s Find My Device network, which makes use of Bluetooth to search out units. You may disable the automated turn-on within the settings for those who want.
Partial Display screen Recording
Courtesy of Google
As a substitute of recording or sharing your total display, in Android 15, you may share a person app with out revealing the remainder of your display or incoming notifications. Logins and one-time passwords (OTPs) are routinely hidden from distant viewers. That is already accessible on Pixels, however now Google has baked it into Android.
Malicious App Blocking
A number of updates in Android 15 make life more durable for malicious apps. They will not cover behind different apps by bringing them to the foreground or overlay themselves invisibly on high. There are additionally adjustments designed to stop the exploitation of intents, which allow you to begin an exercise in one other app by describing an motion you’d wish to carry out, as they’re usually misused by malware. That is behind-the-scenes stuff to maintain customers safer.
App Archiving
Courtesy of Google
In the event you haven’t used an app or recreation for some time, you could be prompted to delete it, however what for those who suppose you may use it once more sooner or later? With app archiving in Android 15, you may offload a lot of the app by archiving it however preserve your person settings or save knowledge in video games. The auto-archiving function was introduced final 12 months, however Android 15 makes it a systemwide choice, so people can select to auto-archive apps when storage is working low.
Good Vibrations
Android 15 allows you to flip keyboard vibrations on or off systemwide, as a substitute of getting to dig into the keyboard settings. There’s a brand new toggle in Settings > Sound and vibration > Vibration and haptics, the place you can even use sliders to regulate haptic depth (this has been accessible on choose Android telephones, however is now systemwide). The second beta additionally introduces wealthy vibrations, so people can decide between several types of notifications with out trying on the display.
Audio Sharing
It needs to be simpler to share audio out of your telephone utilizing Bluetooth LE and Auracast with a brand new settings web page centered on audio sharing. This web page didn’t work within the final Beta, and it is not clear what units will help the function, however the people at Android Authority managed to get it engaged on a Pixel 8 Professional. The function permits you to broadcast audio out of your telephone to different units inside Bluetooth vary, together with the telephones and earbuds of family and friends who can scan a QR code to hitch.
Higher PDF Dealing with
Courtesy of Google
Making an attempt to do something with PDF information in your Android telephone could be a ache, so the information that Google has constructed a number of PDF enhancements into Android 15 is welcome. PDFs ought to load extra easily, and there may be now help for password-protected information, annotations, type modifying, and replica choice. Maybe better of all, now you can search inside PDF information.
Loudness Management
It may be jarring if you swap from one app to a different and the amount abruptly booms. Fortunately, Android 15 introduces help for the CTA-2075 loudness customary. Meaning it would evaluate quantity between apps, keep in mind the traits of your audio system, headphones, or earbuds, and intelligently modify the audio to make sure no sudden jumps or drops.
Higher Low-Gentle Digital camera
There are a few important enhancements for the digicam app in Android 15. Firstly, Low Gentle Enhance makes for higher previews in low-light situations, so you may body your nighttime pictures higher and scan QR codes when mild is proscribed. There are additionally new digicam app choices to present you finer management over the flash so you may modify the depth for each single flashes and steady flashlight mode.
Enhanced Fraud and Rip-off Safety
Courtesy of Google
There are a number of updates in Android 15 aimed squarely at thwarting fraudsters and scammers. Google will make use of AI by means of Play Shield and on units to scan for and flag suspicious conduct. Messages containing one-time passwords (OTPs), usually utilized in two-factor authentication, at the moment are hidden from the notifications system, making it tougher to intercept them. Restricted settings are additionally being expanded for side-loaded apps—ones that are not downloaded by means of the Google Play Retailer.
Process Bar Choices
For Android tablets and folding phones, Google has modified the best way the duty bar dock works. Initially, it was everlasting, then it was transient, and now you may select. That is useful for docked tablets the place you may want a activity bar to all the time show, however it’s additionally good to have the choice to cover it. You may as well pin your favourite split-screen app mixtures. Android 15 permits apps to show edge-to-edge, to allow them to make extra of the accessible display actual property, even when there’s a activity bar or system bar on the backside.
Higher Battery Life
There are all the time tweaks and enhancements to effectivity in Android updates that ought to have a constructive impression on battery life, however with Android 15, Google is inserting extra checks on foreground companies and clamping down on apps that preserve working in an lively state. Units with lots of RAM also needs to see sooner app and digicam launch occasions with decrease energy draw, because of help for bigger web page sizes.
Enhanced Theft Safety
Courtesy of Google
Most of the new Android safeguards that Google is rolling out to deter thieves—reminiscent of computerized locking when somebody snatches your phone, in addition to distant lock choices—will likely be coming to units working Android 10 and up. However the replace to manufacturing facility reset safety, which stops thieves who drive a reset of a stolen system from setting it up once more with out figuring out your system or Google account credentials, is barely in Android 15.
Extra Foldable Cowl Display screen Choices
A few of the best folding phones routinely swap no matter motion you are performing onto the quilt display if you fold them up, however Google is now integrating that alternative into Android 15. In the event you want the quilt display to lock up if you fold, that will likely be an choice too. There’s additionally extra help for apps displaying on smaller cowl screens with the extra compact flip telephone class.
Extra Well being Join Knowledge
Well being Join began as an app to drag all of your well being and health knowledge from totally different units and apps. It got here preinstalled with Android 14, however Android 15 is including two new knowledge sorts: pores and skin temperature (collected by wearables just like the Oura ring and the Pixel Watch 2) in addition to coaching plans—which may embrace completion targets for energy burned, distance, period, repetition, and steps, but additionally efficiency targets round as many repetitions as attainable (AMRAP), cadence, coronary heart fee, energy, perceived fee of exertion, and velocity.
