Updates normally pop up robotically, however you’ll be able to all the time examine whether or not you’ve got the newest model in Settings > System > System replace by tapping Examine for replace. Wish to get off the beta and return to Android 14? Go to Google’s Android Beta web page, scroll down to seek out your gadget, and hit Decide out. This can wipe all regionally saved information, so again up your gadget first. You may get an replace immediate to return to the older model.
People and not using a Pixel or supported associate gadget ought to watch their cellphone producer’s web site, boards, or social media to be taught when to count on Android 15.
Prime New Android 15 Options
These are our favourite options and enhancements in Android 15. You may be taught extra at Google’s developer website. And remember to 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—on this story right here.
Non-public Area
Courtesy of Google
Android 15 features a new Non-public Area the place you’ll be able to hold delicate apps separate from the remainder of your cellphone. Whether or not you need to safeguard well being information or your banking apps, Non-public Area retains them safely behind a second layer of authentication, protected with the identical password you employ to unlock your gadget or another PIN. When your Non-public Area is locked, apps are hidden from the Recents view, notifications, settings, and different apps. You may wipe your personal area utterly too.
What’s That Tune?
We’ve got a information on find out how to establish songs together with your cellphone, however Google is making it simpler than ever with Circle to Search in Android 15. If a tune enjoying in your cellphone or a speaker close by catches your consideration, long-press the Residence button or navigation bar to activate Circle to Search, then faucet the music button to establish the monitor identify and artist. You even get a hyperlink to the YouTube video.
Improved Audio Picture Descriptions
Android has a display screen reader known as TalkBack for people with imaginative and prescient loss, and Android 15 makes use of Google’s Gemini AI to enhance its potential to explain pictures. Historically, picture descriptions on web sites had been restricted to no matter was enter within the alt textual content area, however Google’s AI can analyze pictures and describe them in higher element. This new characteristic additionally works with photographs in your digital camera roll, social media pictures, or footage in textual content messages.
Earthquake Alert System
People within the US will get doubtlessly life-saving warnings about impending earthquakes as Android 15 employs crowd-sourced earthquake detection know-how. This new characteristic 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 big enlargement for satellite tv for pc connectivity in Android 15. Some RCS and SMS apps ought to now have the ability 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 related by way of satellite tv for pc. To this point, solely the Pixel 9 vary helps satellite tv for pc messaging.
Offline Maps on Put on OS
When you have a Put on OS smartwatch to associate together with your Android cellphone, now you can entry offline maps. Any map you obtain to your cellphone can be utilized for instructions in your wrist, so you’ll be able to depart your cellphone behind once you go for a run.
Higher Bluetooth
Android 15 will carry a spread of Bluetooth enhancements. For starters, the fast settings tile now opens a popup that permits you to decide on particular person units, soar into their settings, and pair new units, chopping down on settings menu navigation. It additionally seems as if Google is altering how the Bluetooth toggle works, so once you toggle Bluetooth off, by default, it should robotically flip again on the following day. This characteristic will probably assist Android’s Discover My System community, which makes use of Bluetooth to seek out units. You may disable the automated turn-on within the settings should you favor.
Partial Display Recording
Courtesy of Google
As a substitute of recording or sharing your complete display screen, in Android 15, you’ll be able to share a person app with out revealing the remainder of your display screen or incoming notifications. Logins and one-time passwords (OTPs) are robotically hidden from distant viewers. That is already out there 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’ll now not cover behind different apps by bringing them to the foreground or overlay themselves invisibly on high. There are additionally adjustments designed to forestall 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 should you suppose you may use it once more sooner or later? With app archiving in Android 15, you’ll be able to offload many of the app by archiving it however hold your person settings or save information in video games. The auto-archiving characteristic was introduced final 12 months, however Android 15 makes it a systemwide possibility, so of us can select to auto-archive apps when storage is working low.
Good Vibrations
Android 15 lets you 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 too can use sliders to regulate haptic depth (this has been out there on choose Android telephones, however is now systemwide). The second beta additionally introduces wealthy vibrations, so of us can decide between various kinds of notifications with out trying on the display screen.
Audio Sharing
It must be simpler to share audio out of your cellphone utilizing Bluetooth LE and Auracast with a brand new settings web page targeted on audio sharing. This web page didn’t work within the final Beta, and it isn’t clear what units will assist the characteristic, however the of us at Android Authority managed to get it engaged on a Pixel 8 Professional. The characteristic lets you broadcast audio out of your cellphone 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
Attempting to do something with PDF recordsdata in your Android cellphone 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’s now assist for password-protected recordsdata, annotations, type enhancing, and replica choice. Maybe better of all, now you can search inside PDF recordsdata.
Loudness Management
It may be jarring once you change from one app to a different and the amount immediately booms. Fortunately, Android 15 introduces assist for the CTA-2075 loudness normal. Meaning it should examine quantity between apps, take into consideration the traits of your audio system, headphones, or earbuds, and intelligently alter the audio to make sure no sudden jumps or drops.
Higher Low-Mild Digicam
There are a few important enhancements for the digital camera app in Android 15. Firstly, Low Mild Enhance makes for higher previews in low-light circumstances, so you’ll be able to body your nighttime photographs higher and scan QR codes when gentle is proscribed. There are additionally new digital camera app choices to present you finer management over the flash so you’ll be able to alter 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 habits. Messages containing one-time passwords (OTPs), sometimes 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 telephones, Google has modified the best way the duty bar dock works. Initially, it was everlasting, then it was transient, and now you’ll be able to select. That is useful for docked tablets the place you may want a activity bar to all the time show, but it surely’s additionally good to have the choice to cover it. You can even pin your favourite split-screen app combos. Android 15 permits apps to show edge-to-edge, to allow them to make extra of the out there display screen 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 putting extra checks on foreground providers and clamping down on apps that hold working in an lively state. Units with quite a lot of RAM must also see quicker app and digital camera launch occasions with decrease energy draw, because of assist for bigger web page sizes.
Enhanced Theft Safety
Courtesy of Google
Most of the new Android safeguards that Google is rolling out to discourage thieves—reminiscent of automated locking when somebody snatches your cellphone, 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 gadget from setting it up once more with out realizing your gadget or Google account credentials, is just in Android 15.
Extra Foldable Cowl Display Choices
Among the greatest folding telephones robotically change no matter motion you are performing onto the quilt display screen once you fold them up, however Google is now integrating that selection into Android 15. In the event you favor the quilt display screen to lock up once you fold, that will likely be an possibility too. There’s additionally extra assist for apps displaying on smaller cowl screens with the extra compact flip cellphone class.
Extra Well being Join Knowledge
Well being Join began as an app to tug all of your well being and health information from totally different units and apps. It got here preinstalled with Android 14, however Android 15 is including two new information 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 embody completion objectives for energy burned, distance, period, repetition, and steps, but in addition efficiency objectives round as many repetitions as doable (AMRAP), cadence, coronary heart fee, energy, perceived fee of exertion, and pace.