Google has released the first Android 14 beta, with new features including the ability for apps to add custom actions and shortcuts to Android’s share sheets, which should enhance cross-app functionality.
The beta also includes a more prominent back arrow in the gesture-based navigation interface, which complements the device theme or wallpaper. Android 14 Beta 1 supports new vector-based visual effects in apps, such as interpolation and morphing. Behind the scenes, the beta improves accessibility, battery life, and security, and apps can now limit accessibility services’ ability to see sensitive data, reducing the risk of critical actions being performed by mistake.
Android 14 Beta 1 is compatible with recent-enough Pixel devices and can be installed by enrolling in the Android Beta Program. While it’s not recommended to use the beta on a mission-critical phone, it’s now reliable enough to try on a secondary handset.
