🗂️Keep in Mind Android 15 Beta 2 Is Now Available

[_=*Croft*=_]

Google has officially moved Android 15 into its second beta, bringing with it a slew of new things for developers and early Android 15 users to check out. Now that the beta has been available for over a month, more devices are starting to gain access to the first version, giving users beyond the Pixel family a chance to check out the latest changes to the operating system.

Android 15, of course, is the next version of Google's mobile OS, and it continues to offer new AI features for Android users to take advantage of. Android 15 beta 2 is only available on select Pixel devices at the start, with the list of supported devices including:

• 
  Pixel 6
  
  
• 
  Pixel 6 Pro
  
  
• 
  Pixel 6a
  
  
• 
  Pixel 7
  
  
• 
  Pixel 7 Pro
  
  
• 
  Pixel 7a
  
  
• 
  Pixel Tablet
  
  
• 
  Pixel Fold
  
  
• 
  Pixel 8
  
  
• 
  Pixel 8 Pro
  

Google Pixel 8 Pro
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$889.99 at Amazon
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Beyond Pixel devices, there are other third-party Android phones that support the Android 15 beta. However, keep in mind that the version of the beta available is also dependent on what the manufacturer of these devices has readied for them. Most of these devices are for international users, and cannot be used in the United States:

• 
  HONOR Magic 6 Pro: BVL-N49 8.0.0.148(C431E4R2P2), 8.0.0.152(C636E2R2P2) or higher
  
  
• 
  HONOR Magic V2: VER-N49 8.0.0.105(C431E2R2P2), 8.0.0.105(C636E2R2P2) or higher
  
  
• 
  vivo X100
  
  
• 
  iQOO 12
  
  
• 
  Lenovo Tab Extreme
  
  
• 
  Nothing Phone (2a)
  
  
• 
  OnePlus 12
  
  
• 
  OnePlus Open
  
  
• 
  Oppo Find N3
  
  
• 
  Realme 12 Pro+ 5G
  
  
• 
  Sharp AQUOS sense8
  
  
• 
  TECNO Camon 30 Pro
  
  
• 
  Xiaomi 14
  
  
• 
  Xiaomi 13T Pro
  
  
• 
  Xiaomi Pad 6S Pro 12.4
  

Android 15 has been available in the Android Developer Preview since February, but Google recently opened the virtual floodgates to get early adopters involved, too. New features debuted in Android 15 beta 1 include an edge-to-edge display mode for apps by default, which should make it easier for developers to create apps to show content behind the system bars.

Google is also upgrading the NFC experience on Android 15 to provide a more seamless and reliable experience for tap to pay. A big change, too, makes it easier to archive and unarchive apps, which should help with cleaning up your Android device, though it will still require some input from developers. You can get a look at all the Android 15 features we know about so far, but most of them seem to be aligned with making the operating system more efficient for users.

New Android 15 beta 2 features​

With the release of beta 2, Google rolled out some new features to Android 15: Following changes to foreground services, battery life should be more efficient when running apps. Google has also increased support for page sizes to 16KB, which should allow for lower app launch times, faster camera launch, and reduced power draw during launch. The company is also modernizing how the Android system accesses the GPU to provide a more efficient pipeline for those functionalities that rely on your smartphone's GPU.

There are also some great new privacy features this year, including private space, which allows users to create a separate space to house certain apps. Private space requires additional authentication to access, which makes it a secure way to store those apps that contain sensitive information, such as your banking apps. Larger screen multitasking also makes its first debut in the second beta for Android 15: You can now save your favorite split-screen app setups and access them at any time. Transitions from full-screen to picture-in-picture mode should also be smoother.

Widgets are also getting a bit of a facelift in Android 15 beta 2, with Google adding support for richer widget previews, as well as generated previews: That way, you can actually see what the widget looks like before adding it to your home screen. Speaking of previews, predictive back, the feature that shows you a preview of which app or service you're swiping back to, is also fully rolling out with this beta.

In addition, there are new data types for Health Connect, which offer a more centralized way for users to control access to their fitness and health data. Google is also extending the "choose how you're addressed" system setting, which it originally debuted to French users. This will allow users to decide if they want to be addressed as masculine, feminine, or neutral.

Other behind-the-scenes changes include some fixes to help avoid clipped text in some languages, as well as a new Japanese Hentaigana font, a CJK variable font, and options to enable richer vibrations for notifications. The latter gives Android users a way to distinguish between different notifications based on the vibrations their phone users.

Beta releases are expected to continue throughout the rest of May and June, and Google says it hopes to reach platform stability by the end of June. The target would be a fall release for Android 15, which is also when we expect to see the latest Pixel devices hit the market, based on past releases. Of course, Google is still keeping the full list of new Android features close to the chest, and we don't expect to learn about everything the tech giant has in store until it reveals its next lineup of smartphones later this year. But if you're interested in testing out the latest version of Android, you can download Android 15 beta 1 and beta 2 right now, on applicable devices.

Just remember, beta software is unfinished and in-testing, which means you could encounter bugs and glitches. Don't install the Android beta on your main smartphone unless you're okay assuming those risks.
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