Android 13: Release date, features, and how to install the public beta

Although it feels like Google just rolled out Android 12, the company has already released a developer preview and is now introducing the first public beta for Android 13.

What is the Android 13 public beta?

• Early version of the software for consumers to test
• Should only be installed on secondary devices
• It may have bugs, as it's not yet a stable release

Android 13 is a major mobile operating system update - but it's not yet available for consumers to officially install on their Android phones and tablets. But there are two different types of early Android 13 releases. The first one  - the developer preview - arrived in February specifically for developers, while the other - the public beta - arrived in April for anyone to install on their mobile devices to test. The preview and beta will be followed later in the year by a stable release of Android 13 for all new Android devices. Google will also likely also demo and announce the software at Google I/O 2022 in May.

When will Android 13 officially release?

• First developer preview released 10 February 2022
• Second developer preview released 17 March 2022
• Public beta release date: 26 April 2022
• Official release expected in autumn 2022

Google released Android 13 developer previews throughout spring 2022. It moved to public beta releases in April 2022. The company currently expects Android 13 to be stable by around June 2022 or July 2022. If Google sticks to that timeline, an official release of Android 13 will arrive later in the year - likely around autumn 2022 - for all newer Android devices.

How to install the Android 13 public beta

• For complete details, visit the Android 13 developer site

Anyone already running the developer preview should automatically receive the new beta. The Android 13 preview and beta are limited to running on Google's Pixel phones. That includes the Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro, Pixel 5a 5G, Pixel 5, Pixel 4a (5G), Pixel 4a, Pixel 4 XL, and the Pixel 4. So, if you have a compatible Pixel phone, you can install the beta now. Just enroll any supported Pixel device from here to get the first beta and future beta updates over the air for free. But Pocket-lint suggests waiting until the stable release this autumn or at the very least using a secondary device to run the beta.

What's new in the Android 13?

Dave Burke, vice president of engineering for Android at Google, detailed a long list of changes included in Android 13 developer preview on the Android Developer blog. The new features include more theming options and privacy features, new language preferences, and several under-the-hood upgrades.

Theming options

Android 13 is bringing dynamic app icons to all apps, not just Google’s. The themed icons feature lets app icons have a colour tint that matches your wallpaper - but app developers need to offer a compatible app icon. This feature is coming first to Pixel devices, but Google said it’s working with other manufacturers to release it more broadly.

Privacy features

Android 13 has new ways it'll handle permissions and security. A new photo picker will let you share photos and videos with an individual app without giving the app permission to see all the photos on your device. Google plans to bring this feature to all phones running Android 11 and up.

Under-the-hood upgrades

There are a lot of changes in Android 13, so far, that are not easily detectable. For example, a new Wi-Fi permission will allow apps to find and connect to Wi-Fi points without requiring location permissions. Google also said it's continuing to develop Project Mainline, its effort to deliver more updates via Google Play rather than at the OS level.

Language preferences

Android 13 language preferences will now include the option to work on a per-app basis. This is useful for multilingual users.

Permission to send notifications

When Google released the second Android 13 developer preview, it included a major new feature: Apps will have to ask your permission to post notifications. Keep in mind iOS has offered a similar feature for years. It ensures only certain apps send you notifications. According to Google’s blog post, asking for permission will be a requirement for Android 13 apps. "Apps targeting Android 13 will now need to request the notification permission from the user before posting notifications," said Dave Burke.

Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) Audio support

Another big feature uncovered in the second preview is Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) Audio support. The new standard uses an audio codec - called the Low Complexity Communications Codec (LC3) - that can transmit at lower bitrates in higher quality. This should equal less energy consumption and a better battery life.

Will Google talk about Android 13 at I/O?

Google recently announced it will hold its annual developer conference in May 2022. Based on previous I/O conferences, the company will likely officially debut Android 13 there and use the opening keynote to discuss major new features coming in the mobile OS update. You can learn more about I/O 2022 and how to watch it online from Pocket-lint's guide here.

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