More than a month after launching the 2nd Android 13 developer’s preview, Google has rolled out the 1st Android 13 Beta 1 update. We will discuss each new feature of Android 13 Beta 1 in this article.
For all Pixel devices, updates are now available. The Beta release can be downloaded from Settings > System > Updates > Check for updates on DP2.
What is New in Android 13 Beta 1?
We are talking about 6 to 7 major changes we will experience in the upcoming Android 13 beta 1.
1. The Media Player Has Squiggly Lines
After the Android 12 stable update began seeding at Google I/O 2021, Google’s media player was looking quite different. As part of the DP2 update, the player’s updated design was there. The giant recently updated its media player to include squiggly lines (waves) in the progress bar.
2. An Editor for Copying and Pasting Images & Text
The clipboard feature in Android 12 appeared on our Pixel 4a, so I thought about adding a feature that allows you to copy text or images, edit them, and after it copies them again, and at the end then paste them. This is the first Android 13 beta version released by Google. In my previously published Android 12 features article, I discussed the idea.
The image or text you copied will appear in the bottom-left corner of your screen if you’re using Android 12 (if you’re using it). Using the pen icon, you can edit the text, take a screenshot, crop the image, copy the text, and paste it anywhere you like. Is that helpful? Can iOS do something similar? Check out my earlier published article “3 major features of Android 12 that are copied from iOS” for more information.
3. More Material You!
Since Android 12, you have experienced a completely different user experience. Apparently, in the first developer preview of Android 13 more themed icons are hinted at. In addition to those, Google finally decided to add color combinations of four rows, making a total of 16, an increase from four in Android 12. This version also features more solid colors. It’s pretty likely we’ll need to update it once Android 13 stable is released.
4. Out of Pixel Launcher Search, Into Google Search
The Pixel launcher was accidentally updated to have Google search instead of the Pixel launcher’s search built-in. The app drawer has never been our favorite place to store Google searches since the same functionality already exists at the home screen. It is hoped that this thing is going to be fixed in future beta updates.
5. Sharing is Definitely Not Always Caring
In the past, you had to grant an app access to all media files, including photos, for it to access audio or video files. With Android 13 Beta, you can grant apps access to new permissions — READ_MEDIA_IMAGES, READ_MEDIA_VIDEOS, and READ_MEDIA_AUDIO, to give users more control for what apps can access.
To simplify permission pop-ups that are repetitive, the same pop-up will be used for both images and videos.
6. Other Changes
i. Android “T” System Logo
Rather than having a rectangular logo, Android 13 uses a gear logo with mascot droid inside the Android and a “T” with its upper portion circling the logo. This is a very cute logo.
ii. Priority Mode is Now Do Not Disturb
By reverting to DND mode, Google instead of renaming DND to Priority.
iii. Security and Privacy Quick Tile
New privacy tile and security are introduced in Android 13. This button should take a user to what appears to be three new tiles–Camera, Microphone, and Location. However, it’s currently disabled, and if you click on it, it will disappear.
It is possible that Google will remove the Camera, Location and Mic, quick tiles and move them to the Security and Privacy tiles?
When Will Android 13 Beta 2 Come Out?
It is expected that Android 13 Beta 2 will be released in the last week of next month May, according to the release schedule. Sub-versions of the existing beta releases might also be released to fix any critical bugs, just as it has already happened with the Android 12 Beta.
Final Words
Android 13 Beta 1 is finally here! With it comes a slew of new features and improvements, that we will be discussing in this blog article. As always, if there is anything you would like to see covered in-depth, or you just have some general questions about Android 13 Beta 1, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment below and we will be more than happy to get back to you! Stay tuned for more updates!
What do you think of Android 13 Beta 1? What are some feature ideas you’d love to see Google look into? Let us know in the comments.
