21 Top New Android 15 Features (2024): How to Install, Features, Release Date

Updates normally pop up mechanically, however you’ll be able to all the time examine whether or not you will have the newest model in Settings > System > System replace by tapping Verify for replace. Wish to get off the beta and return to Android 14? Go to Google’s Android Beta page, scroll down to seek out your system, and hit Decide out. It will wipe all regionally saved knowledge, so again up your system first. You may get an replace immediate to return to the older model.

Of us and not using a Pixel or supported associate system ought to watch their telephone 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 possibly can be taught extra at Google’s developer site. And make sure 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—in this story here.

Non-public House

Android 15 features a new Non-public House the place you’ll be able to hold delicate apps separate from the remainder of your telephone. Whether or not you wish to safeguard well being knowledge or your banking apps, Non-public House retains them safely behind a second layer of authentication, protected with the identical password you utilize to unlock your system or another PIN. When your Non-public House is locked, apps are hidden from the Recents view, notifications, settings, and different apps. You possibly can wipe your personal area utterly too.

What’s That Tune?

We now have a information on how to identify songs with your phone, however Google is making it simpler than ever with Circle to Search in Android 15. If a tune taking part in in your telephone or a speaker close by catches your consideration, long-press the House button or navigation bar to activate Circle to Search, then faucet the music button to determine the monitor identify and artist. You even get a hyperlink to the YouTube video.

Improved Audio Picture Descriptions

Android has a display reader referred to as TalkBack for folks with vision loss, and Android 15 makes use of Google’s Gemini AI to enhance its skill to explain pictures. Historically, picture descriptions on web sites had been restricted to no matter was enter within the alt textual content discipline, however Google’s AI can analyze pictures and describe them in better element. This new function additionally works with pictures in your digital camera roll, social media pictures, or photos in textual content messages.

Earthquake Alert System

Of us within the US will get probably life-saving warnings about impending earthquakes as Android 15 employs crowd-sourced earthquake detection technology. This new function additionally consists of recommendations on what to do within the aftermath of a quake.

Extra Satellite tv for pc Connectivity

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 through satellite tv for pc (it was beforehand restricted to emergency use). Google has additionally standardized the pop-ups and different consumer interface parts to make it clearer when related through satellite tv for pc. To this point, solely the Pixel 9 range supports satellite messaging.

Offline Maps on Put on OS

When you have a Wear OS smartwatch to associate together with your Android telephone, now you can entry offline maps. Any map you obtain to your telephone can be utilized for instructions in your wrist, so you’ll be able to go away your telephone behind if you go for a run.

Higher Bluetooth

Android 15 will convey a variety of Bluetooth enhancements. For starters, the short settings tile now opens a popup that allows you to decide on particular person gadgets, bounce into their settings, and pair new gadgets, reducing down on settings menu navigation. It additionally appears to be like as if Google is altering how the Bluetooth toggle works, so if you toggle Bluetooth off, by default, it can mechanically flip again on the following day. This function will doubtless assist Android’s Find My Device network, which makes use of Bluetooth to seek out gadgets. You possibly can disable the automated turn-on within the settings in case you want.

Partial Display screen Recording

Courtesy of Google

As an alternative of recording or sharing your whole display, in Android 15, you’ll be able to share a person app with out revealing the remainder of your display or incoming notifications. Logins and one-time passwords (OTPs) are mechanically hidden from distant viewers. That is already accessible on Pixels, however now Google has baked it into Android.

Malicious App Blocking

A number of updates in Android 15 make life harder for malicious apps. They will 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 typically misused by malware. That is behind-the-scenes stuff to maintain customers safer.

App Archiving

Courtesy of Google

For those who haven’t used an app or sport for some time, it’s possible you’ll be prompted to delete it, however what in case you suppose you would possibly 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 consumer settings or save knowledge in video games. The auto-archiving function 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 allows you to 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 can even use sliders to regulate haptic depth (this has been accessible on choose Android telephones, however is now systemwide). The second beta additionally introduces wealthy vibrations, so of us can decide between several types of notifications with out trying on the display.

Audio Sharing

It needs to be simpler to share audio out of your telephone utilizing Bluetooth LE and Auracast with a brand new settings web page centered on audio sharing. This web page didn’t work within the final Beta, and it isn’t clear what gadgets will help the function, however the of us at Android Authority managed to get it engaged on a Pixel 8 Professional. The function permits you to broadcast audio out of your telephone to different gadgets 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

Making an attempt to do something with PDF recordsdata in your Android telephone is usually 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 may be now help for password-protected recordsdata, annotations, kind enhancing, and duplicate choice. Maybe better of all, now you can search inside PDF recordsdata.

Loudness Management

It may be jarring if you change from one app to a different and the amount immediately booms. Fortunately, Android 15 introduces help for the CTA-2075 loudness customary. Meaning it can examine quantity between apps, consider the traits of your audio system, headphones, or earbuds, and intelligently regulate 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 Increase makes for higher previews in low-light circumstances, so you’ll be able to body your nighttime pictures higher and scan QR codes when gentle is restricted. There are additionally new digital camera app choices to present you finer management over the flash so you’ll be able to regulate 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 via Play Shield and on gadgets to scan for and flag suspicious habits. Messages containing one-time passwords (OTPs), usually utilized in two-factor authentication, are actually 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 via the Google Play Retailer.

Job Bar Choices

For Android tablets and folding phones, 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 process 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 accessible display actual property, even when there’s a process 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 inserting extra checks on foreground companies and clamping down on apps that hold working in an energetic state. Gadgets with a variety of RAM also needs to see sooner app and digital camera launch instances with decrease energy draw, due to help for bigger web page sizes.

Enhanced Theft Safety

Courtesy of Google

Lots of the new Android safeguards that Google is rolling out to deter thieves—akin to computerized locking when somebody snatches your phone, in addition to distant lock choices—might be coming to gadgets working Android 10 and up. However the replace to manufacturing unit reset safety, which stops thieves who drive a reset of a stolen system from setting it up once more with out figuring out your system or Google account credentials, is simply in Android 15.

Extra Foldable Cowl Display screen Choices

A few of the best folding phones mechanically change no matter motion you are performing onto the duvet display if you fold them up, however Google is now integrating that selection into Android 15. For those who want the duvet display to lock up if you fold, that might be an possibility too. There’s additionally extra help for apps displaying on smaller cowl screens with the extra compact flip telephone class.

Extra Well being Join Knowledge

Well being Join began as an app to tug all of your well being and health knowledge from completely different gadgets and apps. It got here preinstalled with Android 14, however Android 15 is including two new knowledge sorts: pores and skin temperature (collected by wearables just like the Oura ring and the Pixel Watch 2) in addition to coaching plans—which might embody completion objectives for energy burned, distance, period, repetition, and steps, but additionally efficiency objectives round as many repetitions as potential (AMRAP), cadence, coronary heart charge, energy, perceived charge of exertion, and pace.