What we know so far about Android 13

A few days ago, the first beta version of Android 13 was released for Google Pixel users. With its official release scheduled for autumn 2022, many are eager to discover the software's new features and the changes it will bring, especially when it comes to privacy and personal data security.

Android 13 Beta 1 brings numerous changes to the permissions users can grant to audio, photo and video apps, giving them more control over the level of access these apps have to their data. More specifically, apps that require access to media now have three separate permissions, depending on whether the file is a video, image or photo. This replaces the single permission previously used to grant access to all file types.

One feature that makes the new software much easier to use is the addition of the Clipboard UI. In Android 13 Beta 1, when you select text on a page to copy, a pop-up appears at the bottom of your screen. Tapping the pop-up then opens an editor where you can edit the text, add an image and make any changes you like before pasting it.

Another thing we liked is the expanded range of user interface customisation options. In Android 13, you can change icon and font sizes much more easily, without switching to a separate editing screen as you had to in previous versions of the software. New palettes have also been added to the Material You feature, with 16 theme options, including two-tone and multi-tone. The new Android software also features a media player with updated functionality and a refreshed look.

Finally, there is now an option to choose a different language for each app individually, while another addition worth noting is the improved QR scanner. Although this may seem insignificant, think about how many times a day you need to scan a QR code and how much time you could save with a faster app.

It is worth noting that this is not the final beta version, as at least two more are expected to be released later in the year.