Android 13 (Code name – Tiramisu)- the next big OS update is around the corner for users in July. Now, why is this update important? Users will get features, security and privacy enhancements that go beyond the little fixes provided in monthly updates. For developers, this latest rendition will introduce new features, tools & API’s to improve their productivity and build apps faster. 

Google had already rolled out the beta version of Tiramisu in April for developers to test their applications. 

Here are the key features that Android 13 will offer to developers and users:

1. New Copy Paste UI: Give confirmation on whether the content was successfully copied or not and provide a preview of the copied content once it is added to the clipboard.
2. Predictive back gesture: This feature allows the user to decide whether to continue or stay in the current view by previewing the destination or other result of a back gesture before they fully complete it.
3. Themed app icons: This feature will change colors of app icons dynamically based on the user’s chosen wallpaper and other themes.
4. Quick Settings placement API: Using this API, users can change settings or take quick actions without leaving the context of an app.
5. Better support for Multilingual users: Apps can use new platform APIs to set or get a user’s preferred, per-app language. Users can set different languages for different applications.
6. Improved Japanese text wrapping: TextViews can now wrap text by Bunsetsu (the smallest unit of words that sounds natural) or phrases—instead of by character—for more polished and readable Japanese applications.
7. Improved line heights for non-latin scripts: Android 13 improves the display of non-Latin scripts (such as Tamil, Burmese, Telugu, and Tibetan) by using a line height that’s adapted for each language. The new line heights prevent clipping and improve the positioning of characters.
8. Text Conversion APIs: In Android 13, apps can use text conversion API to make search & auto completion faster and easier.
9. Unicode Library Updates: Android 13 adds the latest improvements, fixes, and changes that are included in Unicode ICU 70, Unicode CLDR 40, and Unicode 14.0.
10. Faster Hyphenation: Hyphenation makes wrapped text easier to read and helps make your UI more adaptive.
11. Color Vector Fonts: Android 13 adds rendering support for COLR version 1 (COLRv1) fonts and updates system emoji to the COLRv1 format.
12. Bluetooth LE Audio: Android 13 adds built-in support for LE Audio, so developers should get the new capabilities for free on compatible devices. Users can receive high fidelity audio without sacrificing battery life.MIDI 2.0: Android 13 adds support for the new MIDI 2.0 standard, including the ability to connect MIDI 2.0 hardware through USB.

Android 13 will focus on user privacy & security as well:

• Permissions: Android 13 has some changes in runtime permission of notifications, scanning of nearby wifi devices, media, alarms, background running body sensors & developer downgradable permissions.

• Photo Picker: A new photo picker feature will provide safe, built-in way for users to select media files without granting access to their entire media library.

• Safer exporting of context-registered receivers: A new security feature allows user to specify whether a particular broadcast receiver in the app should be exported and visible to other apps or not.

• Hide sensitive content from clipboard: Apps that allow users to copy sensitive content to clipboard must add a flag to hide that content from previews.

• Tablet and large-screens support: Android 13 builds on tablet optimizations introduced in Android 12 and 12L feature drop—including optimizations for system UI, better multitasking, and improved compatibility modes.

What else is interesting?

• Notification Prompt Request: All the applications will seek user permission to send notifications.

• Split-screen View: Users can long press on notifications and drag them down to get into split view. They no longer have to interrupt their process on one app to open up another.

• Customization to give a different look to the phone: Users can choose from pre-made color variants. Once applied across the entire OS, it will accentuate wallpaper and style.

• New Media Control. Users can customize look based on music that they are listening to, featuring the album’s artwork visible on lock screen and in notifications panel.

In a nutshell

Android has been the world’s most popular mobile operating system. The 13th addition will be more user-friendly than ever before. With significant features and tools, it intends to enhance developer productivity as well. From the business perspective, the modifications in the user interface and behavioral changes promises to help them grow customer satisfaction. It will help them bring out applications faster, experiment and develop mobile apps that can give a great experience to the users.