Google officially released Android 13 on 15th August 2022. With this iteration of Android comes new and improved features. Before we move on, who is eligible for this update? Well, it goes without saying that most Pixel devices will receive this update thanks to Google’s fantastic software support even in older phones. If you are not a Pixel user, you will just have to wait for the official release from your phone manufacturer.
In addition to all the cool features which we will cover in this article, it is exciting to see Google re-introduce code names to each generation of Android. For example, Android 8 was code named Oreo. For Android 13, its code name is Tiramisu. Without further ado let’s get into the top five cool features and updates that Android 13 has to offer.
5. Google Wallet.
Google Wallet was introduced by for the sole purpose of getting rid of your physical wallet. In Google’s point of view, wallets are bulky and cumbersome to carry yet they hold most of our important documents such as ID cards and debit cards. It is important to note that Google Wallet and Google Pay are not the same thing. They are two different apps. Google Pay facilitates all your transactions and holds all your debit cards while Google Wallet holds all your documents from debit cards all the way to your digital car keys.
All this was true until recently when Google decided to merge both Apps into one. In most countries, it will be known as Google Wallet when they finally merge. This means that you will be able to use Google Wallet to conduct transactions where Google Pay is accepted.
If you enjoy having all your crucial details in one place, then you will like what Google Wallet has to offer. With this updated version, you can store your debit and credit cards, digital car keys, student IDs, tickets, gift cards, Transit cards, vaccine cards, membership cards and so much more.
Google has even gone a step further to include app integration more so with the Google ecosystem. What this means is that, say you open Google Maps and you are seeking for directions, your transit card will automatically show up together with the balance left which is kind of handy. As more consumers and retailers adapt Google Pay, we will continue to see more improvements and updates to this ingenious system.
4. Per-App Language Preference.
Per-App Language Preference, is a very handy feature which most people who are multilingual will appreciate. It is no secret that there are people who speak multiple languages but prefer a certain language in a specific app. Take for instance someone who is fluent in both Spanish and English, but prefers texting and watching videos in Spanish.
Well, this kind of individual can now switch to Spanish in all their texting apps and YouTube but still maintain English as the System language. It works with most common apps, so get creative with it. There is one small issue which may hinder the success of this feature. This is of course app support. Developers must opt in in their individual apps for this feature to work. Perhaps as more developers adapt it, the more widely Per-Language preference will be available.
3. Material You.
Material You was developed in order to improve the overall aesthetics of your device. Of late, Material You has been getting better and better, but with this release of Android 13 comes more refinements. It takes personalization to a whole new level. Although this feature was available in Android 12, it is worth mentioning it. Say, you choose you favorite wallpaper, Material You will match the Wallpaper’s color palette to the overall aesthetic of your device.
Some people may be wondering why others find it amusing. Let me explain. When choosing a wallpaper, it took different factors for you to like it. It could be the color palette, the picture itself or both. Material You cleverly takes the color palette from this wallpaper and applies it everywhere. This overall aesthetic could be inspiring depending on what the wallpaper means to you. Be it a motivational wallpaper, now your phone aesthetic matches with vibe that the wallpaper gives off which is quite a snazzy feature might I add.
New for this year, Google has expanded the Material You experience to the media controls. Say, you are listening to music, the player Window will match the aesthetic of the artwork of whatever Album you are listening to. In addition to this, the music progression bar will now turn into an audio wave which synchronizes to the music that you are listening to. Tiny details but impressive nonetheless.
2. Private Photo Picker.
Up until now, whenever an app asks for authorization to a photo, it normally receives access to your whole library of images. However, with this new update, you will be able to choose which photos specifically, that an app can access. This is more of a security and privacy feature which was much needed in deed. As for documents, Apps always received documents which you specifically chose rather than your entire library of documents. The private photo picker was long overdue but hey, better late than never. It is also worth noting that this feature will also be available to devices with Android 11 and above.
1. Fast Pair.
Fast Pair is a Bluetooth feature which enables your device to automatically connect to available Bluetooth devices without doing it manually. The best bit about this feature is that it is baked in to the operating system.
This feature has well been utilized by Apple and Samsung when connecting to their respective wireless earbuds. All you have to do is pop open the case and a notification immediately pops-up on your phone regardless of whether you have ever paired to those earbuds or not.
Once you are around a Bluetooth device, your phone will send you a notification if you want to connect to the device or not. Since I am yet to test this feature, we are yet to find out if the notifications will be nagging or not. Anyway, these are the top 5 new Android features and updates. Drop a comment on the one you are most excited for.
Technology is evolving day in day out, but I love every progress