Google is working on a new "Remote Authentication" feature for Android 15!

It's unclear exactly what it will be used for, but it seems to be tied to ultra-wideband (UWB) and Wear OS (Pixel Watch 2?)

Details available exclusively for Patrons.

Android 14 Beta 5 is releasing today. Google just uploaded the GSIs to their servers, but the Pixel factory images/OTAs/announcement isn't out yet.

Build ID: UPB5.230623.003. This should be the Release Candidate (RC) build and the final beta before the stable release.

Great comment by user Starks on whether the Pixel 7 or Pixel 8 will support satellite mode:

(This was here on Telegram, but Starks is also on Reddit where they're pretty well known for their modem/cellular deep dives!)

When will Google release Android 14?

I've gotten this question a LOT, and the truth is, I've had a date in mind for months because the release schedule is planned well in advance.

More info exclusively for Patrons.

Generally, Google's planned release schedule is pretty accurate, but things can change, so they may shift a certain release by a few days or week.

(Case in point: Beta 5 was planned for yesterday but instead seems to be happening today.)

Are you a company or vendor who works with Android and wants to support me? Based on feedback, I've added a new tier on Patreon called "Company".

If you have questions/want to hear my thoughts on something, feel free to reach out to schedule a meeting!

No joke, I've seen my tweets appear in internal presentations from some OEMs (who I won't name, obviously). I've also seen OEM devs get off a call with Google and then immediately ask me about something they saw in Google's presentation because they couldn't get an answer, LOL.

For months, one of my tweets was the only relevant search result for Google's Enterprise Devices Licensing Agreement (EDLA). As a result, I've had two companies reach out to me instead of Google asking about the program...

Unless you're a tier 1 OEM, you don't get fancy meetings/presentations explaining what's coming to Android. Most Android Partners have access to partner docs and can look through the source code, but honestly, who has time for that?

That's why y'all follow me, after all!

Android 14 Beta 5 has been announced! It's the "last scheduled update" in the Android 14 beta program and the third Platform Stable release. When will Android 14 be released? See this post for that info!

If you're hoping for there to be substantial changes between Android 14 Beta 4 and Android 14 Beta 5, I'm sorry to disappoint you because there won't be. This is basically just a big bug fixing release to prepare for the initial stable release that's coming soon.

Once Google releases Android 14 to AOSP, I'll have more to talk about. And when they release the first Android 14 QPR beta, I'll have a LOT more to talk about 👀

You may soon be able to "link your [Android] devices" signed into the same Google account together. This will enable "call switching", which lets you switch between devices for calls, as well as "Internet sharing"!

A new "Link Your Devices" menu will appear under Settings > Google > Devices & sharing once this rolls out. The call switching feature might be using the new Telecom Jetpack library that I previously talked about.

H/T @nailsad_eleos

Sources: Google is setting minimum hardware quality standards for foldables. If devices don't meet these standards, then they won't be allowed to ship Google apps.

This is important as foldables become more mainstream and affordable.

Full details here.

A reader sent me this video of the predictive back gesture being ... really janky on the Pixel Tablet running Android 14 Beta 5.

Anyone else experience this problem on their Tablet or Fold on Android 14?

Hmm, I wonder if the predictive back gesture just isn't meant to be enabled on tablets/large screen devices.

Even on Beta 5, the feature is still disabled by default on all devices.

Google is working on letting you cast media to your Pixel Tablet just by holding your phone in front of it! Attached to this post is the introduction screen for this feature.

(Note that the animation shown above isn't new, but the mention of this feature being for the Pixel Tablet is.)

At CES 2023, Google said they were "developing a way for your audio content to move with you throughout your day." You'd be able to transfer playback by tapping on a notification as you move around. It's unclear if they were referring to this feature.

In Android 13, the OS introduces UI for a media tap to transfer feature. Basically, the OS has built-in UI elements (in the form of floating chips) that can appear based on context, like when your device is too far away to transfer media, media is transferring, etc.

The actual implementation of the media handoff, though, is handled by an external app and not the OS. In this case, it would be Play Services.

I don't know if this will only work between devices with UWB or if you can also transfer media via BT proximity or NFC taps, though. The Pixel Tablet has an ultra-wideband (UWB) chip, but it's currently not being used for anything outside of improving Nearby Share. This would be an actual unique feature that UWB enables on the Pixel Tablet!

(Thanks to @AssembleDebug for the tip!)

The One UI 6 beta is now rolling out (for real this time)!

Firefox for Android is getting desktop extensions support 🎉

Developers should prepare to get their extensions ready for Android. "Definite launch date" will be announced in "early September" but it's "safe to expect a roll-out before the year's end."