Posted by Dave Burke, VP of Engineering
Today we release the third Beta of Android 13, which takes us into the final phase of our cycle where we focus on polish and performance. With Android 13, we’ve built on our core themes of privacy and security, developer productivity, and tablet and big screen support.
There is plenty to explore in Android 13, from privacy features like the new notification permission and photo selector, to productivity features like theme application icons and language support per application, as well as modern standards like HDR video, Bluetooth LE Audio and MIDI 2.0 over USB. We’ve also expanded the newer updates we’ve made to 12L, giving you better tools to take advantage of the 270+ million tablet and big-screen devices in active use.
Beta 3 takes Android 13 to Platform Stability, which means that the developer APIs and all application behaviors are now final. We are grateful for all the feedback you have shared to help us get to this point! For developers, the focus now is on compatibility testing and quality as you prepare your apps for official release later this year!
You can get Beta 3 on your Pixel device by subscribing here for over-the-air updates. If you have previously subscribed, you will automatically receive today’s update. You can also try Android 13 Beta on select devices from several of our partners – learn more at android.com/beta. Read on for a quick look at how to get your app ready, and visit the Android 13 developer site for details.
Platform stability
With Beta 3, Android 13 reaches Platform Stability, a milestone that means all application-oriented behaviors and APIs, including the official API Level 33 SDK and NDK APIs, are now final. So from Beta 3 you can confidently develop and release your compatibility updates knowing that the platform will not change.
We ask all application and game developers to do this start your final compatibility test now and prepare to publish your compatibility updates as soon as possible before final release.
For all SDK, library, tool and game engine developers, it’s even more important to start testing now and release your compatible updates as soon as possible – your downstream application and game developers may be blocked until they receive your updates. So when you release a compatible update, be voice and let your developers know!
App compatibility
Program compatibility means that your application is working on a new version of the platform as intended. With each release, we make comprehensive changes to the platform that enhance privacy and security and the overall user experience across the operating system. This may affect your applications, so it’s important to test your application now, make any necessary updates, and publish a compatible update to your users before the final release. This is a basic but critical level of quality that your users will appreciate as they explore what’s new in Android 13.
To test your compatibility app, just install your production app from Google Play or other source on a device running Android 13 Beta 3. Work through all the app’s flows and look for functional or UI issues. Review the behavioral changes to focus your testing. Here are some changes to look at:
- Notice time limit for notifications Android 13 introduces a new runtime permission for sending notifications from an app. Make sure you understand how the new permission works, and plan to target Android 13 (API 33) as soon as possible. More here.
- Clipboard preview – Make sure your application hides sensitive data in Android 13’s new clipboard preview, such as passwords or credit card information. More here.
- JobScheduler prefetch JobScheduler now tries to predict the next time your application will be launched and will run any associated pre-task before that time. If you use pre-haul tasks, test that they work as expected. More here.
Also remember to test the libraries and SDKs in your application for compatibility. If you find any problems, try updating to the latest version of the library or SDK or contact the developer for assistance.
Once you have published the compatible version of your current application, you can begin the process of updating your application’s targetSdkVersion. Review the behavioral changes for apps targeting Android 13 and use the compatibility framework to help you spot problems quickly. Here are some of the changes to test beforehand (this only applies to applications with targetSdkVersion set to API 33 or higher):
- Wi-Fi nearby device permission Applications that manage a device’s connections to nearby access points need a new use
NEARBY_WIFI_DEVICESruntime permission for Wi-Fi operations such as scanning, without requiring access to device location. Some Wi-Fi APIs require your application to have this new permission. More here. - granular media permissions – If your application targets Android 13 and reads media files from general data storage, you must request one or more of the new kernel permissions instead of the
READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGEpermission. More here. - Permission changed for body sensors – Android 13 introduces “while in use” access for body sensors. If your application needs to access body sensor information from the background, it must declare a new one
BODY_SENSORS_BACKGROUNDpermission. More here. - Intention filters block non-matching intentions – If your application sends an intention to an executed component of another application targeting Android 13 (API 33) or higher, it should now match an intention filter in the receiving application. More here.
- Media controls derived from PlaybackState Android 13 gets more media controls from PlaybackState actions, to show a richer set of controls that are consistent across device types. Make sure your program handles these changes. More here
Tablet and large screen support
Android 13 builds on the tablet optimizations introduced in 12L, so as part of your testing, make sure your applications look their best on tablets and other large-screen devices. You can test with the big screen features by setting up an Android emulator in Android Studio, or you can use a big screen device from our Android 13 Beta partners. Here are some areas to look out for:
- Taskbar Interaction – See how your application responds when viewed with the new taskbar on large screens. Make sure your application’s user interface is not cut off or blocked by the taskbar. More here.
- Multi window mode – Multi-window mode is now enabled by default for all applications, regardless of the application configuration, so make sure the application handles split screen properly. You can test by dragging and dropping your application in split screen mode and adjusting the window size. More here.
- Improved compatibility experience – if your application is not yet optimized for tablets, such as using a fixed orientation or is not customizable, see how your application responds to compatibility mode adjustments such as letterboxing. More here.
- Medium projection – If your application uses media projection, watch how your application responds while playing, streaming, or broadcasting media on large screens. Make sure you also take into account changes in device position on foldable devices. More here.
- Camera preview – For camera applications, see how your camera preview UI responds to large screens when your application is restricted to a portion of the screen in multi-window or split screen mode. Also see how your application responds when a foldable device’s posture changes. More here.
You can read more here about the tablet features in Android 13 and what to test.
Start with Android 13!
Today’s Beta Release has everything you need to test your application and try the Android 13 features. Just enter your Pixel device to get the update over the air. Set up the Android 13 SDK to get started.
You can also test your application with Android 13 Beta on devices from several of our partners. Visit android.com/beta to see the full list of partners, with links to their sites for details on their supported devices and Beta build, starting with Beta 1. Each partner will handle their own subscriptions and support, and the Beta updates provided to you directly. For even broader testing, you can try Android 13 Beta 3 on Android GSI images, and if you do not have a device, you can test on the Android emulator.
For full details on Android 13, visit the Android 13 developer website.