Android 14 will introduce Passkey support, media privacy permissions, and enhanced battery life.

As app developers prepare for this year’s significant mobile OS update, Google has released the second developer preview for Android 14. The latest release features operational enhancements to Android devices, app security and privacy permission modifications, and a new API supporting passwordless sign-in using passkeys, which were previously mentioned in the first Android 14 dev preview in February.

Credential Manager, a platform API that supports multiple sign-in methods, has also been included in the preview, allowing passkeys and federated sign-in solutions, such as the option to sign in with Google, in addition to traditional username and password combinations. While this API was introduced in the first Android 14 preview, Google has made UI improvements based on initial feedback. Some services, such as password manager app Dashlane, have already teased passkey integration, pending the release of Android 14.

Android 14 will provide increased privacy, giving users more control over how their information is shared. The photo picker has been updated to allow Android 14 users to specify which images and videos on the device apps are allowed to access, rather than providing access to the entire media library.

The second Android 14 preview features improvements to system health and battery life, with optimizations to Android’s memory management system to limit app usage of unnecessary resources while running in the background. Further details on Android 14’s latest developer preview can be found on the Android developer website.

However, this early preview is only available to Android 14 developer preview users via manual download or an automatic over-the-air update. As these developer previews can be unstable, it may cause issues for those unfamiliar with running a developer build. The Android 14 beta is expected to be available in April, with the final release scheduled for August 2023.