Android 13 Beta 1 Arrives With Media Player Tweaks, Tiramisu System Logo, And More!
A month after the second Android 13 developer preview launch, Google has finally pushed its first Android 13 Beta update, and the same comes with new additions and improvements. In this article, let’s look at every new Android 13 Beta 1 feature.
The update should now be seeded to all supported Pixel devices. If you’re on DP2, you can update to the Beta release by going to Settings > System > Updates > Check for updates.
What’s new on Android 13 Beta 1?
Squiggly lines in the media player, yes
When the stable Android 12 update started seeding, the media player looked quite different from what Google showed us at the Google I/O 2021. This was changed in the DP2 update when the player’s design was updated. The giant has again updated the player, adding squiggly lines (waves) to the media player’s progress bar.
A clipboard to edit copied images and text
I kid you not. When Android 12 hit our Pixel 4a unit with the new clipboard feature, I thought about a feature where you could copy text or images, re-edit them, copy them again, and paste them where you want to. This is what Google has delivered for Android 13 Beta 1. Now I regret not writing the idea in my Android 12 features article.
This feature should help remove the pre-included text that most apps include when you copy the links like, “Here’s what I found on Amazon,” etc., before sending them.
Copying text or images will result in the same appearing in the bottom-left corner of your screen, similar to how screenshots appear (if you’re on Android 12). You can tap on the pen icon and start editing the text or marking/cropping the screenshot, copy the text or image, and paste it wherever you want to. Now, this is something Apple should copy or has iOS already got a similar feature? Speaking of which, you should definitely check out our “Three features Android 12 copied from iOS” article.
More Material You!
Material You have completely changed the user experience starting Android 12. The first Android 13 DP hinted at more themed icons, and while that’s yet to come, Google has added four rows of color combinations, making it 16 in total compared to four in Android 12. There are also more solid colors this time.
If you don’t know what Material You or how it works, we recommend reading our “How to use Material You on Android 12” article, which we’re pretty sure will need to be updated once the Android 13 stable rollout begins.
From Pixel launcher search out, Google search in
This came as a weird change, and we’re pretty sure that Google accidentally pushed a version of the Pixel launcher with Google search in the app drawer instead of the one with the Pixel launcher search. We’ve never been huge fans of Google searches in the app drawer as the same is already present on the home screen. We hope this was a mistake and will be fixed in future beta updates.
Sharing is not always caring
Previously, for an app to access audio or video files on Android, you would need to give access to all media, including photos. Android 13 Beta 1 adds three new permissions—READ_MEDIA_IMAGES, READ_MEDIA_VIDEO, and READ_MEDIA_AUDIO to give you more control over what you share with apps.
To make the repetitive permission pop-ups less annoying, both image and video permissions will be asked in the same pop-up.
Other Changes
Android “T” system logo
Android 13 has a logo that looks like a gear with the Android mascot bug droid inside and a “T” with its upper part running around the logo’s circular diameter. It looks pretty cute.
Priority mode is now Do Not Disturb, again
Google has reverted the UX change from renaming DND mode to Priority to reverting it to DND.
Security and Privacy quick tile
Android 13 brings a new tile called security and privacy. While it’s supposed to take you to what looks like three new tiles—Camera, Microphone, and Location, the tile is currently disabled and will disappear if you try to play around with it.
Perhaps, Google will remove the Camera, Mic, and Location quick tiles and move them to the Security and Privacy tile?
When will Android 13 Beta 2 come out?
According to the release schedule, Android 13 Beta 2 should come out in the last week of May. Google might also release sub-versions to squash any critical bugs in the existing beta release, just like it did with the Android 12 Betas.
What are your thoughts about Android 13 Beta 1? Do you have a feature idea in mind that you’d love for Google to look into? Let us know in the comments section below.
