Android 13 - Customizable Apps & Security Controls - Android (2024)

Have we got an update for you.

Explore Android 14

Your phone, tablet and more—all on your terms.

An image of a phone displaying the new Android 13 UI.

Android13
Highlights

  • Personal
  • Private
  • Beyond the phone

Android 13

Personal

Like it was made for you. And only you.

There are more ways than ever to make your Android look and feel like yours. Building on Material You, now you can customize your apps by color, theme and language. Even your media player will match your personal music taste.

Themed app icons

Your phone. Your style.

Customize your phone to your personal style. With expanded themed app icons, you can set more apps -not just Google apps - to match your phone’s wallpaper tint and colors.1

Your music has never looked so good.

Android 13 comes with a new media player that puts album artwork on full display and features a dancing playback bar.2

A music widget is highlighted, showing a Carrie Underwood song playing. The media playback bar wiggles up and down as the song progresses on the Android 13 device screen.

Android 13 comes with a new media player that puts album artwork on full display and features a dancing playback bar.2

Per-app language preferences

Always the right language.

Assign different language settings to individual apps, so you can move fluidly between languages on your device, just like in real life.3

Assign different language settings to individual apps, so you can move fluidly between languages on your device, just like in real life.3

Private

Security that keeps your data protected all day.

From the moment you turn on your device, Android works to keep your data safe and secure. With Android 13, you have more control over what information apps can and can’t access—including specific photos, videos and clipboard history.

What you say goes.

Helps keep your content private. Share only the photos and videos you choose with certain apps; not your full library.4

User taps on Add photo in the My profile screen. Photo picker expands. “This app will have access to only the photos you select.” is at the top of the screen. The user chooses an image to share with the app.

Helps keep your content private. Share only the photos and videos you choose with certain apps; not your full library.4

Notification permissions

Stop the dings, rings and pings.

You're in control of which apps can send you notifications—helping you limit distractions.5

You're in control of which apps can send you notifications—helping you limit distractions.5

Proactive protection.

Android 13 has safeguards built in to help protect your personal data. To protect the information on your clipboard, you’ll get an alert when an app accesses it and your clipboard history will be cleared after a period of time to prevent unwanted access.

A user taps and copies some text. It sits in the clipboard while a clock ticks indicating the passage of time. The text then disappears as the history is erased.

Android 13 has safeguards built in to help protect your personal data. To protect the information on your clipboard, you’ll get an alert when an app accesses it and your clipboard history will be cleared after a period of time to prevent unwanted access.

See how Android helps keep you safe.

Learn more about safety

Beyond the phone.

Devices that work better together.

Android 13 goes beyond the phone—bringing all of the devices in your life together seamlessly—with features that enhance your messaging, audio and multitasking experiences.

Android 13 phone with Messages open, A text appears asking “Hi Katherine, how’s it going?” Katherine responds “Good! Just got back from the grocery store”. Text bubble expands and transfers to a Chromebook screen. User responds to the text from the Chromebook saying “Oh nice! Making anything tasty tonight?”

Messaging app streaming

Chat everywhere.

Send and receive messages even when your phone’s out of reach by streaming your messaging apps directly to your Chromebook.6

Smooth handoffs.

Get things done on the device that makes the most sense by simply copying content—like a URL, text or picture—from your phone and pasting it to your tablet. Or you can start on your tablet and paste to your phone. Coming soon to Android 13 devices.7

Android 13 phone screen with Nest Audio website. User hard presses on image of Nest Audio and taps “Copy.” Image animates to Nearby Share icon. Nearby Share opens with “Looking for your devices” pulsing, identifying Liza’s Tablet. User taps Liza’s Tablet.Tablet animates in next to the phone. Tablet screen shows “Birthday Gift Ideas.” Nearby Share icon animates in, user taps “Paste” to transfer the copied Nest Audio image from the phone screen to the tablet screen.

Get things done on the device that makes the most sense by simply copying content—like a URL, text or picture—from your phone and pasting it to your tablet. Or you can start on your tablet and paste to your phone. Coming soon to Android 13 devices.7

Enhanced audio

Enjoy enhanced audio.

Spatial Audio lets you enjoy immersive sound. On head tracking enabled headphones, Spatial Audio shifts the source of the sound based on how you turn your head, making you feel like you’re in the middle of the sports game, movie or concert right from the comfort of your Android phone or tablet. Plus, Android 13 adopts Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) Audio which improves audio quality and allows you to broadcast media to multiple people at once.8

Sound ripples surround the sides of a person’s head while it rotates.

Spatial Audio lets you enjoy immersive sound. On head tracking enabled headphones, Spatial Audio shifts the source of the sound based on how you turn your head, making you feel like you’re in the middle of the sports game, movie or concert right from the comfort of your Android phone or tablet. Plus, Android 13 adopts Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) Audio which improves audio quality and allows you to broadcast media to multiple people at once.8

Composing an email on an Android tablet with Gmail open. User opens full app library from the taskbar and drags Photos onto the screen in split screen mode with Gmail. With the screen split, the user hard presses on an image from the Photos app open on the right side of the screen and drags it into the email on the left side of the screen.

Multitasking on tablets

Bigger and better productivity.

The updated taskbar on tablets helps you do two tasks at once. You can now drag and drop any second app from your app library into a split-screen view directly from your taskbar. And for times that you’re writing or drawing with a stylus, your tablet will register your palm and stylus as separate touches, reducing the number of accidental marks that come simply from comfortably resting your hand on the screen.

Discover how Android connects your devices.

Sync your Android phone with your TV, watch or car for a unified experience. Move from one device to another seamlessly and make everything work better together. Securely and swiftly transfer large files to Android phones, tablets and Chromebooks, even when offline.

Step into a story

A smartphone wirelessly connects to earbuds. A tablet wirelessly plays Spotify through a Nest Hub. A smartwatch wirelessly takes a photo on a phone.

Sync your Android phone with your TV, watch or car for a unified experience. Move from one device to another seamlessly and make everything work better together. Securely and swiftly transfer large files to Android phones, tablets and Chromebooks, even when offline.

Find a device

Cutting-edge phones await.

Check out the latest and greatest Android devices.

Find your next device

As an enthusiast deeply immersed in the world of mobile technology and operating systems, I can confidently assert my expertise in the Android ecosystem. My knowledge extends beyond mere surface-level information, diving into the intricate details of the latest Android updates, features, and functionalities. Let me provide you with a comprehensive breakdown of the concepts introduced in the article about Android 13.

Themed App Icons: Android 13 enhances personalization through themed app icons. This feature allows users to customize their phone's appearance by setting themed icons for various apps, extending beyond Google's native applications. The user can now match the app icons with their phone's wallpaper tint and color scheme, reflecting a more personalized and cohesive visual experience.

New Media Controls: Android 13 introduces a revamped media player that emphasizes album artwork and features a dynamic playback bar. The media player not only provides an aesthetically pleasing display but also enhances the overall music playback experience. This aligns with the broader customization theme, ensuring that even the music player resonates with the user's individual taste and style.

Per-App Language Preferences: A groundbreaking feature of Android 13 is the ability to assign different language settings to individual apps. This allows users to seamlessly switch between languages within their device, mirroring real-life multilingual capabilities. The implementation of per-app language preferences ensures a smoother and more user-friendly experience for individuals who use multiple languages in their daily lives.

Private and Secure Features: Android 13 places a strong emphasis on user privacy and security. The photo picker feature allows users to share specific photos and videos with selected apps, providing granular control over shared content. Notification permissions empower users to manage and limit app notifications, minimizing distractions. The clipboard history is automatically cleared at intervals, adding an extra layer of protection to sensitive information.

Messaging App Streaming: Beyond the traditional phone boundaries, Android 13 facilitates seamless messaging across devices. Users can stream messaging apps directly to their Chromebook, ensuring that they can send and receive messages even when their phone is out of reach. This feature enhances communication accessibility and convenience.

Enhanced Audio: Android 13 introduces Spatial Audio, providing an immersive sound experience, especially for users with head-tracking enabled headphones. The audio source dynamically shifts based on head movements, creating a lifelike audio experience. Additionally, the adoption of Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) Audio enhances audio quality and enables broadcasting media to multiple people simultaneously.

Multitasking on Tablets: Tablet users will appreciate the upgraded taskbar, allowing for more efficient multitasking. Android 13 enables users to drag and drop apps from the app library directly into a split-screen view, enhancing productivity. The tablet's improved touch recognition distinguishes between the palm and stylus touches, reducing accidental marks and enhancing the overall user experience.

Device Integration and Connectivity: Android 13 aims to create a unified experience across various devices. The article highlights seamless connectivity between Android phones, tablets, Chromebooks, TVs, watches, and cars. This integration enables swift and secure file transfers, even in offline mode, emphasizing a cohesive and interconnected ecosystem.

In conclusion, Android 13 brings a plethora of features and improvements, ranging from enhanced personalization to robust privacy measures and seamless device integration. The update reflects a holistic approach to user experience, making Android 13 a significant milestone in the evolution of the Android operating system.

Android 13 - Customizable Apps & Security Controls - Android (2024)
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