Android 14
Countdown to Android 14: One UI 6.0 Beta Update to Roll Out Next Week
Google has just taken another step towards Android 14. In fact, in the last few hours, the new beta of Android 14 has been released for its Android devices. There are many fixes but also several new features. This update is only available for Pixel phones, tablets, and foldable phones right now, going as far back as the Pixle 4a 5G. So we might assume that the company, before the public launching of Android 14, will add up one more beta version of the update within a week. On the other hand, Samsung will release its first One UI 6.0 Beta update based on Android 14 this July.
One UI 6.0 Beta Update
In the coming weeks, Samsung is anticipated to roll out the most awaited One UI 6.0 beta update to several devices, including the Galaxy S23, Galaxy S22, Galaxy Z Fold 4/ Flip 4, and Galaxy Z Fold 5/ Flip 5. Users of these devices can look forward to experiencing the latest enhancements and features introduced by the Android 14-based One UI 6.0 beta update.
Android 14 Beta 4 New Feature:
The update just released by Google, therefore, consists of Beta 4 of Android 14. Let’s see the new features introduced right away:
- New icon for silent mode in the status bar.
- New icon for Google Lens inside the search bar of the Pixel Launcher.
- Direct access to your smartphone once you enter your 6-digit PIN. You will no longer need to touch the submit button.
- New entry indicating the year of production of the smartphone within the System Settings.
- New alternatives to choose your profile picture on Android.
- Link to start Split Screen on Pixel Tablet from the menu that appears after long pressing on the app icon.
- Widget selector divided into two columns on Pixel Tablet.
Android 14 Beta 4 Full Changelog:
- Fixed an issue that caused the CredentialManager registry to fail when using more than one set of credentials.
- Fixed issues where the HealthConnect API returned null pointer exceptions in some cases to calling apps.
- Fixed issues that could cause boot loops and “Application not responding” messages on some devices.
- Fixed an issue where some elements on the system UI didn’t retheme correctly when switching between day and night modes.
- Fixed a system issue that caused the Picture-in-Picture (PiP) window to be unresponsive when using an app (such as Google Maps) in PiP mode and then locking the screen and reopening the app by tapping the notification on the lock screen.
- Fixed an issue where the lockscreen wallpaper was sometimes reset to a blank, black screen when setting a new wallpaper for the home screen.
- Fixed issues that caused poor UI animations in the launcher.
- Fixed an issue where an intent picker dialog was incorrectly shown during work profile setup, which interfered with a user completing setup successfully.
- Fixed an issue that caused the rounded borders on notifications to display incorrectly.
- Fixed an issue where a device could sometimes become unresponsive if eSIM was disabled.
- Fixed an issue where the lock screen sometimes got stuck with a blank, black screen.
- Fixed an issue with ConnectivityService that could cause a device to crash and restart in rare cases.
- Fixed an issue that sometimes caused the system volume slider to be stuck on the screen.
- Fixed issues where the titles of some Settings pages were not announced correctly and some areas within the system Settings app couldn’t be accessed when TalkBack was enabled.
- Fixed an issue that could cause fingerprint enrollment to fail if the device was rotated during enrollment.
- Fixed an issue where connected Bluetooth devices were not ranked correctly in the system audio output switcher.
- Fixed an issue where the notification shade didn’t close after tapping a notification to launch an intent.
- Fixed an issue that sometimes caused the analog clock to fail to display when viewing wallpaper preview.
- Fixed an issue that sometimes caused only a right-side Bluetooth earbud to be paired.
- Fixed issues that prevented app launch animations from playing correctly.
- Fixed an issue where notifications from a prioritized conversation were erroneously dismissed when the group of non-prioritized notifications was dismissed.
- Fixed an issue where the sharesheet sometimes crashed after pressing the copy button.
- Fixed an issue where the UI didn’t return to the sharesheet workflow if a user edited an image from the sharesheet.
- Fixed an issue that sometimes caused Face Unlock to fail.
- Fixed an issue that sometimes caused a USB headset to consume additional power when connected to a device that was making a call using Voice over LTE (VoLTE).
- Fixed a null pointer exception that sometimes caused the launcher to crash after launching an app.
- Fixed an issue where, when using a device with a work profile, the Google Play Store app in the work profile would hang or crash when launched.
- Fixed various issues that caused the system UI to crash in some cases.
- Fixed other various issues that were impacting system stability.
Last month, Samsung officially confirmed the One UI 6.1 update for the 2022 models. Now, keeping its promise, the company has started rolling out the major update for the Galaxy S22 series.
The Android 14-based One UI 6.1 update for the Galaxy S22 series is live in South Korea. Users who own the Galaxy S22, Galaxy S22+, and Galaxy S22 Ultra can identify the latest update by the firmware version numbers S901NKSU3EXDC, S906NKSU3EXDC, and S908NKSU3EXDC, respectively.
Samsung has released several Galaxy AI features with the One UI 6.1 update that will help you provide a better communication experience and take advantage of the ability to quickly understand information.
For your information, the Galaxy S22 series device will get the benefit of all the important Galaxy AI features, including Circle to Search, Live Translate, Generative Edit, Note Assist, Transcript Script, Chat Assist, and many more.
Apart from the Galaxy AI feature, the device will also get some important additions on the customization side, where users will get several new changes related to wallpaper, lock screen, alarm, calendar, and many more.
To check the latest update on your device, navigate to the settings, then select the software update option here. Tap on the download and install option. Wait until it finishes searching to see if the update is available, then tap on the install button.
Samsung Galaxy XCover 5 is one of the rugged smartphones that is dedicatedly made for using it in any weather condition. It is worth noticing that the company hasn’t limited it to giving tough hardware but also keeps it up to date with its fresh software. In the last major update, Android 14, it has grabbed some new features, and unfortunately, it has also got an issue with the camera, which is causing inconvenience to the users.
Galaxy XCover5 getting a camera issue after Android 14
The Galaxy XCover 5 has received Android 14 and One UI 6.0, and after installing them, users have started reporting about the camera issue. In the reports, the consumers have pointed out that they are not able to use the camera focus like before. Since the camera is the most frequently used feature of the smartphone, its malfunction is significantly affecting the overall performance of the devices.
Due to the malfunctioning of the autofocus, users are also having difficulty making payments due to the autofocus malfunction. When they open the QR code scanner, they are unable to do so because the camera is not focusing on the code.
However, the Korean giant hasn’t yet released a statement regarding the issue’s resolution, despite the fact that the issue surfaced after the last update, suggesting a software update-related problem. Hopefully, Samsung could release a proper update that will update it to the latest version.
Android 14
Google Get Inspired By Samsung; As It Copies Secure Folder Feature Housed In Galaxy Phones
Is Google following Samsung? With the Android 14 QPR3 Beta 2.1, it offers a new option for private space, which Samsung already offers with the title Secure Folder.
Google released Android 14 QPR2 Beta 1 in November 2023, which introduced a feature called ‘Private Space’ already housed in Samsung devices as Secure Folder. Since reports have been around for several days that the latest iteration of Android 15 will be dedicated to more security and will bring tons of new features to enhance users’ secure experiences, one of the awaiting features is Private Space.
The upcoming Private Space feature will allow the user to install the application in a separate, locked profile, which they can hide at any time. Although this feature has been in the development phase for a long time, it has not yet gone live. Let’s take a closer look.
The new feature named ‘Lock private space automatically’ will allow users to configure the feature to automatically lock the protected space depending on one of the two sub-options they select in it, which are ‘Every time device lock’ and ‘After 5 minutes of inactivity.’ While choosing the first, the feature will lock Privact Space instantly after they lock the device.
But here’s the catchable fact: Secure Folder, available on Galaxy devices, already offers this feature, so somewhere it seems like Google got inspired by Samsung.
The reports are also saying that when users set up Private Space, the feature now recommends them to create a dedicated Google account for using it to’stop data appearing outside private space; for instance, ‘Synced photos, files, emails, contacts, calendar events, and other data,’ and many more. This suggestion and the option to automatically lock the protected space further enhance the privacy and security of private space.
Upcoming Private Space will offer a redesign setup flow to deliver a better idea of the feature. Since this feature initially appeared in Android 14 QPR2 Beta 1 and then Android 14 QPR3 Beta 2.1, it is expected that Android 15 will bring this feature to enhance the secure experience.