My 3 favorite features from Android 13
Wake up! A new Android version just dropped
Android 13 is here. Even though it’s packed to the gills with new features, API updates, and privacy enhancements, it can’t hold a candle to the version Google released a year ago: Android 12. And that is not a bad thing at all — save for the statue Google unveiled to commemorate the release of Android 13, which, to some, appears to be a butt.
With this new release, Google aims to improve upon Android 12 by making sensible tweaks, addressing stability issues, and bringing a few features which users will appreciate.
From a squiggly progress bar that shows your music’s current timestamp to a privacy-focused photo picker, this update packs some features worth checking out. Here are my top three favorite ones:
Oh, and the dessert name for this year’s release is the sweet Tiramisu.
1. App-specific language support — a godsend for multilingual users
Before, if a user wished to set a new language, he or she had to go to Settings, then System > Languages & input > Languages submenu, only for the language to apply system-wide, which is not ideal for multilingual users.
Android 13 finally addresses this issue by introducing per-app language support. Now you can change the language of that one app without altering the entire OS’ tongue.
To access the app’s language settings, press and hold the app icon on your home screen and press the small i button. If the app has declared support for your language, you will get to select it. Or go to Settings > Apps > Languages to see if an app supports your language.
One important thing to note is that your language won’t be in the app’s language options unless the developer has declared support for it. It is up to the app developer to respect this feature, unfortunately.
2. Notification permissions — apps now have to ask for your consent before annoying you
It wouldn’t be a new update without Google tweaking the notifications department. This year, the release brings a small but welcome change to the way apps deliver notifications the first time you launch them.
When you first open an app, a new pop-up dialog asks whether you want the app to send you notifications. This is a far easier option than waiting for the app to send you an alert and then turning it off, or diving into the app’s notification settings and adjusting the permissions.
iOS users enjoyed a similar feature for years; I am glad Google brought this feature to the Android land, minimizing notification overload and giving users an easier way to opt out.
3. A much-improved clipboard — an upgrade we didn’t know we needed
Copy and paste have been a staple feature of Android, with no significant changes until Android 13’s arrival. This update brings a new visual clipboard editor, which you can use to edit the text you copied before sending it anywhere.
It’s a handy tool because I’ve often copied incomplete sections of text or wanted to add more to the copied content but couldn’t do so.
This editor allows you to change any copied text and even displays an updated preview of your content once you’ve finished editing.
Aside from text, the editor also works with images, providing markup tools for making edits and a choice to crop the image to your desire.
You need to wrap up all your clipboard adventure in an hour, though, because the system will erase the entire clipboard data after sixty minutes for security reasons.
I didn’t know how much I needed this feature; it makes me appreciate Android 13 for its small but thoughtful add-ons.
Conclusion
If I needed to describe Android 13 in one sentence, it’ll be: small but meaningful. Google’s theme with this release is to provide quality-of-life improvements and stability to the hard work already accomplished by Android 12.
There is no need for any fancy UI overhaul or a fundamental change in the way Android works. What the OS needs is stability, bug fixes, and thoughtful features. Updates like this make the OS more mature, which is always a good sign.
The Android 13 update is rolling out right now to Pixel devices ranging from the Pixel 4 to the Pixel 6 Pro. As for other devices, expect announcements from the respective manufacturers in the coming weeks as the infamous Android update waiting game begins.
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