After the second developer preview of Android 13, Google has now released the first beta version of Android 13 and thus still on schedule, which was intended to release the first beta in April 2022. The first beta also introduces minor innovations.
Small changes to permissions
For example, the first beta changes how apps are allowed to access multimedia files once you give them permission to do so. While apps can still access all file types in shared storage in Developer Preview, permission is now more granular and limited to individual file types, images, videos, and audio files. If an application wants to access many types of files in memory, both types will be queried in a single dialog, not one at a time.
One of Google’s goals is to increase the focus on data protection and access rights issues with Android 13.
Pixel 6 to Pixel 4 is supported
If you already have Developer Preview installed, Android 13 Beta 1 will be automatically installed as an update in the next few days. If you don’t use the developer preview, you can still sign up for the beta and download installation images from Google. Future beta updates will then be imported over the air. The beta can be installed on the Pixel 6 Pro, Pixel 6 (test), Pixel 5a 5G, Pixel 5, Pixel 4a (5G), Pixel 4a, Pixel 4 XL, and Pixel 4. The Pixel 3a is not included again because the smartphone will not be In Google’s three-year support window for the planned release of Android 13 in the summer.
Developers must now test their apps
Since Google no longer sees Android 13 Beta 1 as just developers, the company is advising app developers to test their apps for compatibility with Android 13 now that more and more users are already migrating to Android 13 over the coming weeks and months.
