The Android 14 is finally available, and Google devices are the first to receive a stable Android 14 update. This is our Android 14 review, and we will cover everything necessary. It brings some new features that we will talk about here today, and we will also list out the devices that will get the update from other brands. The update comes with refinements, and this article will serve as a guide through Android 14.
This review is based on Pixel phones because we assume it’s how Google wants Android to look. Every smartphone brand, however, will customize it based on their perception. Most brands will tweak and customize the OS based on what they think is the best for their customers.
Android 14 Review – Everything You Need to Know
New Interface & Design
Google is sticking to the Material You design with Android 14, and instead of automatic theming, you are getting a lot of manual controls with the latest software update. There is a revamp of the wallpaper and style settings. You get separate settings for the home and lock screens on the new software update.
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You can now make more changes and tweaks to your lock screen other than just clock color and background. There are 8 different clocks on the new update, and they all have a custom look on the always-on display. You can play with the color or size of the clock.
The saturation slider also lets you set how visible you want the display. A new shortcut menu lets you switch between home control and wallet shortcuts. Right now, there aren’t many features on the wallet shortcut, only the camera for photos or videos. More wallpaper tweaks on the UI, including emoji and cinematic wallpapers, let you separate a subject from a wallpaper and add a 3D effect.
There are also many other minimal tweaks and features on the new UI. It is not a significant change like we got from Android 11 to 12, but from indications of the material you will be here for a while.
New Easter egg
There isn’t any Android update that doesn’t come with an Easter egg hidden in the setting. You have to tap on the version number repeatedly to access it. The Android 14 Easter egg differs from our emojis on Android 13.
It comes with a NASA-inspired space logo floating on a starry background. Once you tap the background, the phone will start vibrating, and the starts in the background will start accelerating. It creates a feeling like you are launching a spacecraft. A new screen will open where you can fly a stylized spaceship to different planets and stars with data on the celestial bodies displayed at the top and coordinates on your speed. It can be a way to keep yourself busy sometimes if you like.
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New Features of the Android 14
New Keyboard Shortcuts
Android 14 is making it clear that Google is focused on the big screen with the pixel tablet and pixel fold. There are new keyboard shortcuts that haven’t existed before that are available now. There are rumors of a keyboard accessory to the Pixel tablet, but it is yet to be specific. These new features are available to make typing faster and easier on Android 14. You also get gestures added to the keyboard as well.
Predictive Back Gestures
Predictive back gestures are going to change how you navigate your phone entirely. It will show you where a swipe back will take you before swiping. If you start swiping from the edge, you will see where you are going before you release it. You will also see the home screen when your swipe takes you there. It’s like the current gestures but more on the next level. It doesn’t work perfectly right now, but app developers are expected to use this in their favor. Getting it to work perfectly might take some time because it was buggy even during the BETA phase. Our android 14 review wont be complete if we don’t talk about this.
Improved System Share
If you are familiar with sharing links and other things on Android, you will know it is not the smoothest. Android 14 has a new feature that lets sharing files stand independently. Some older Android 14 that might not get Android 14 will get new share features pushed to their phone without an update. The new update allows apps to add custom in-app share actions into the system share sheet. Google Chrome is the first app to use this new feature, omitting its old sharing style. It might take some time, but it is the best.
Less Battery Drain
Android has always handled background apps in a friendly manner, but when there are malicious or poorly programmed apps, it can take a hit on your battery. Google has introduced different measures to combat the problem, and they took it further with Android 14. Apps can’t use much power when they are running in the background. Foreground apps are the highest priority, and apps no longer use exact alarms because they must run at specific times. Android 14 will have to acquire user permissions to use an exact alarm. The only things exempted from the restriction are calendars and alarms. There are also tweaks in the internal broadcast system that let your phone draw less power in the background. Events are queued, and they only pop when they are essential.
Android 14 Review – Security and Privacy
Protection from Accessibility Services Abusing Malware
With the new update, Google takes the fight against side-loading apps even further. You cannot side-load apps that target an SDK lower than 23, which relates to Android 6 of 2015. Many malware target outdated apps, and they convince you to install them through side loading. The new changes on Android 14 will make it hard for people to side-load apps. There might be a potential way to bypass it, but Google has ensured it that the flaws will mainly come from the users’ actions.
Improved Pin Entry Options
There is a revamped pin entry form, and Google will no longer display the numbers you are entering. They are replacing it with a bland and beautiful material you shape. You can also enable enhanced pin privacy that eliminates all unnecessary animations. If activated, even the buttons you tap will light up. After typing the pin, the phone unlocks without you tapping on enter. In the settings, though, you can disable the feature.
A List of All the Phones Getting an Android 14 Update
Many Android phones are getting the Android 14 update, and here is the tentative list of all the devices we know are receiving the update from all the brands. This is part of our Android 14 Review.
List of Google Pixel Devices Getting Android 14 Update
- Pixel Fold
- Pixel 8 Pro
- Pixel 8
- Pixel 7 Pro
- Pixel 7
- Pixel 7a
- Pixel 6 Pro
- Pixel 6
- Pixel 6a
- Pixel 5a 5G
- Pixel 5
- Pixel 4a 5G
- Pixel 4a
List of Samsung Phones getting the Android 14 Update
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5
- Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4
- Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3
- Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3
- Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
- Samsung Galaxy S23+
- Samsung Galaxy S23
- Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra
- Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus
- Samsung Galaxy S22
- Samsung Galaxy FE
- Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
- Samsung Galaxy S21+
- Samsung Galaxy S21
- Samsung Galaxy A53
- Samsung Galaxy A34
- Samsung Galaxy A24
- Samsung Galaxy A14
- Samsung Galaxy A04s
- Samsung Galaxy A73
- Samsung Galaxy A72
- Samsung Galaxy A53
- Samsung Galaxy A33
- Samsung Galaxy A23
- Samsung Galaxy A13
List of Xiaomi Phones Getting the Android 14 Update
- Xiaomi 13 Ultra
- Xiaomi 13 Pro
- Xiaomi 13
- Xiaomi 13 Lite
- Xiaomi 12T Pro
- Xiaomi 12T
- Xiaomi 12S Ultra
- Xiaomi 12S Pro
- Xiaomi 12S
- Xiaomi 12S Lite
- Xiaomi 12 Pro
- Xiaomi 12
- Xiaomi Mix Fold 2
- Xiaomi Civi 3
- Xiaomi Civi 2
- Xiaomi Civi 1S
- Redmi K60 Pro
- Redmi K60E
- Redmi K60
- Redmi K50 Ultra
- Redmi K50 Pro
- Redmi K50i
- Redmi K50 Gaming
- Redmi Note 12 Pro Speed
- Redmi Note 12 Turbo
- Redmi Note 12 Pro+
- Redmi Note 12
- Redmi Note 12S
- Redmi Note 11 Pro+
- Redmi Note 11R
- Redmi Note 11T Pro
List of Poco Phones Getting the Android 14 Update
- Poco X5 Pro
- Poco X5
- Poco M5
- Poco M4
- Poco F5 Pro
- Poco F5
- Poco F4 GT
- Poco F4
- Poco X4
- Poco C55
- Poco C51
List of Oppo Phones Getting Android 14 Update
- Oppo Find N3 Flip
- Oppo Find N2 Flip
- Oppo Find N2
- Oppo Find X5 Pro
- Oppo Find X5
- Oppo Reno 10 Pro Plus
- Oppo Reno 10 Pro
- Oppo Reno 10
- Oppo Reno 8T
- Oppo Reno 8T 5G
- Oppo Reno 9 Pro+
- Oppo Reno 9 Pro
- Oppo Reno 9
- Oppo A58 5G
- Oppo A98
- Oppo K11
- Oppo A78
- Oppo A1
- Oppo A1x
- Oppo A56s
- Oppo A96
- Oppo A58 5G
- Oppo F21 Pro 5G
- Oppo F19 Series
- Oppo F23
List of OnePlus Phones Getting the Android
- OnePlus 11
- OnePlus 11R
- OnePlus 10 Pro
- OnePlus 10T
- OnePlus 10R
- OnePlus 9
- OnePlus 9 Pro
- OnePlus 9R
- OnePlus 9T
- OnePlus Nord 3
- OnePlus Nord CE 3
- OnePlus Nord CE 3 Lite
- OnePlus Nord 2T
- OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite
List of Vivo and IQoo Phones Getting the Android 14 Update
- Vivo X90 Pro
- Vivo X90
- Vivo X80 Pro
- Vivo X80
- Vivo V29 Pro
- Vivo V29
- Vivo V27 Pro
- Vivo V27
- Vivo X70 Pro+
- Vivo X70
- Vivo V29e
- Vivo V25 Pro
- Vivo V25
- Vivo T2 Pro 5G
- Vivo Y100
- Vivo T2 5G
- Vivo T2x 5G
- Vivo T1 Pro 5G
- Vivo T1
- Vivo T1 5G
- Vivo Y100A
- Vivo Y56 5G
- Vivo V23 Pro
- Vivo V23 5G
- Vivo V23e 5G
- Vivo X60 Pro+
- Vivo X60 Pro
- Vivo Y75 5G
- Vivo Y36
- Vivo Y35
- IQOO 11
- IQOO 9 Pro
- IQOO9T
- IQOO 9
- IQOO 9SE
- IQOO Neo 7 Pro
- IQOO Neo 7
- IQOO 7 Legend
- IQOO Z7 Pro
- IQOO Z7
- IQOO Z7S
- IQOO 7
- IQOO NEO 6
- IQOO Z6 4G
- IQOO Z6 5G
- IQOO Z6 Lite
List of Realme Phones Getting Android 14 Update
- Realme GT2 Pro
Realme GT Neo 3 - Realme GT Neo 3 150W
- Realme 11 Pro 5G
- Realme 11 Pro+ 5G
- Realme Narzo 60 5G
- Realme Narzo 60 Pro 5G
- Realme GT Neo 3T
- Realme C55
- Realme 10 Pro 5G
- Realme 10 Pro+ 5G
- Realme Narzo N55
- Realme 11 5G
- Realme 11x 5G
- Realme 9 5G
- Realme 9i 5G
- Realme 9 Pro 5G
- Realme 9 Pro+ 5G
- Realme GT2
- Realme GT 5G
- Realme Narzo 60x 5G
- Realme Narzo 50 5G
- Realme Narzo 50 Pro 5G
- Realme 10
- Realme 9
- Realme C53
- Realme C51
