Android 13 was released in August 2022 and became available on all the best phones over time, including the flagship Google Pixel 7 and Google Pixel 7 Pro, which were both launched with it preinstalled. The release is as good as obsolete due to its successor, Android 14, which launched in October 2023 and offers thoughtful enhancements to a solid existing system. It's slowly making its way to all recent Android phones. You might still want to learn everything there is to know about Android 13 and all the quarterly feature drops it received while it was still getting new updates.

While this resource gives you an overview of everything you need to know about the OS, we also have a streamlined Android 13's best new features guide, which might be easier to digest. And if you want an opinionated dive into the operating system, check out our Android 13 review.

Android 13: A brief introduction

We got our first glimpse at Android 13 in February 2022 when Google released the first developer preview of the software to help developers get their apps ready for the stable release. The first Android 13 beta was released in May 2022 and was publicly available to anyone brave enough to use beta firmware on their Pixel phone. After that, the company focused on improving the last few bits and pieces leading up to the August 2022 launch of the software.

Like every year, the newest release of Android rolled out to Pixel phones first. However, the company waved goodbye to some of its older phones. Devices older than the Pixel 4 and 4a are cut off from further Android version upgrades, with the former only getting updates until October 2022 and the latter until August 2023.

It was expected that Android 13 would launch earlier than other recent Android releases as the first developer preview came out in February, and indeed, things panned out that way. It was released on one of the earliest dates we've seen, coming to us on August 15, 2022. In contrast, Android 14 was pushed back to a later date, launching in October 2023 rather than August.

Pixel Feature Drop updates

Android 13's feature drops are filled with changes, big and small, and they're the most recent changes to the operating system. That's why we put together this comprehensive list of what's new and changed at the beginning of this guide, starting with what's new in Android's Pixel Feature Drop.

What's new in Android 13's June 2023 Pixel Feature Drop

Google usually releases its security patches and Pixel Feature Drops on the first day of the month. It has often strayed from this unwritten rule in recent months (by now, the company has officially given up on this fixed launch day). The same is true for the June Pixel Feature Drop, which launched on June 13, 2023, about a week later than expected. The new launch offers many updates, many of which have popped up in Android 14 Beta 3 or the Android 13 QPR beta releases.

Emergency sharing via Google Assistant and better road safety

With the June Feature Drop, it's possible to use Google Assistant to start an emergency sharing session. Emergency sharing is a Pixel feature that you can turn on when you don't feel safe, like when you're out for a run during the night. It automatically contacts predefined emergency contacts for you unless you check in with the feature. To activate it via Google Assistant, say, "Hey Google, start a safety check for X minutes."

Google is also improving road safety. Google Pixel phones already detect when you're in a severe car crash and automatically call emergency services for you when you're unresponsive. With the June Feature Drop, it shares your location and your call status with your emergency contacts.

Camera improvements for Pixel phones

The June Feature Drop adds a few new camera capabilities. The Google Pixel 6 and newer now support a gesture-controlled timer. When you take a photo of yourself and set a timer for three or 10 seconds, you can raise your palm to activate the countdown. This makes hands-free selfies seamless, as you can position yourself as needed without worrying about the timer ticking while you're not ready.

The Google Pixel 7 Pro is also in for macro video recordings. Like with macro photos, the video camera uses the ultrawide camera's ultra-close focus to create sharp videos at a close range. Even though the Pixel 6 Pro is capable of macrophotography, it looks like Google decided not to make this feature available to it.

New wallpaper tools

During its developer conference, Google I/O, the company teased that it will add cinematic wallpapers that offer a 3D effect and emoji wallpapers that allow you to customize your background with emoji and patterns of your choosing. Both of these options are becoming available with the June Feature Drop.

Emoji wallpapers can be set up via the Wallpaper & style shortcut that you can access via a long press on an empty spot on your home screen. You can choose any emoji combination you can come up with. You also have a selection of patterns available in various sizes, allowing you to customize your emoji experience. There are also a few background colors to choose from. When you set an emoji wallpaper as your background, it animates when you tap your home screen or unlock it. After plugging in your phone, your selected emoji briefly flips over to turn into lightning bolts. It's possible to turn off these animations. You can also save and edit various emoji wallpapers.

Cinematic wallpapers are similar to the cinematic photos you may know from Google Photos. Here, Google intelligently separates the subjects from the background and animates them separately to create a distinct 3D effect video. Cinematic wallpapers work similarly, but since they're attached to your wallpaper, they animate when you move the phone to create an even more convincing effect. You will likely be able to choose from the same pool of images that are available to be turned into cinematic photos via the Photos app's Library > Utilities section. Still, we need to test this feature thoroughly to see how well it works.

Emoji wallpapers have been available in Android 14 Beta 3, while cinematic wallpapers are new to Android. The two wallpaper options were spotted in the code a while ago, even before they were announced at I/O.

Improved quick access to smart home controls

For a long time, Pixel phones have allowed you to quickly access smart home controls via shortcuts on the lock screen and in the notification shade. The interface you can access via these hooks is simpler than what an app like Google Home would give you. With the June Feature Drop, Google is severely revamping the interface, bringing it mostly in line with how the redesigned Google Home app looks and behaves.

According to Mishaal Rahman, third-party home apps will also be able to use the tools that made this redesign possible, allowing them to offer a customized quick home control panel of their own and in an interface they deem fitting.

Safer PIN entry screen

Your device PIN can be used to enter your Google account, so it's best to keep it as secure as possible. Google is adding an option that should make it more difficult for shoulder surfers to take a glimpse at your lock screen before they steal your phone. A new option in Security & privacy > Device Unlock named Enhanced PIN privacy makes it possible to hide the numbers you enter and the animations for pressing buttons. While you should still be careful in public, this makes it harder to see at a glance what you're entering in your PIN pad.

This option was long available in the Android 13 QPR3 beta build and can be activated in Android 14 Beta 3.

Better haptics and better charging

Some criticized the Pixel 7a and Pixel 6a for poor vibration motors. Google is offering a remedy for anyone who feels this way. Both phones' system settings offer a new toggle under Sound & vibration > Vibration & haptics called Adaptive alert vibration. The feature reduces vibration strength while your phone is still and the screen is facing up. This means your phone won't be as loud as it might otherwise be in this configuration.

Adaptive charging improvements are coming to all supported Pixel phones. Google says it optimized the AI that powers this feature, which is supposed to be more accurate in predicting how long you usually charge your phone. The AI only fully charges your phone about an hour before you unplug it. This is meant to preserve your battery's health in the long term.

New Google Recorder capabilities

Google Recorder is more often used as a tool for memos than for long-term interview recordings, and as such, you might want to share your voice recordings in a pretty package. Google is making this possible with the June Feature Drop. A new version of Recorder adds an option to export your memos as a video with the option to display speaker labels. It's also possible to search the transcript for speaker labels and export it to Google Docs. Google Recorder is not an Android update per se, but since Google included it with the Feature Drop announcement, we didn't want to omit it.

What's new in Android 13's March 2023 Pixel Feature Drop

Google started releasing bigger mid-cycle updates to Android, and Android 13 is no exception. These Quarterly Platform Releases (or QPR for short) bring a few select new features that are primarily targeted at the company's Pixel phone lineup. We have a quick rundown here:

• Faster and better Night Sight for Pixel 6 and 6 Pro: A Pixel 7 and 7 Pro feature is making its way into Google's 2021 flagships. The night photography mode is faster and improved, thanks to a better algorithm. Since the camera is Pixel-exclusive, this won't make it to other phones.
• Magic Eraser on all Pixel phones: Google's impressive Magic Eraser repair tool is available on all currently supported Pixel phones for free. The company previously made it a part of Google One. If you're a subscriber, you can use Magic Eraser on any phone, including the Apple iPhone.
• See timers from smart speakers on your Pixel: The March Feature Drop also sees the official introduction of a feature Google has been experimenting with for a while. You can see timers you've set on Google smart speakers in the upper-left corner of your Pixel phone's home screen and lock screen.
• Direct My Call improvements for Pixel phones: All Pixel phones show you a call menu with options to pick from even before the robot finishes telling you which options you have. This is available for select toll-free numbers in the US.
• Health Connect is becoming a preinstalled app: The Pixel phones include the Health Connect app by default, making it easier for fitness app providers to share and sync data across services privately and securely on your device.
• Multiple eSIMS: Google added the option to use two eSIMs simultaneously on the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro, new emoji kitchen combinations, and digital car key support via UWB on the Pixel 6 Pro and Pixel 7 Pro.

What's new in Android 13's December 2022 Pixel Feature Drop

The first QPR to hit Android 13 was the December Feature Drop. The company introduced some long-promised features to Pixel phones, including Clear Calling and a free VPN for the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro.

• Clear Calling: With Clear Calling, phone calls are easier to understand when you're in a loud environment. This feature will be exclusive to the Google Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro for the foreseeable future and can be turned on in system settings under Sound & vibration.
• Free VPN for Pixel 7: This is another exclusive feature for the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro. Owners of the new Google phones have access to the same Google One VPN that's usually part of Google's subscription service. It's a good option for added privacy when connected to a public Wi-Fi network, but it doesn't allow you to change your location virtually.
• Better battery stats: On Pixel phones, Android 12 and Android 13 did away with battery stats based on the last time you fully charged. Instead, phones would only display battery stats based on the previous 24 hours. Google recognizes that knowing what drained the most battery during one particular cycle is more useful and brought back the old way of displaying battery stats with Android 13's first Feature Drop.
• Media player tweak: The Android 13 media player, with its squiggly line representing playback, lost its scrubbing dot in favor of a vertical line.
• New fingerprint animation: When authenticating for online banking and similar things, there's a little green checkmark in the place of the fingerprint sensor when you've successfully authenticated yourself.
• Toggle for reverse wireless charging: Android 13's December Feature Drop lets you choose whether to use the wireless reverse charging feature when you plug in your phone. Previously, the reverse wireless charging option turned on automatically for 10 minutes after plugging in your phone, only deactivating when it didn't detect any accessories set down to charge.

Every new feature and design change in Android 13

Android 13's internal codename

All Android versions used to come with delicious, sweets-based codenames. Remember Android 4.4 KitKat or Android 9 Pie? While Google doesn't use these codenames for marketing purposes, its developers use them internally. For Android 13, this name is Tiramisu, following up on the not-publicly used Snow Cone for Android 12, Red Velvet Cake for Android 11, and Quince Tart for Android 10.

More Material You color schemes and cinematic wallpapers come on the latest version of Android

Android 13 gives us a selection of new palettes for extracting colors from the wallpaper. In addition to the existing "tonal spot" colors, Google gives users and Android manufacturers access to three other methods:

• Vibrant: Differs slightly in supplementary accents.
• Expressive: Offers a wider range of colors that extend to colors not seen in the background.
• Spritz: A desaturated, nearly monochromatic theme.

We have the details and samples on this in our exclusive coverage, and you can get your hands on these themes in the form of 16 new color extraction options in the wallpaper picker on your Pixel running Android 13.

Android 12 vs. Android 13. Note the scrollable wallpaper colors section with four more pages full of color options.

Android 13 Developer Preview 2 (DP2) also offered the first glimpse at so-called cinematic wallpapers. This could activate custom live wallpapers based on images from your photo library, much like cinematic images in Google Photos. So far, this hasn't made its way past experiments. Google is further experimenting with this in the upcoming Android 13 Quarterly Platform Release 2 (QPR2), but it's still possible that the company will add it to Android 14 at the earliest.

Alongside the launch of Android 13 DP1 in February, we learned Material You themes are coming to devices from Samsung, OnePlus, Oppo, and more. With Android 13 available on OnePlus and Samsung phones, you can now enjoy these color options on these devices.

The Google Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro, and any Pixel that still receives updates get a refreshed launcher

Android 13 introduced a revamped search experience on the home screen. A new launcher-based interface lets you search for on-device actions, Play Store and YouTube results, and Google from the search bar on your launcher.

There are minor differences in how this search works depending on whether you swipe up from the bottom or tap the search bar at the bottom, but it's more powerful and feels more integrated than what we had in Android 12. You can even pin recent launcher searches to your home screen, which can be handy.

Android 13 notifications are now opt-in

Android has always been better at managing and displaying notifications than iOS. Still, there's one thing we appreciate in Apple's ecosystem. Applications need to ask you for permission before they're allowed to send notifications.

Android 13 finally follows suit and won't allow apps to send you notifications when you install them unless you give them permission. If you upgrade from Android 12, this only affects newly installed apps, so it doesn't break existing functionality.

Like most other permissions, the notification prompt pops up when an app first runs and requests the POST_NOTIFICATIONS permission. Your options will be binary. You can either allow or deny notifications altogether. You can't select specific notification channels, which is a bummer.

There's a QR code scanner quick settings tile

We exclusively covered that Android 13 could get a quick settings tile for a QR code scanner, including some lock screen functionality, and that has turned out to be true. In Android 13 DP1, we first saw the QR scanner quick settings toggle in the notification shade, though it was grayed out and inaccessible. This has changed over the betas, and now, the QR code reader is live as a quick toggle in the stable release. It even works on the lock screen when you pull down your notification shade. Since it's tailor-made to scan QR codes, it's much faster than Google Lens or the preinstalled camera app, which both offer QR code scanning capabilities.

Android 13 supports per-app language options

As we exclusively covered even before the launch of the first developer preview, Android 13 introduced an option that allows you to set your preferred language on a per-app basis.

First two images: Per-app language settings on Android 13 DP2. Last two: Missing per-app language settings on A13 Beta 1 and stable.

The per-app language feature first went live in the Android 13 betas but was watered down for the stable release. Apps must add a specific bit of code to make it clear to Android that they support the multilingual option, even if they have resources for multiple languages and can change which they use based on your system's language.

It will take a while until all apps on your phone are eligible for this feature. Only a handful of apps have added support for these per-app language settings, but we hope it will soon be available in virtually all multilingual apps. You can work around this with an ADB command, as Esper's Android expert Mishaal Rahman shared on Reddit.

Your battery should last longer with Android 13

Android 13 warns you when apps cause excessive battery drain in the background. The alerts appear as silent notifications, allowing you to kill the app with a single tap. If you want the app to keep running, swipe away the notification. When you've done that, an overview of the apps running in the background appears in the quick toggles section of the notification shade, staying out of the way but keeping you informed if you want to know more about what's happening on your phone.

Google is also developing a new feature called TARE, short for "The Android Resource Economy." It's supposed to monitor how apps run in the background and which tasks they perform, awarding and taking credits from apps to limit their ability to schedule unlimited jobs for the future. Since this is still in active development, we'll likely have to wait until Google gives us proper documentation to understand exactly how it works, and it didn't make the cut for Android 13.

Android 13 has UWB support, but your phone may not

Ultra-wideband, or UWB for short, is an exciting technology that's making it possible for a slew of new applications. It turns your phone into a car key, helps you find lost gadgets that support UWB, and augments features initially made possible by NFC and Bluetooth.

The Google Pixel 7 Pro and the Pixel 6 Pro have a UWB antenna on board. However, since the implementation can differ across devices and manufacturers, Android 13 adds a generic hardware abstraction layer that gives all Android devices a shared foundation for how UWB works. This makes it easier for manufacturers and app developers to implement these futuristic features in their products.

For the Google Pixel 6 Pro, a few UWB features will make their way into the Android 12 January security patch, but the full system-wide abstraction layer should only come in Android 13.

Bluetooth Low-Energy Audio support is included

Android 13 is the first version of Android to introduce fully fleshed-out support for Bluetooth Low-Energy Audio. The standard is meant as a replacement or at least an alternative for regular Bluetooth audio streaming. It brings a slew of improvements to the table: lower energy consumption at almost the same audio quality, multi-stream support to send signals to both of your earbuds at the same time (or to multiple headphones or speakers at once), and full support for the features introduced in Google's Bluetooth hearing aid protocol.

Devices need to be equipped with the appropriate hardware to provide you with Bluetooth LE Audio streaming, but this will only be a question of time as new phones, tablets, headphones, and speakers are released.

Assistant gestures make their return with Android 13

Gesture navigation may be the new default way of interacting with your phone. Still, many people prefer the three-button navigation of old, whether for accessibility reasons or because they're used to it. Those who do can now optionally enjoy using Assistant via a long press on the Home button.

A new toggle in the navigation settings allows you to select holding the Home button as your preference, so you don't need to rely on the power button to invoke Assistant. Similarly, Google is bringing back the swipe-up-from-the-corner gesture for Assistant when you use gesture navigation. This can be set up from the same place in System Settings.

A new media player and output picker are part of the OS update

Android 10 introduced an output picker for audio and other media, allowing you to choose how you'd like to listen to something: on your phone, your wireless headphones, or your Bluetooth speakers. Android 13 has an all-new look for this feature, with a total redesign for selecting the destination for your audio and the media player.

It looks even better than we expected, using the album cover of your currently playing media as the background. Google also introduced a snazzy new squiggly animation that grooves along with you and your music.

Android 13 could also give us a feature first promised in Android 11. As discovered by Mishaal Rahman, a future update of Android 13 could add the option to connect to Cast devices from the media output picker in your notification shade. This functionality was initially promised for Android 11. However, it never rolled out.

The Google Pixel 7, Pixel 7 Pro, and Pixel 6 series get spatial audio support

Android 13 added a spatializer effect, which manifested as Google's version of the iPhone's spatial audio feature. This could be good news for anyone who loves to enjoy their audio content the best way possible on their Pixel 6. Supported Bluetooth headphones offer a toggle for the feature.

The lock screen is better

Android 12's new Material You design and the upcoming interface changes need more fine-tuning. Those who dislike the overblown lock screen clock, in particular when they don't have notifications, can enjoy a pleasant change in Android 13. Google introduced a toggle for turning off the huge clock labeled as "Double-line clock." This isn't exclusive to Android 13, though. The option already made its way into Android 12L, which was under development at the same time as Android 13.

Gaming may be better with Android 13

Mishaal Rahman found an interesting tidbit of information regarding devices that launch with Android 13. A new API allows games to temporarily boost the CPU speed while they're loading, making it possible to launch titles quicker than before.

It looks like some Pixel phones could get updated to take advantage of this API, but this isn't a given for most currently available phones. We haven't heard much more about this after the official launch of Android 13, so this might not have come to fruition.

There's a new photo picker that's much more refined

Android 13 introduces a new photo picker that offers a more streamlined experience when you add images to your messages. Instead of using the full-blown document picker, apps that you use to send or upload photos can use this to preserve your privacy and only give you relevant results.

Google is also bringing this new photo picker to older Android versions via its Play Services system updates, so it might be adopted a little quicker. The media picker will be available on versions as old as Android 4.4 KitKat, released in 2013.

Third-party Material You icons are on board

We've complained extensively about how Material You limits its app icon theming to Google's services and nothing else. It clashes with the rest of your home screen, resulting in an unfinished look that's pushed some Android Police writers back to third-party launchers and icon packs.

With Android 13, Google will bring dynamic icon themes to all apps, assuming developers choose to support it. We've already seen many third-party apps introduce support for it, and we have a list of all the apps that support themed icons we found.

Quick Settings Placement API means no more unexpected tiles

Developers have had the option to add tiles to Android's quick settings menu for years, but with 2022's update, teaching people how to use these tiles becomes easier.

The Quick Settings Placement API allows apps to advertise their tiles with a pop-up notification, making these tools and shortcuts more evident to the average smartphone owner. While there's always the risk of abuse with prompts like these, it seems to be a great way for developers to make better use of an underutilized part of Android.

Major improvements for the clipboard are coming with the update. Android has long been improving clipboard management, and the latest release takes things up another notch. When you copy text in Android 13, you see a small floating panel that allows you to view and change the contents of your clipboard. This makes it easy to tweak URLs or addresses before sharing them. The clipboard additionally auto-clears after a certain time as a privacy measure, which is good if you copy your email addresses, phone numbers, or login credentials. Otherwise, nosy bad actors could get access to these sensitive details.

For some, Android 13 also includes a Nearby Share shortcut within the clipboard. This doesn't appear to be widely rolled out yet, though.

There's an Easter egg

Android 13's Easter egg is a little disappointing in how similar it looks to Android 12's design, though it's hard to be mad when your display is covered with emojis.

Android 13 ships with predictive back gestures

Google is preparing a tweak to the back gesture that shows when you are about to exit the app and go to the home screen. It's a small change that requires a large amount of work behind the scenes, and as such, the feature remains experimental in stable Android 13.

To see how it works and looks, activate predictive back gestures in the developer options. Even then, only a handful of apps work with this, as it requires tweaks from app developers. Google News and system settings are the only apps we've spotted working with it on Android 13.

Google will only make this tweak a part of the default experience in Android 14. Maybe the company has more interesting changes planned for gesture navigation with this release. These kinds of animations could also be used to transition between sections of apps or when moving from app to app.

Extended treble compatibility for the beta

While you won't need it now that Android 13 is stable, the Android 13 beta officially worked with all devices that are compatible with Treble. This makes it easier for developers to get ready for the new release when they don't own a Pixel device, even though some important features, like phone audio, don't work on these builds.

Additional minor changes in Android 13

A handful of small changes in the new OS version are worth rounding up.

• Flashlight: The quick tap shortcut initially added to Pixel phones in Android 12 is getting support for turning the flashlight on and off.
• Privacy: Last year's update brought about some significant privacy improvements, and Android 13 is keeping the momentum rolling with seven-day views in the Privacy dashboard.
• Haptics: Silent mode deactivated nearly all haptic feedback in DP2. A controversial change and one that has been undone in Beta 1. There are also a handful of new vibration settings, though they don't seem to do much.
• Big screen changes: Android 13 Beta 1 has also introduced the familiar row of intelligent app suggestions for the drawer on big screen devices, along with a new app drawer shortcut.
• Smart home controls: It brings back the option to control your smart home devices without unlocking your screen.
• Display and font settings: Google pushed its display and font size options together under one menu, and the screen saver picker has an all-new look.
• Screen recording: Android's touch indicators when recording have returned after they went missing in 12L.
• Split screen: A split-screen feature from 12L lets you pull up two apps at once in multiple windows from notifications.
• Hidden features: There's a whole bunch of hidden features, including an automatic dark mode and a new placement for the app drawer's search box, helping round out a substantial release.
• exFAT support: It's been years in the making, but if you've been waiting for exFAT support on Android, this latest upgrade finally makes it a reality.
• Navigation bar: While Google isn't changing its gestures system, it added some thickness to the bar along the bottom of the display. It looks a lot like iOS.
• Media file permissions: Google is introducing some changes to how it handles media file permissions, along with a warning that prevents users from handing over more data to older apps than they otherwise would.

Android 13 will soon be replaced by Android 14 on your phone

Android 13 should have come to every recent phone at this point in time, even if you don't have a Pixel. It's replaced by Android 14 as the newest stable update, which is now making its way to virtually all recently released Android phones. The flagship phones to experience the new release are the Google Pixel 8 and the Google Pixel 8 Pro, the company's 2023 top-of-the-line products. If you want access to all the latest and greatest features, join the Android 14 Beta program, which gives you access to upcoming features coming to the new release.

• 

  Google Pixel 8

  Android 13 was never available on the Google Pixel 8, but if you want to experience the next Android release, Android 14, on a brand-new phone, the Pixel 8 is the product to choose. It offers a great all-round package at a reasonable price.

  $699 at Amazon $699 at Google Store $699 at Best Buy

• 

  Google Pixel 8 Pro

  The Google Pixel 8 Pro is the phone to experience Android 14 to its fullest extent. It offers the latest and greatest hardware, including an upgraded camera array with new lenses all around, and a super-bright screen to make the software pop even more.

  $999 at Amazon $999 at Google Store $999 at Best Buy