Google releases second Android 14 developer preview, inching closer to public beta

Google today just announced the date of its annual developer conference Google I/O, where we expect to learn a lot more about what Google has been working on over the last year. 

One product that always gets a lot of stage time at I/O is Android. Google released the first developer preview exactly one month ago, with the promise of a second developer preview in March. And today, Google is delivering on that promise. 

The second developer preview of Android 14 is rolling out now. 

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According to Google, one of the new changes developers we’ll see in the new preview is the option for Android users to only grant an app access to specific photos in their gallery or photos app, instead of an all-or-nothing approach. 

Other changes and improvements worth calling out include improvements to the interface for the new credential manager API that brings support for passkeys, a new industry standard for password-less accounts. 

Those changes join the features Google already announced in Android 14, all of which are currently meant to be developer-facing, with the first public beta — expected in April — typically when we start to see Google turn on more of the consumer-facing changes and new features. 

If you’re brave enough, you can install the developer preview on a compatible Pixel phone. 

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But be forewarned, the process will factory reset your phone, wiping all of your information in the process. I strongly urge you to wait for the first public beta before jumping on the Android 14 bandwagon.