Dave Burke, VP, Engineering, Google, said in a blog post that “with Android 13 we are continuing to address some important themes: privacy and security, as well as developer productivity.”
Burke said Google believes that people want an OS and apps they can trust with their most personal and sensitive information. “Privacy is core to Android’s product principles, and Android 13 is focused on building a responsible and high-quality platform for all by providing a secure environment and greater control to the user on the device,” he said. Here are some of the features that may come with Android 13:
photo picker feature
To help protect users’ photo and video privacy, Android 13 adds a system photo picker – a standard and customized way for users to securely share photos, both local and cloud-based. With this feature, users will have the option in apps to give them access to shared photos and videos without allowing them to view all media files on the device.
Nearby devices permission for Wi-Fi
Apps will be able to connect to nearby devices over Wi-Fi without requiring location permissions. “Previously, location permission requirements were a challenge for apps that needed to connect to nearby Wi-Fi devices, but didn’t actually require device location,” Burke explained. With Android, 13 apps will be able to connect to Wi-Fi without location and enhance users’ privacy in the process.
Google has clarified that the first preview is only for Application Developers and not users. “As we reach our beta release, we will be inviting consumers to try Android 13 as well, and we will open enrollment for the Android Beta Program at that time,” concluded Burke.
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