Discover the key features of the new Android 13 update.

As usual, every year there is a new release of the Android operating system for phones and tablets. Throughout this year, the development of Android 13 (also known by the codename Tiramisu) has been underway as the next major upgrade for smartphones, whether from Google or other manufacturers. Unlike previous versions, Android 13 is not packed with many groundbreaking features, but Google has focused on improving user experience, enhancing user security and privacy. However, this doesn’t mean it’s a “boring update” as there are new and important additions, let’s highlight them for you in the following paragraphs.

When will Android 13 update arrive on my phone?

As usual, Google Pixel phones are the first to receive the Android 13 update. If you own a Pixel 4 or 4A or higher, you can download the update now by going to Settings > System > System Update > and then clicking on Check for Update, where you should see the notification for the upgrade to Android 13. Click on Download & Install to proceed.

Of course, newer Android phones from companies like Samsung, Oppo, Xiaomi, Nokia, Asus, Motorola, OnePlus, Sony, and others will start receiving the Android 13 update later this year. However, there is no official information on the exact time these companies will send the new update to their phones and tablets.

Samsung usually takes a few months to send major Android updates after Google releases them. Looking back at last year, there was a gap of three months between Android 12 release and One UI 4 update. However, it is possible that companies in general will be able to release the Android 13 update somewhat earlier than last year due to the lack of major upgrades in the new update, just as we mentioned, only minor improvements and tweaks.

You might be interested: List of Samsung phones that will receive Android 13 update (One UI 5)

There are many features that encourage you to update to Android 13 as soon as it becomes available for your phone. Here is a quick overview of the most important update features that we believe are useful for all users. However, you can find more details about each feature in the update on the Features and APIs Overview page on the official Android developers site.

One of the key changes in the Android 13 update is the ability to customize the icons of installed applications to match the background colors by activating the “Themed icons” option available in the interface settings. This is part of enhancing customization capabilities based on the Material You design language introduced by Google for the first time with the Android 12 update. In addition, the option to choose from 16 background and icon colors instead of just 4 in the previous version is now available. It is worth noting that Google is encouraging more developers to support colorful icons in Android 13, so you may not find all app icons ready to align with the new design approach, but it’s just a matter of time.

After installing the Android 13 update, when you copy text, a link, or a phone number, a pop-up menu will appear at the bottom of the screen displaying quick actions based on the content you copied. For example, if you copy regular text, you will find an option to send this text to another Android device (provided it is connected to the same Google account) or when you copy a URL link, an option to view its content in the default web browser will appear, and if you copy a phone number, a call action will appear to call that number directly, and so on. It is also worth noting that all content stored in the clipboard will be automatically deleted after a short period of time (perhaps an hour or less) to protect your privacy from malicious app espionage.

Privacy always gets its share of Android updates, and this time there are many improvements that restrict applications’ access to device permissions. For example, in previous versions, if you wanted to choose a picture or video to share via an app, that app required access to all media files. But in Android 13, you no longer have to grant full access to the media library to choose the images or videos you want the app to access instead of delving into all media files – as in iPhones after the iOS 14 update.

The new update also adds an option to prevent apps from accessing location tracking permission when needing to know nearby devices connected to the Wi-Fi network. There is a separate option that allows apps to do this without constant location tracking. Other improvements include the “Privacy dashboard” page in settings that displays access logs for the camera, microphone, location, and more over the past seven days, instead of 24 hours in Android 12. Finally, all privacy and security settings have been unified into one place, the “Security & Privacy” page, where you can find out if there are any harmful apps and know the actions required to enhance phone security, etc.

In the past, when you install an app on your Android phone, by default, it would have the permission to send notifications directly without informing the user. However, in Android 13, it is now possible to control the access of notifications for each app separately, as is the case with iPhones. After launching an app for the first time on Android 13, a permission to allow or deny sending notifications will appear, and if you launch an already installed app after installing the Android 13 update, you will be asked whether you want the app to continue sending notifications.

Google has recently shown an interest in tablets or large-screen devices running on the Android system, introducing some changes in the Android 13 system designed to take full advantage of those large screens. For tablets and foldable phones, you will see a taskbar at the bottom showing frequently used apps (with the option to hide it), in addition to displaying the quick settings and notifications panel in two separate columns, making it easier to swipe and switch between multiple apps.

Android 13 also offers support for unlocking tablets using WearOS watches and switching between audio outputs “when the tablet is connected to another audio source such as headphones, for example.” Google has also updated the interface of more than 20 of its apps to make them easier to use with large screens, including YouTube Music and Google Maps. The new system also allows for finger and stylus touch recognition separately, as well as wrist touch recognition while using the stylus, so as not to hinder the user during drawing or writing.

The use of QR codes has become common in recent times, especially during the Coronavirus pandemic, as an easy way to share data with a large number of people. In light of the renewed importance of QR codes, Google has added a useful shortcut in the quick settings panel for scanning QR codes optically without the need to install external apps. Just drag down the status bar and press the Edit button to select quick settings items, then drag the QR Code Scanner shortcut to the shortcuts panel, where clicking on it will open the camera to scan the code.

Google has also introduced some new enhancements to the media player that appears in the notification panel (after dragging down the status bar) to make it look a bit better. There is now a curved line to show progress while playing music or podcasts, as well as displaying the full album artwork within the player. Additionally, some button placements have been changed for easier control. The source switching feature has also been improved so you can switch between headphones and speakers faster.

Google introduced the ability to control smart devices connected to the phone such as light bulbs, thermostats, surveillance cameras, and others through the quick settings panel to control them quickly. But turning on or off any device of the smart devices through these shortcuts required unlocking the phone first.

It remained this way even in Android 12, but now with the Android 13 update, it is no longer necessary to unlock the phone to access the smart device controls from the lock screen. You can go to Settings > Display > Lock screen > then enable the Control from Locked Device option. After that, an icon will appear at the bottom left of the lock screen, press it, and the smart device control shortcuts connected to the phone will appear.

There are more other additions with the Android 13 update, and although they may be simple, they are worth mentioning. Let’s start with the feature of quickly tapping to activate the rear flashlight, in the Quick Tab feature available on Pixel devices, there is a new option that allows you to double-tap the back of the phone to turn on the flashlight, which you can activate by going to Settings > Gestures > Quick Tab > Toggle Flash.

Android 13 also introduces support for Bluetooth LE Audio technology and LC3 encoding to reduce power consumption when connecting wireless headphones to the phone while ensuring better quality, just make sure you have devices that support this feature.

Additionally, Google has added end-to-end encryption feature in the Messages app for group chats, of course, when chatting using RCS (abbreviation for Rich Communication Services) and available in many messaging apps such as WhatsApp and Telegram.

Another feature that has been available on the iPhone for a while and is now available on Android phones with the Android 13 update is the ability to customize the display language for each app individually. You can specify the default language for each app separately, for example, WhatsApp works in Arabic while Facebook and YouTube work in English. Just go to Settings > System > Language and Input > App Languages and select the app and the default language for it.

Google also added support for Spatial Audio technology for a more immersive audio experience in videos and music, which you might find more useful in games. In general, the use of this technology depends on the headphones you use and whether they support this feature or not.