Last night, Google unveiled Android 15 Beta 2, which introduces several new features. This version marks the final Beta release before entering the Platform Stability phase, focusing on bug fixes and stability enhancements to prepare for a full release in the third quarter of the year.
Android 15 Beta 2 is now available for testing on a variety of partner devices from brands like iQoo, Nothing, OnePlus, Lenovo, Sharp, Oppo, Realme, Techno, Vivo, Xiaomi, and Honor.
The core theme of Android 15 continues to prioritize performance and security enhancements. In Beta 2, performance improvements include limiting the operation of some foreground services like dataSync and mediaProcessing to run no longer than 6 hours to prevent battery drain. Apps requesting foreground execution must now display an overlay to clearly indicate their status.
Additionally, memory management has been enhanced by increasing the page size from 4KB to 16KB, allowing certain memory-intensive apps to operate more efficiently and conserve energy. On the graphics processing front, support for ANGLE has been added, enabling older apps using OpenGL ES to run on Vulkan, a newer API. Google plans to make ANGLE the default in 2025 and mandate OpenGL ES to run on ANGLE alone in 2026.
Switching to the new AV1 video decoding library, dav1d, from the VideoLAN project is another noteworthy addition in Beta 2.
Security features include Private Space, which locks specific apps behind user authentication, preventing unauthorized access. Android 15 also safeguards against “task hijacking” attacks by malicious apps spoofing legitimate apps in the background.
Improvements in secure intent handling strengthen security measures by requiring apps to include specific intent filters and prohibiting blank intent calls.
Other user-facing features include the ability to pin two apps to the taskbar to launch them simultaneously on tablets or large-screen devices, smoother Picture-in-Picture mode transitions, Widget Previews for personalized data-driven widgets, and Predictive Back activation as a default for more accurate back gestures.
Furthermore, language display adjustments have been made to prevent clipping in Asian languages, including Thai.
TLDR: Android 15 Beta 2 introduces new features focusing on performance enhancement, security, and user experience while preparing for a stable release in the third quarter of the year.
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