Android 13 developer preview begins, with public-ready version coming after July 2022

Android 13 just started its developer preview recently, with a scheduled release date to come after July 2022.

The new operating system comes with brand new features. The Android team showed off Themed App Icons (where third-party apps also get your theme’s customisation), Quick Settings (contextual menu items and tiles without leaving app), and per-app language preferences for multilingual users (where you can set your preferred language on an per-app basis).

For now, Developer Preview 1 and 2 will focus on API support, where any critical issues encountered by app makers are flagged and corrected. The first two previews will also see Android 13 features added, but mostly for the sake of app and OS compatibility.

The first Android 13 beta release doesn’t come until April 2022, when early adopters can try and give feedback on the operating system. Final compatibility testing starts in June 2022 when Android 13 reaches its first platform stability milestone.

While Android 13’s final release date is uncertain, we know that the last planned beta stage will be happening in July 2022.

Currently, the preview is limited to specific Google Pixel devices, like the 4, 4 XL, 4a, 4a (5G), 5, 5a, 6, and 6 Pro. If you’re in the business of making mobile apps or software, you can get started here.

This article was first published in Hardware Zone.