Android 13: 7 Stellar Features to Look Out For

From app-specific languages to its delectable name, here’s what we love about Android 13 so far.

Google has formally released Android 13. The new operating system is initially going to be available mainly for Google's own range of Pixel devices and will make its way to phones from different brands as time passes, although just how much time that will take is not known yet. As of now, if you have a Pixel phone (4 and above) or have enrolled with the beta testing programs of other brands (many have them), you can go right ahead and get the latest version of the most popular smartphone mobile operating system in the world — as per consumer data platform Statista, Android runs on 87.4 percent of the smartphones in the world.

Android 13 represents a significant step forward for the OS and comes with a number of new features and enhancements, adding a whole lot more to your smartphone experience. Of the bouquet of new features, these are the seven that are really worth trying out (or waiting for, depending on the status of your Android update):

Different languages for different apps 

This is easily our favourite feature of the latest version of Android, and is especially important for a country as diverse as India. 

You can now have apps with different language settings, different from the language chosen as default for your phone. So, you could have English as the default language for your browser, but have your Notes app in French or any other supported language. This is a fantastic feature for those who know multiple languages, and feel at home carrying out different tasks in different languages. 

One of our friends, for instance, feels the happiest reading in Hindi, e-mailing and tweeting in English, but likes to make notes in Marathi, as they work in a Marathi publication. Android 13 is perfect for folks like these who wear a many-language hat. 

Apps need to ask before sending notifications

One of the biggest headaches with Android is the fact that many apps send notifications and alerts without asking for your permission. The result often is a jam-packed, or should we say spam-packed, notifications area. Android 13 changes this. 

Apps will now need your permission to send you notifications, and will ask for this permission when you run it for the first time after installing it — they will not come with notifications allowed by default and you will not have to dig deep down into Settings to turn them off. 

Some will say that this feature is a trickle-down from iOS, but we could not care less. It just takes so much spam out of our lives and gives the user more control over what they view on their devices. 

Apps will have to ask specifically before accessing your media

In the past, if you wanted to share a photograph or document on your phone to a particular app (like Instagram for example), the app would simply ask permission to access your phone's storage. 

That's an incredibly general permission to grant for just accessing a single file. With Android 13, apps will now have to ask specifically if they can access your photos, your videos, and your audio files every time you want to share them. A whole lot better than that one overall permission!

Copying and pasting get easier

The clipboard functionality on Android 13 is smarter and easier to use. In the past, you simply highlighted and copied content, which was transferred to an invisible clipboard in the background, and pasted it elsewhere. 

In Android 13, when you copy the content, you get a tiny preview of it on the lower corner of the screen (just as you get when you take a screenshot). You also get options on what to do with what you have just copied and placed on the clipboard, such as paste it into a mail message, upload it to drive, put it on Twitter, and so on. You can also tap the preview to get into full-fledged text or editor mode and tweak what you just copied. 

Android 13 clears the clipboard content in an hour, protecting your privacy. It is a researcher's dream. 

Convenient and quick QR code scanning

One of the consequences of the pandemic has been the increased use of QR codes (well, in India, demonetisation made them popular as well). Rare is the day that passes without us scanning at least one QR code, be it for information or for making a payment or a registration of some sort. 

Scanning QR codes is a relatively simple task — you either launch your camera or a dedicated QR scanning app for the purpose. Well, Pixel 13 makes QR code scanning even simpler by placing a QR code scanner night in the notification area. 

So, all you need to do to scan a QR code is simply swipe down from the top of your device and access the QR scanner. It even works on the lock screen. What's more, it works very efficiently and swiftly. Super handy, indeed. 

The sound of music just got better

Android 13 comes with support for a new wireless audio standard called Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) audio. This results in better audio quality and will also let you broadcast audio to multiple devices while keeping battery consumption relatively on the lower side. 

Gamers and binge-watchers will be delighted to know that BLE audio also results in lower latency, so there will be better sync between the sound in your ears and what you see on the phone's display. 

Also on Android 13 is support for spatial audio with head tracking, allowing you to literally be surrounded by sound. Of course, a lot will depend on the hardware and devices you use, but Android 13 gives audio a definite push in the right direction.

App icons that blend in with the theme

This is perhaps the first feature a lot of users will try out with their Pixel 13 update. App icons will now have shades similar to the theme you use on your Android device. So for instance, if you have a blue-coloured theme, app icons will also be blue-coloured. 

It is purely a matter of aesthetic appeal and at the moment of writing, works only on Pixel devices and that too with apps whose developers support this feature, but when it works, it definitely looks very cool. Android 13 also brings more color theme options, so you will have plenty to choose from. 

(And one more thing) The codename of Android 13

Right up to Android 10, Google had a tradition of naming Android versions after desserts. So you had versions of Android named Cupcake, Froyo, Kitkat, Ice Cream Sandwich, and so on, following alphabetical order. Google discontinued this tradition with Android 10, reverting to referring to the operating system by its version number in public. 

However, it seems that the dessert nomenclature remains very much in place internally at Google. The codename given to Android 13 was Tiramisu. And so far, it seems to be as delectable as the dessert.