Google released the first of four public beta releases of Android 14. As with previous versions, the first beta is also the first release that anyone, assuming they have a supported Pixel device, can install over-the-air, dating back to the Pixel 4a 5G. (but not the Pixel 4).
There is currently no official support for non-Google phones. Remember that these are betas for a reason, and that they are primarily intended for developers who want to test their apps against this new version, as well as early adopters who can’t wait for the stable release.
There aren’t many new features in this beta version, but there are two user-facing UI updates worth mentioning. The first is a new back arrow (yes, we’ve arrived at a point in mobile OS history where new back arrows are the most exciting thing).
The gesture navigation experience now “includes a more prominent back arrow while interacting with an app to help improve back gesture understanding and usefulness,” according to Google. This arrow will match your device’s wallpaper or theme.
