As we anticipate the Android 15, here are the top Android 15 features that could make your mobile life easier, way easier I must add.
Android 15 is certainly cooking something up and is set to introduce several features that users can utilize to perform simple tasks and see information at a glance.
Notable among these are the return of lock screen widgets for tablets, a new screensaver that lets you operate your Google Home devices, and the option to switch up your Google Wallet default wallet app.
When the Android 15 Beta was made available on April 11, 2024, all three of the new features were included. Pixel users can get it here. But to guarantee optimal stability, it’s usually preferable to hold off until the final release.
Google I/O 2024, which took place on May 14, is when we may anticipate the full release of Android 15, with announcements of some of its new features coming around Q3 of 2024.
Top Android 15 features that could make your mobile life easier
So below are some of the features, 3 features actually that could make the life of users increasingly easier.
Screensaver control of your smart home
A brand-new screensaver called “Home Controls” that lets users access their home controls directly from the screensaver may be included in the Android 15 upgrade.
This update will allow you to manage your compatible Google Home devices while your phone or tablet is charging by adding Home controls to that list.
This can include but is not limited to doorbells, thermostats, and cameras made by Google Nest. Your preferred controls for enabled devices will be displayed by Home Controls once they are selected and the screensaver is running.
The Home Controls screensaver is exclusive to Google Home devices and does not allow other device controls, thus other smart home applications will have to wait for their screensavers specifically for their products.
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Since Android 9, Android phones have had screensavers that let you see images, colors, or a basic clock while the device is charging. Although available on both Android phones and tablets, the addition of Home controls may be beneficial. Tablet users are likely to utilize it more frequently.
At the moment, you have to launch the Google Home app, use Google Assistant to activate it, create a lock screen shortcut, or choose the quick setting tile to access the Google Home settings.
Though none of them are very challenging, if you have an idle docked tablet and want rapid access to your smart home settings, using a screen saver could be a useful time-saver.
Return of widgets
With the Android 15 release, widgets may make a comeback to Android tablets’ lock screens.
Only visible from the home screen of Android devices, widgets provide rapid access to important app information without requiring you to open the program itself. You may quickly view things like notes, emails, and calendars.
In Android 4.2 Jelly Bean in 2012, lock screen widgets were accessible for both phones and tablets; however, they were later eliminated in Android 5.0 Lollipop.
Right now, the Google App, Google Clock, and Google Calendar are the only three apps available to you when your smartphone is locked. But with the possible upgrade, your tablet will have even more personalization options since you won’t need to unlock it to access useful widgets like YouTube Music or your contacts, images, and many more.
Widgets were first believed to be available exclusively on the Google Pixel Tablet, as was previously reported. It is anticipated that the lock screen widgets will manifest on Android tablets running Android 15, but not on Android phones.
Widgets are back, as Android Authority found out while sifting through the Android 15 Beta code. Users can install widgets from certain apps in a new “communal space” that it discovered. Swiping inward from the right side of the lock screen will take you into this area.
The “glanceable hub,” where the widgets will be kept, is mentioned in further depth. Even though they aren’t displayed on the lock screen directly, opening the apps directly is still quicker and less handy than opening them on a page that can be accessed from the lock screen.
Google Wallet as your default wallet app
Last but not least, the Android 15 might include the option to designate your favorite wallet app as the default app for storing wallet data and processing payments.
Credit cards, boarding passes for trains, loyalty and discount cards, and event tickets can all be stored in digital wallets.
Android is renowned for enabling you to choose your favorite apps as the default for the majority of phone features, including calendars, web surfing, file management, and media playing. But as of right now, you can only use the Google Wallet app to make NFC-based payments.
The Android 15 version may soon change this, as it seems to enable you to choose from a list of apps to use your phone’s NFC capability to store wallet data and make payments. Apple users, on the other hand, are presently restricted to utilizing Apple Wallet exclusively on their smartphones.
Only the AMEX app may be chosen at this time, and it isn’t functional yet, according to 9to5Google. In the future, hopefully, banks and other wallet apps will offer digital wallet apps that work with Android devices, giving customers more choices for how to store their wallet data and make payments.
Conclusion
These are the top Android 15 features that could make your mobile life easier, however, as it is consistent with all leaked beta features, it’s important to keep your expectations low knowing that some if not all of the possible additions to Android 15 listed and discussed above aren’t guaranteed.
Code inspections can frequently be interpreted differently. They could be dropped entirely or added in a later version, such as Android 16 or 17.
The Android 15 Beta is an unstable early build of the operating system that may cause bugs and even crashes for those who are daring enough to try it out. Thus, it’s advisable to either wait for the official release or make a backup of your device first.