The latest Android version might just be the platform's most iterative update yet. Android 15 looks and feels almost exactly the same as Android 14, and even its biggest new features aren't things you'd necessarily notice if you weren't looking for them.
That's not a bad thing; after nearly two decades of development, Android has reached a place where sweeping annual changes aren't necessary or even practical anymore. Android 15 is the most mature release yet, with subtle improvements that refine the basic look and feel we've gotten accustomed to since 2021's Android 12. Android development may not be the spectator sport it once was, but Android 15 will make your phone just a little better -- and at this point, what more is there to ask for?
This initial review was written based on beta versions of Android 15 and information provided by Google. We'll update it with more thorough impressions from the stable release soon.
Android 15
Android 15 brings a handful of relatively low-key improvements to the Android experience we've gotten used to over the past few years, including a private space to stash sensitive info and the ability to archive installed apps to save space. It's not a revolutionary update by any means, but that's okay -- some bigger changes are expected in Android 15 QPR1.
ProsPrivate space is a novel way to make sensitive data more secureBrings Pixel 9 Pro Fold's multitasking improvements to more devicesEssentially no learning curve coming from other recent versions of Android ConsSurprisingly few new features for how long we've waitedVirtually identical design language for the fourth version in a row might feel stale for enthusiasts The 'big' new features Close
Android updates ain't like they used to be. Years ago, the release of a new Android version was a real event for phone nerds, with each numbered update delivering significant new features and visual changes. In recent versions, the rate of change has slowed way down: Android 14 wasn't much different from Android 13, which wasn't all that different from Android 12.
In Android 15, the improvements are all around the margins, with niche new features like low-friction app archival and a new "private space" to cordon off sensitive apps and data from the rest of your device, enhancing the Android experience for users with particular use cases.
Private space
Android 15's new private space is arguably the biggest user-facing addition. Private space is what it sounds like: a way to separate data you want to be extra sure stays secure in case somebody else were to get a hold of your device.
Private space is more than a locked folder to hide app icons in, though. It's essentially a second user profile hidden inside the one you normally use. When you set up your private space, you'll be encouraged to create a brand-new Google account for maximum privacy, so that data from Google apps -- photos, documents, emails, and more -- doesn't spill over to the apps outside your private space.
You can use your primary account, but Google will treat the private space instance as separate from the rest of your phone; apps installed outside of your private space won't be available inside it, and vice versa. You can install the same app in both places, but each will have distinct local data -- a notes app outside your private space won't have access to locally stored notes created in the same app inside your private space. (Apps with online backup signed into the same account in both instances will have access to the same data in the cloud, though.)
There are plenty of everyday reasons to set up private space.
Whether you're using your primary Google account or creating a new one, you have the option to set up a separate screen lock for your private space. For example, I can unlock my Pixel 8 with a pattern, my fingerprint, or my face, but my private space is secured by a separate PIN and can't be opened with biometrics.
It's easy to imagine extreme use cases -- victims of abuse hiding resources for help from prying eyes, for example -- but there are plenty of everyday reasons to set up private space, too. For instance, if you regularly hand your device off to a younger user you don't want stumbling onto your social media apps, or simply to put an extra lock in front of your banking info in case you lose your phone.
By default, you access the private space by tapping a persistent bar at the bottom of the app drawer that's labeled Private, but for added security, you're able to hide that, too. If you do, you'll access your private space by beginning to type "private" into your app drawer's search bar, then tapping a chip that prompts you to "set up or open" the view. Very covert, indeed.
App archiving
App archival is another clever addition that only certain users will appreciate. Android 15 adds the option to delete apps from your device while retaining their data, freeing up some of the space the installed app was using.
An archived app leaves behind a darkened version of its icon overlaid with a download icon. Tapping it will reinstall the app, and you'll be right where you left off, as if you'd never uninstalled it -- no repeating the first-time setup workflow, no logging back in. None of this requires any changes from app developers; it just works.
Like private space, app archival isn't something most users need or would ever think to ask for, but it's easy to imagine the ways it could be helpful. I've archived apps that I use regularly but relatively infrequently -- like Airbnb, an app I use a couple of times a year at most and have no need for the rest of the time. Before Android 15, I'd just delete it after getting home from a trip. Now, with app archiving, I don't have to worry about signing back in the next time I want to book a rental, and I'm still saving 200-something megabytes in storage space in the meantime.
Large-screen changes
Android 15 packs a couple of key multitasking upgrades for large-screen devices like tablets and foldables.
Android tablets have let you run two apps side by side for years, and some manufacturers like Samsung take the experience a step further with features like three-app split-screen and floating windowed apps. Stock Android isn't quite catching up there, but it's making strides: Android 15 supports saving pairs of apps to your home screen or taskbar, in a single icon that opens both apps at once when tapped.
The icons these app pairs use look a little unfinished to me, with each individual app's icon squished down and placed next to each other inside a square template. Still, the functionality itself is solid. App pairs even save the screen proportions you use -- for example, you can use a tall, skinny app window for a chat app next to a wider landscape one for video.
Big-screen devices are also picking up the ability to pin the taskbar to the bottom of the screen when apps are in use, saving the awkward step of swiping up and holding to access the bar away from your home screen. The taskbar still disappears when viewing full-screen content like videos or games.
These features both debuted on the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, which launched with Android 14. Now that they're built into Android 15, large-screen devices like the Pixel Tablet, first-gen Pixel Fold, and devices from other manufacturers can benefit (though I wouldn't expect to see Samsung adopt the stock implementation over its bespoke solutions any time soon).
Lots of smaller tweaks
Android 15 doesn't debut many high-level, user-facing changes, instead introducing a bunch of smaller tweaks and improvements. Even the biggest ones seem modest next to Android 12's major visual overhaul and dynamic theming or Android 10's introduction of modern gesture navigation.
I'm not really bothered by that, though. Fifteen versions deep, Android is running out of things that need fixed or radically overhauled, so updates like this -- updates that add low-key new features and minor tweaks to existing ones -- will surely be the rule rather than the exception going forward.
I think private space, app archiving, and changes to large-screen multitasking are the front-runners as far as major new features go, but there's a handful of even lighter changes that are worth highlighting, too. This isn't an exhaustive list, but these are the smaller features that stand out.
Redesigned volume settings
Android 15 brings an updated volume settings overlay, accessible by tapping the three dots under the slider that pops up when you press the volume keys. The new panel has thicker sliders for each type of volume with larger touch targets -- good for accessibility. It also incorporates more colors from your phone's theme than the old design, a detail I appreciate. As a bonus for Google devices, on Pixel phones, the volume settings panel also contains ANC and spatial audio controls for connected Pixel Buds.
Rich widget previews
Developers will be able to provide better widget previews on Android 15. This is another feature that's on individual app developers to implement, but participating apps will be able to show previews of widgets that appear more like the widget will look once it's actually on your home screen, rather than showing all users the same generic preview. There are also new widget categories at the top of the widget menu, including selections for Essential and Recommended widgets.
Screen recording detection
Android 14 added an API that allows apps to detect when a screenshot has been taken and alert the user. In Android 15, that capability is expanding to screen recording. Properly configured apps will be able to detect when a device's screen is being recorded and warn the user, so private info like bank details doesn't end up accidentally recorded or shared. Screen recording detection has to be enabled by an app's developer; it's not on by default.
Partial screen recording
Android 14 QPR2 introduced support for partial screen recording on Pixel phones, giving us the option to only include a specific app in a screen recording video, hiding notifications, status bar icons, and other apps that might be opened during the recording. A niche feature for sure, but a helpful one for anyone who has to regularly record their screen. Android 15 takes the feature mainstream, making it available on any device running the latest Android version.
Slow and steady
As Google points out in its blog post announcing Android 15's release, significant updates come more frequently than they used to. New features are pushed to AOSP four times a year on Android's Quarterly Platform Release (QPR) program; Pixel phones get these features right away, and manufacturers like Samsung and OnePlus are free to adapt them at their own pace. Plenty of new features even make their way to older devices independently of Android system updates, too -- the security features Google highlights in its Android 15 blog post will be available on many phones running Android 10 or later.
Android 15 QPR1, due out in December, looks like it could be an even bigger update than Android 15 itself. We're expecting significant changes, like a new compact notification style; a charging optimization feature that caps charging at 80 percent capacity to conserve battery health; native support for windowed apps on tablets; and more.
For most users, major OS overhauls are something to deal with, not to look forward to.
As someone who's been using Android since version 2.0 and eagerly followed developments around new releases even before it was my job, I miss the days when a new numbered Android release felt like a special occasion. But the Android experience has been remarkably consistent since 2021's Android 12, and I'm well past the days of smashing my Pixel's Check for update button on the day a new version lands.
That consistency might feel stale for enthusiasts of a certain stripe, but looking at it objectively, it's a win. Android is used by billions of people around the world, and the vast, vast majority of them just want software that's easy to use and works reliably. They're fun for people who read AP, but for most users, major OS overhauls are something to deal with, not to look forward to. Nobody who's spent time using Android 12 or newer is going to feel lost using Android 15, and that's a good thing.
Android 15 is available beginning today for Google Pixel devices; updates for devices from other manufacturers are expected in the coming months.
Android 15
Android 15 brings a handful of relatively low-key improvements to the Android experience we've gotten used to over the past few years, including a private space to stash sensitive info and the ability to archive installed apps to save space. It's not a revolutionary update by any means, but that's okay -- some bigger changes are expected in Android 15 QPR1.
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