Google has officially released Android 15, but for now only for developers. A release for users is expected soon, The Verge reports. The new version of Android will allow you to recognize music using Google Assistant, receive earthquake alerts, read web pages out loud in the Chrome browser, and much more.
Image source: Google
Google has focused its new operating system on fine-tuning how apps and devices interact with each other. In the future, there will be support for one-touch login to application and website accounts using a fingerprint scanner, improved theft protection, optimized multitasking for devices with large screens, and the ability to restrict access to certain applications.
One of the significant updates to Android 15 was the TalkBack screen reader, which Google talked about at the Google I/O conference. Now the utility will be integrated with the Gemini AI assistant and will be able to voice descriptions of images on the smartphone screen, including facilitating access to visual information for people with disabilities.
The Circle to Search feature has an interesting music recognition feature similar to Shazam. By clicking on a special button, you can get information about the song, including the title, artist and link to the video on YouTube. Circle to Search will be able to recognize not only music from videos, but also from tracks played from loudspeakers in public places.
An important innovation will be the expansion of the earthquake warning system, which will now be available to all US states and six of its territories. The company previously partnered with the US Geological Survey (USGS) and its ShakeAlert system to provide warnings in California, Oregon and Washington based on data from traditional seismometers. Now, American users without access to ShakeAlert will be able to receive earthquake notifications using data from the accelerometers of their Android devices. If multiple devices in an area detect vibration, Android Earthquake Alerts will analyze “data collected from users to determine if an earthquake is occurring,” Google explains. It is noted that this function has already been implemented in almost 100 countries around the world.
In addition to these innovations, Android 15 will include the option to read web pages out loud in the Chrome browser, as well as support for offline Google Maps in Wear OS 5.
The source code for Android 15 is already available through the Android Open Source Project (AOSP). Pixel smartphone users will receive the update in the coming weeks, but owners of devices from Samsung, Motorola, OnePlus, Nothing and other brands will have to wait a few more months.