Android 15 is coming to a range of smartphones this autumn, including popular devices from Google and Samsung.
The software update is poised to be the biggest in a year thanks to a range of new features designed to boost privacy, battery performance, and cybersecurity.
Here’s what you need to know about Android 15, also known as One UI 7 for Samsung phones.
Android 15 features
Although it may still be several months away, a number of the update’s features have already been confirmed, while others are rumoured to be on the cards.
Based on what we’ve seen, it’s safe to say that Android 15 won’t be a revolutionary overhaul in the vein of Android 12, which introduced the Material You design revamp.
Instead, it will offer a bunch of discrete upgrades that should protect your phone from scammers and improve your battery life. These will live alongside customisation options that should ensure your phone’s camera and keyboard controls are the same across all your apps.
This is what we know so far:
Confirmed Features
Partial screen sharing: Share only a specific portion of your screen in apps, including for video calls, and keep prying eyes off your sensitive info.
Notification cooldown: Gradually lowers the volume of notifications, helping you to stay focused.
Universal keyboard vibration control: Globally enable or disable keyboard vibrations across all keyboards used on the device.
New in-app camera controls: More granular controls over camera features like flash intensity and low-light enhancements.
File integrity protection: Enhanced security with protections against file tampering and malware attacks.
Sensitive notifications: Prevents malicious apps from intercepting one-time passwords through leaks and on the lock screen.
Rumoured features
Themed app icons: More extensive support for themed icons, allowing more apps to match your phone's overall aesthetic.
Improved battery and resource management: Continued optimisation for longer battery life and smoother performance.
Revamped widgets: Potentially new widget types, more customisation options, and the return of widgets to the lock screen.
Find your Pixel 8 even when it’s off: Track down a lost or stolen Pixel phone even when it’s turned off using Google’s upcoming answer Apple’s Find My network.
Android 15 release date
Android 15 doesn't have a concrete release date yet, but we can make some assumptions based on Google’s usual launch pattern and the update’s current status.
An early version of Android 15 was offered to developers in February, so they can get a head start with making their apps compatible with it. This preview will have its fair share of bugs, incomplete features, and performance problems that can make for a rough experience.
Following the developer preview, eager general users may get to preview Android 15 around April or May as part of the public beta. This release will also come with some hiccups, but that’s par for the course for early versions of software.
By the summer, Google will probably have the update’s core features in place as part of its “platform stability” work. Then, if it follows previous launch timelines, we’ll get the final release around August to October.
Expect Android 15 to arrive on Google Pixel phones first, followed by other devices from Samsung, OnePlus, Motorola, and more.
Does Android 15 have a nickname?
While Android releases no longer have official dessert nicknames, Google still uses them internally as codenames. Android 15's internal codename is "Vanilla Ice Cream”, which some believe points to its lack of eye-catching features.
