Android 14 beta 3 lands, bringing the system to Platform Stability

Google just announced that it is rolling out the June 2023 update of the Android 14 beta program. This new update brings the operating system to a milestone known as Platform Stability. This means the latest version of Android is mostly complete, with only bug fixes and minor alterations needed before the stable launch.

Android 14 beta 3 is available for supported Pixels. Notably, this includes, for the first time, the newly launched Google Pixel 7a. If you own a Pixel 7a (or any other Pixel as far back as the Pixel 4a 5G), you can install Android 14 using our helpful instructions. Do note that Google hasn’t posted update files for the Pixel 7a as of publishing, so you might need to wait a few hours or even a day or two before you see them.

Android 14 beta 3: What’s new?

According to Google’s blog post announcement, there’s not really much new in this updated beta. The post goes over Android 14 features we have already heard about, including non-linear font scaling, partial permissions for photos and videos, data safety updates, and more. However, once we get the update installed on our own Pixels and have time to play with it, we’ll likely spot some new items that Google doesn’t point out in the blog post.

Really, this new release is more of a line in the sand for Google. Developers now have all the APIs and info they need to make sure their apps are compatible with the upcoming stable launch of the new operating system. There will be bug fixes and improvements from now until then, but there won’t be any new APIs to learn.

We expect Google to launch the stable version of Android 14 in August, based on its stated Android 14 timeline and the release timeline of Android 13. However, it’s possible that the launch could come later or even earlier, depending on how the fourth (and likely final) beta launch goes in July.