What’s new in Android 15? All that we know after the release of Android 15

Every year, we get a new flavor of Android with some cosmetic changes and new features long awaited by the huge community of Android users. With Android 15, which has already been released for manufacturers’ use, we have some useful features, and the newer smartphones will get the drop of Android’s goodness faster than the relatively older ones.

So, what features did we get? Well, now that it is released, and by the time we get the final version, some features might not arrive on your device based on the manufacturer, and other great ones might stay. Nevertheless, it is time to discuss the new features in Android 15 that make it the best version of Android so far.

So, let’s get started with the new features of Android 15.

1. Support for satellite connectivity

With Android 15, we have satellite connectivity that helps users communicate in times of emergency and can also help them access the Internet when there is no mobile network or Wi-Fi nearby. However, it is yet to be seen how this will work in different countries, and odds are, it will have restrictions for security reasons. What’s on top is that Android 15 has the necessary UI elements that support a decent experience during satellite connectivity situations.

2. Partial screen sharing

Normally, at the time of recording the screen on Android, everything on the screen gets recorded, even if a notification arrives or there is some unexpected change on the screen. While that is not beyond expectation, if you are a content creator or are recording a tutorial, it used to be a problem that is no longer with Android 15. Android 15 allows you to limit screen recording to a single app, delivering better control over the screen recordings in relatively all situations.

3. Launch app pairs with single taps

If you use a phone with a larger display, say, a tab or a foldable, it is now possible to save app pairs and launch them with just a single tap. The option is to save app pairs by launching them quickly from the home screen. However, Google has mentioned that this feature is available exclusively for devices with a larger screen, and we hope this feature will also become available on smartphones with a smaller display. Even though this is a small UI change, it is a big boost for productivity-centric users.

4. Predictive back for supported apps

We often use the back gesture to exit an app or carry out an activity that the back button won’t lead us to unknowingly. No longer with the predictive back option. This is, again, a UI tweak that most users will find helpful while using the phone extensively. So, the apps that will use the feature will display different animations while going back home, carrying out a specific activity, and much more. While this feature is available in Android 14, it needs to be activated from the Developer Options, and a few more options need to be tweaked for the feature to work as expected.

5. More control over loudness

Android 15 has CTA-2075 baked in, which allows developers to maintain a consistent loudness, making it easier for users to listen to audio samples across multiple apps without constantly tweaking the volume. Android 15 also takes into account the characteristics of the output devices along with the loudness metadata of supported media content like AAC to better adjust the loudness levels, making it comfortable for the user.

6. Edge-to-edge display for apps as default

Android allows apps to run in full-screen mode, utilizing the whole height and width of the display. However, not all apps take advantage of this ability. With Android 15, apps will be forced to use the full display. However, this might ruin the experience of using certain apps, and it is upon the developer whether there will be a toggle for the feature to turn on or off or whether there will be a centralized way of controlling this feature for users in the coming days.

7. High-quality mode for webcam for richer video calls

Making video calls on a laptop or computer using a smartphone camera using some third-party apps was always possible. However, with Android 14 QPR 1, it was possible to use the camera as a webcam without any third-party app. However, the video quality wasn’t great. With Android 15, it is possible to use the high-quality webcam mode that offers richer video calls. It is also possible to reduce the quality if you are on a long call by enabling power optimizations, where you can compromise video quality for longer video calls.

8. Adaptive vibration

This might be a slight improvement but can really be helpful if you often keep your smartphone in vibration mode. With the regular vibration mode, the vibration motor usually vibrates no matter what surface you keep the phone on. However, with Android 15, the vibration intensity depends on the surface. For example, the vibration intensity will be higher if kept on the couch than when placed on a table. It will also be great, if the vibration intensity is also dependent on the ambient vibration, as the waves are not felt while in a car, train, etc.

9. More camera controls

On supported devices, Android 15 offers granular controls over brightness and flash intensity to give your photos the much-desired clarity. These changes are automatic, or the user can also control these settings based on the requirements. All these advancements might not offer DSLR-like quality, but they provide better photos in low-light or high-exposure conditions.
Sensitive notifications

While there are different forms of two-factor authentication, each offering various levels of security, some apps request one-time passwords for 2FA through text or email. Apps accessing email and SMS can also read the passwords, including the malicious ones. With the Android 15 security notification feature, OTPs can be restricted from being read by malicious apps on a smartphone.

10. Auracast focuses on sharing easily, even on Bluetooth Low Energy devices

While sharing audio with BLE devices was possible on Android 13, Android 15 makes it even easier to discover Bluetooth LE devices. So, playing some audio streams will not require pairing, making it convenient for quickly playing audio content. To restrict streaming, set a password in the Stream Settings area. However, Auracast is a one-way broadcast feature; thus, the connected devices won’t be able to control media playback on the other device.

11. Better convenience for apps on flip phones

Flip phones usually have a small display on the back, and the real estate is too small to run any app at its full potential. With Android 15, developers have the option to run the apps even on the cover screen, maybe with an interface more optimized for small displays. It is yet to be discovered with new apps whether the app developers will use the feature to garner more screen time.

12. Support for devices with virtual MIDI 2.0

With Android 13, it was possible to connect MIDI devices to smartphones using the USB port and communicate using Universal MIDI packets, aka UMP. Android 15 supports music composition apps as MIDI 2.0 devices, making the experience better or at least as good as using dedicated MIDI 2.0 devices.

13. Health data with more precision

The Health Connect platform on Android 15 is better, with support for more data types that deliver more precise health-tracking features that apps can use and feed into health-tracking devices. With the updated Health Connect platform, new data types target nutrition, fitness, and other vitals. On Android 15, body surface temperature and training plans are some of the latest data types.

14. Personalized widget previews

The widget previews on Android used to be boring, but no longer with Android 15. With Android 15, the widget previews are generated for individual users, making them more realistic. They will help users better understand whether the widget will be of any use. This feature possibly leverages user data and AI to generate realistic widget previews.

Other minor yet useful changes

Besides the above noteworthy changes, there are new features like HDR headroom control, UI changes like a better volume panel, persistent taskbar visibility for devices with a large screen, Bluetooth Auto-on that resembles a feature available on iOS, new color contrast settings, and many more.

However, even after the final release, many users still want some features. Android is again more mature with the release of Android 15, armed with more useful features. We just hope more devices get Android 15 within a year or so, and that is at least better than not getting anything at all. So, that was it. Do you have any questions? Feel free to comment below.