Not Just AI: 14 Changes Coming Soon to Android 15

Google's Gemini AI technologies are set to underpin the newly announced Pixel 9 phones, but older models and phones from rivals will also see improvements. As demonstrated at the recent Made by Google event and during Google I/O earlier this spring, enhancements to Android 15 -- currently in beta for developers and early adopters -- are sure to change how you use your Android phone every day.

Here are 14 new features we're looking forward to, not all of which are powered by AI.

If someone were to gain access to your phone -- even if it's a friend watching a funny video -- there are some apps you wouldn't want them to stumble onto. And it's not enough to take apps with sensitive financial, personal or trade information and bury them several screens away from your home screen.

Private Space creates a secure spot at the bottom of your app drawer that can require verification of your identity before it can be opened. When locked, those apps and their notifications remain hidden. For more security, you can choose to hide the space from view and also use a separate Google account tied just to that space.

Does your phone make more of a racket when vibrating on a flat surface than when the ringer is on? A new Adaptive Vibration control will change intensity using input from the microphone and other sensors. 

For example, it will reduce the vibration when the device is on a desk, but boost the buzz if it thinks the phone has fallen between motion-absorbing couch cushions. Look for the control in Settings > Sound & vibration > Vibration & haptics.

When you drag from the left edge of the screen, just where does that Back button lead? Instead of relying on a swipe of faith, Predictive Back on Android 15 will give you a peek of the app you're returning to at the edge of the screen.

When it seems like everything is fighting for your attention on your phone, it can all run together. A new option in the Wallpaper & style settings on Android 15 can help differentiate items, particularly those with translucent backgrounds.

For the Home Screen specifically, you can increase the color contrast (Default, Medium, or High) and optionally add a black or white background to blocks of text.

Device security is an ongoing issue, especially for stolen phones. Although we all worry about someone accessing our data without consent, often the thieves are looking to just wipe the device and resell it.

A new factory reset protection feature is aimed at removing the incentive to steal the phone in the first place. After erasing the stolen item, the thief won't be able to set it up from scratch -- making it less valuable for resale.

This is one of several upgrades and features Android 15 is implementing to thwart thieves.

You follow good privacy practices. You're diligent about locking your device when not in use. And yet if someone snatches the phone as you're using it, they suddenly have full access to your data. The new Private Space can help if it's enabled, but that only protects select apps and data.

Theft Detection Lock will use AI and sensor data to detect sudden movement that's characteristic of someone grabbing it out of your hands and automatically lock the phone. 

This feature is rolling out to Android 10+ later this year.

Your phone says it's nearly out of free storage space, which isn't a surprise when you look at the assortment of old apps you've accumulated. Just delete some, right? But that could mean trashing valuable data, even if it's not stuff you need to always access. Google Play has had the ability to archive infrequently used apps, and now that ability will be at the system level with Android 15.

On the App info screen for an app, tap the Archive button to remove the app's data and free up space. When you want to use it again, tap it to redownload it.

Bluetooth is usually always on, so when you need to turn it off -- for security or travel, for instance -- it's easy to forget to turn it back on. That is, until later when your wireless headphones suddenly can't connect. Android 15 adds a new setting in the Bluetooth preferences, Automatically turn on again tomorrow, that remembers for you.

Night Sight has proven that your phone's camera can see in the dark better than your eyes, but even some scenes are so dark it's difficult to compose a shot, lock focus or even attempt to scan a QR code. 

Low Light Boost on Android 15 is a new auto-exposure mode that makes the image preview and video capture brighter.

When exploring a new place, would you rather be looking down at your phone or up at the surrounding area? Soon, your phone's screen can act as a window to more of what's around you. 

With AR (augmented reality) content in Google Maps, you'll be able to view extra information about landmarks, shops and nearby attractions, overlaying the space around you. Or, let floating arrows direct you along the walking route to your next destination. 

An early-access pilot program is ramping up in Singapore and Paris later this year for Android users (not exclusive to Android 15).

For a few years Google Photos has used machine learning to detect what's in your photos and help you find images by entering text searches. For example, you can bring up all photos containing rhododendrons even if you've never identified them manually as keywords. Ask Photos uses Gemini technology to expand the scope to natural language queries that incorporate several parts.

Instead of finding just photos of rhododendrons, you could ask a question such as "On which dates did the rhododendrons start to bloom at Victoria's house over the last five years?" If you have photo proof in your Google Photos library, Ask Photos will be able to parse that complicated query and give you the answer.

Ask Photos will roll out soon to Android (not exclusive to Android 15).

So many important items have moved to convenient electronic versions, from transit cards to airline boarding passes. Paper still has its place, though, leaving us to juggle printed tickets and membership cards. Android 15 will let you take photos of those items and store them in Google Wallet for easy access.

You thought we could skirt by without mentioning AI? 

The Gemini Assistant is bringing generative AI features to your phone in a variety of ways, from fielding spoken queries to understanding what's on your screen to deliver context about the app you're using or a video that's playing. Gemini Nano is an AI model that can run solely on-device without relying on the cloud to power features such as Circle to Search and processing visual and audible prompts.

These updates to Gemini are rolling out later this year to Android (not exclusive to Android 15).

AI won't just be helping you win Trivia Night at your local watering hole. Later this year, Google Play Protect will use AI in the background for "live threat detection to improve fraud and abuse detection against apps that try to cloak their actions," according to a Google blog post. If nefarious apps attempt to mask their behavior, the on-device AI will detect it and alert Google and the phone's owner.

This feature will release to a wider Android audience, but a few protections, like protecting one-time passwords from malware and expanded restricted settings, are coming exclusively to Android 15.