The first public beta for Android 15 has finally landed, and it's giving us an early peek at some seriously cool new features and improvements coming to the world's most popular mobile operating system. While some expected goodies are still MIA, there’s still plenty to get excited about on the new build for the Pixel 8 series. Satellite connectivity One headliner is improved support for satellite connectivity, extending Android's networking capabilities into the stratosphere. The platform now bakes in UI components to streamline the satellite link experience across apps and services. But satellite skills won't be limited to emergency use only. Android 15 clears the way for SMS and RCS messaging apps to send/receive messages via orbiting relays when earthly networks are unavailable. Partial screen sharing While Android 14 enabled partial screen recording on Pixels, version 15 rolls out this handy feature across the entire Android ecosystem. Instead of capturing the full display, users can now share or record just a specific app window - perfect for troubleshooting glitches, creating tutorials, and more. Android 15 also will clue apps in when screen recording is active. That way, they can adjust for any app switching that may occur, preventing those awkward blank screen moments in recordings. Edge-to-edge apps by default One eye-catching tweak could be Android 15's push for edge-to-edge app experiences. While Android already supports fullscreen app modes that maximise display real estate, many apps still use older layouts. With this update, Google may simply force all apps into edge-to-edge fullscreen mode by default - much like how apps display on iOS. Notification cooldown App notifications can be overwhelming sometimes, especially when they’re arriving back to back. Android 15 looks to curb this problem via a new "Notification cooldown" function. When multiple alerts from the same app start flooding in, this setting will automatically lower the volume and frenzy of those successive pings. While this feature hasn’t made the beta cut, there’s a good chance it’ll be there on the stable version. New volume panel Google has revamped Android's volume controls with version 15 with thicker, pill-shaped sliders. It also allows more functionality - one tap mutes the stream, while the panel can collapse for a cleaner look during media playback. Google has also baked in extra controls for spatial audio and noise filtering. Default wallet apps On Android 14 and earlier, you'd find options for tweaking default browser, assistant and most other app categories under the Default apps settings. But the "Default payment app" option was stashed away elsewhere. Thankfully, Google is fixing this with Android 15. The latest beta promotes the rebranded "Default wallet app" setting to its proper home alongside other defaults under Settings -> Apps -> Default apps -> Wallet app. New Bluetooth popup Another quality-of-life improvement involves Bluetooth accessory management. In prior Android versions, the Quick Settings tile simply toggled Bluetooth on/off with no extra controls. Android 15 supercharges this, allowing you to not only disable Bluetooth but also view, connect/disconnect paired devices or even kick off pairing for new accessories. Supercharged integrated PDF reader While Android's integrated PDF viewer covers basics like viewing and scrolling through documents, it lacks advanced capabilities found in dedicated reader apps. That's finally being addressed, as Google is upgrading Android 15's PDF rendering engine with robust annotation, form-filling, text search, and even support for password-protected files. Improved foldable support Love or hate the folding form factor, these shape-shifting devices are here to stay. So Google is rolling out the red carpet in Android 15 with new foldable optimisations - most notably, a cleaner way for apps to support exterior cover displays on clamshell models. A new property will let developers designate apps or app windows as specially tailored for those compact outer screens. App archiving through Settings Taking a cue from iOS, Android 15 is finally gaining the power to archive infrequently used apps. When archived, apps are effectively uninstalled but retain data for easy restoration later. Archived apps still show on the home screen. Android has previously allowed app archiving via the Play Store, but Android 15 codifies it into the OS itself. Device Settings will now offer an "Archive and Restore" button for managing installed apps, no Play involvement needed. Higher refresh rates for games For the mobile gaming crowd, Android 15 Developer Preview 2 delivered an exciting addition: the ability to disable Android's 60fps cap for games. With a new toggle enabled, titles can finally take full advantage of high refresh-rate displays up to 120Hz. Of course, game makers will need to optimise their creations to leverage this. Still, Android 15 removes a long-standing roadblock to smooth gameplay on modern hardware. With a few more beta iterations left before an expected October stable release, Android 15's complete vision should crystallise soon - so stay tuned.
