While Samsung Galaxy S23 is the new hotness, Google has silently released a new beta version of Android 13. The update known as Android 13 QPR2 Beta 3 focuses on paving the way for new customizations in the future regarding the lock screen. A new user interface is in the works for wallpaper selection as well.
Esper Mishaal Rahman has taken to Twitter (Opens in a new tab) For details of everything new in the beta version. While some seem small on the surface, it all paints a picture where Google is playing the most in one of Android’s greatest strengths: its customizability.
The Rahman theme dives into some of the most famous plugins. First, he said Android 13 now has an icon for a new wallpaper picker UI. That may not sound like a big deal, but it ties in for the next big chunk.
It is not news that Android 13 may get new lock screen widgets. But Rahman is showing off what they could look like in the latest version, opting to swap out the flashlight and the Do Not Disturb switch located in either of the two bottom corners on the lock screen. It reminds us of iOS with its flashlight and camera shortcuts.
Meshal notes that the DND acronym isn’t working right now, but he’s managed to add it to his lock screen. The new Patterns and Wallpaper UI could make room for the lock screen customizations we’ve already seen, including the ability to tweak the clock.
You can do this on some phone makers’ versions of Android like OxygenOS, but on stock Android, you’re stuck with the big clock and its typeface. (Shrinks to the corner when you have notifications.)
The new UI looks to separate home screen and lock screen options into separate tabs, which is a good way to go to keep things from getting cluttered.
It is possible that we will get all this in the upcoming Pixel Feature Drop in March. It may be a while before we see these features, possibly even Android 14. Although you can install the Android 13 beta, you probably won’t be able to play with these new features because they are hidden in the code – thus requiring Android experts like Mishaal to search about all this.
