Key Takeaways
- Google has pushed Android 15’s source code to AOSP.
- Pixel phones will get an OTA update to stable Android 15 in the coming weeks.
- Android 15 focuses on privacy and user experience enhancements.
Android 15 is getting an official release, almost seven months after its first Developer Preview dropped. But don’t start smashing the Check for update button on your Pixel just yet. Google is only pushing Android 15’s source code to AOSP today, so your phone will be stuck on Android 14 for a while. The Android 15 OTA update will arrive in the “coming weeks” on Pixels, followed by devices from Samsung, OnePlus, and others.
Google typically pushes a stable OS update to Pixels alongside releasing the latest Android build to AOSP, Android’s open-source code repository that OEMs pull from when building their versions of Android.
However, this year, the company is following the same strategy as it did with Android 12’s release in 2021: It is only pushing Android 15’s source code to AOSP to start, meaning the OS has officially hit a stable milestone. This also means there’s a code freeze in effect on the Android 15 branch, and from now on, all future changes made to the code will reflect in a future QPR release of the OS.
Unless you are a developer, Android 15’s code going live on AOSP will not mean much to you. If you have flashed a custom ROM on your phone, the ROM developer may re-base it on Android 15 in the coming weeks, possibly even ahead of Google’s official OTA rollout for Pixels.
Your Pixel phone is getting some new features today, though. Alongside the September 2024 security patch, Google is rolling out several new features, like Gemini-powered TalkBack, music search in Circle to Search, and more. As part of the September Feature Drop, Google is also expanding Android’s Earthquake Alerts System across the entire US.
Android 15 is packed with new features
Android 15 does not bring a major visual overhaul like Android 12. Instead, it packs several privacy-focused and underlying improvements for a better user experience. These include Theft Detection Lock, partial screen sharing, sensitive notifications to prevent third-party apps from reading text messages containing OTPs, and making edge-to-edge the default layout for all apps.
Other new additions include Private Space, which keeps your private apps hidden, and App Archiving, which allows you to remove apps without deleting the associated user data. For developers, there are new and upgraded APIs to create more powerful apps.
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