Android 14
Android 14 is the fourteenth major release and the twenty-first version of the Android mobile operating system, developed by Google as part of its open-source project and internally codenamed Upside Down Cake (API level 34). Released on October 4, 2023, it first rolled out to Google Pixel devices, with subsequent availability on smartphones from manufacturers including Samsung, OnePlus, Oppo, Xiaomi, and Sony later that year.[1][2][3] This version emphasizes user customization, enhanced privacy controls, and improved accessibility, building on Android 13's foundation while introducing features tailored for modern hardware like the Pixel 8 series. Key user-facing additions include AI-generated wallpapers that adapt to the time of day, customizable lock screen shortcuts, and a monochromatic theme option for consistent aesthetics across the interface.[1][4] It also integrates Health Connect for secure data sharing among fitness apps and encourages the use of a six-digit PIN for enhanced security features, such as auto-confirm unlock, while still allowing shorter PINs, alongside greater transparency in app data access permissions.[1][5] On the media and performance front, Android 14 supports Ultra HDR for more vibrant photo and video rendering on compatible displays, upgrades camera extensions to handle compute-intensive processing for better image quality, and introduces automatic framing for video calls to keep subjects centered. Accessibility enhancements feature an improved magnifier tool with pinch-to-zoom and windowed modes, a dedicated Quick Settings tile for font size adjustments, and simplified setup for hearing aids.[1][6] For developers, it aligns core libraries with OpenJDK 17 LTS, adds APIs for internationalization and partial screen sharing, and includes behavior changes affecting all apps, such as refined foreground service restrictions to optimize battery life.[6][7] As of October 2025, Android 14 powers approximately 15% of active Android devices worldwide, according to market share data, and continues to receive security updates as of November 2025.[8][9]Development
Previews and betas
Google announced Android 14 on February 8, 2023, positioning it as the successor to Android 13 and internally codenaming it "Upside Down Cake."[10][11] On the same day, the company released the first developer preview, available exclusively for the Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 series, to enable early testing of new APIs and developer tools.[10][12] This initial preview emphasized stability for developers, allowing them to experiment with upcoming platform changes without focusing on consumer-facing features. The public beta program for Android 14 commenced on April 12, 2023, with Beta 1, expanding access beyond developer previews to a broader set of Pixel devices including the Pixel 4a (5G), Pixel 5, and later models.[13] Google planned four main beta releases, though it ultimately delivered five, culminating in Beta 5 on August 10, 2023.[14] A key milestone occurred with Beta 3 on June 7, 2023, when the platform achieved stability, finalizing all developer APIs and app-facing behaviors to prepare for the stable release.[15] Throughout the beta phases, Google introduced and refined several features. Beta 1 highlighted enhancements to per-app language preferences, enabling users to set individual languages for specific applications more seamlessly.[13][16] In Beta 2, released on May 10, 2023, refinements to the predictive back gesture improved navigation animations, providing smoother previews of the returning screen during swipe gestures.[17] Later betas, starting around Beta 2, began testing support for Ultra HDR image formats, allowing developers to experiment with 10-bit high dynamic range photos for enhanced color and contrast.[17][3] The development of Android 14 spanned 1 year, 1 month, 2 weeks, and 5 days from the stable release of Android 13 on August 15, 2022, marking a slightly extended cycle compared to prior versions.[18][3] This timeline allowed for thorough iteration during the preview and beta stages, incorporating developer feedback to refine core system behaviors.Release timeline
Android 14 reached stable release on October 4, 2023, marking the culmination of its development cycle with the final platform APIs frozen.[1] This version first shipped pre-installed on the Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro smartphones, which were announced and launched on the same day.[1] The update began rolling out to other supported Pixel devices, including the Pixel 4a (5G) through Pixel 7 series and Pixel Tablet, starting October 5, 2023, via over-the-air (OTA) updates.[19] Select non-Pixel devices from manufacturers like Samsung and OnePlus received Android 14 later in 2023, with initial rollouts completing by December for major flagships.[20] To provide ongoing enhancements without altering core APIs, Google implemented Quarterly Platform Releases (QPRs) for Android 14. The first, QPR1, launched in December 2023 alongside the monthly security patch and retained API level 34, focusing on stability improvements and minor feature additions.[21] QPR2 followed in March 2024 with the March security update, introducing capabilities like dynamic soundbar mode for enhanced audio connectivity on compatible set-top boxes and TVs.[22][23] QPR3 arrived in June 2024 as the final major quarterly update, bundled with the June Pixel Feature Drop and emphasizing bug fixes and optimizations.[24] By mid-2024, active development for new features in Android 14 concluded, shifting the platform to maintenance mode with routine security patches, including the November 2025 bulletin providing the 2025-11-05 patch level.[25] As of November 2025, the latest available build for Android 14 is 14.0.0_r23, incorporating incremental security fixes and backend library updates to support legacy devices.[26] These maintenance releases ensure continued protection for devices still running the OS, though primary development efforts had transitioned to Android 15.[27]Design and user interface
Customization and theming
Android 14 introduced refinements to the Material You design system, expanding dynamic color theming to a broader range of user interface elements for enhanced personalization. The system automatically generates a color palette from the user's selected wallpaper and applies it consistently across system UI components, such as notifications, Quick Settings tiles, and app icons, allowing for a more cohesive and adaptive visual experience. This expansion builds on previous versions by supporting more granular theming options, including the ability to apply themes to third-party apps that opt into Material You compatibility. A new monochromatic theme option provides a sleek, minimal aesthetic by applying neutral tones system-wide for consistent visuals across the interface.[28] Lock screen customization received significant updates in Android 14, enabling users to personalize their experience with new clock styles, widgets, and integrated information displays. Users can select from curated templates featuring various clock fonts, formats, and layouts that harmonize with their wallpaper, while adding widgets for at-a-glance information. The lock screen now supports custom shortcuts, such as buttons for quick access to media controls, QR code scanning, or smart home functions, positioned below the clock for one-tap convenience. Additionally, weather integration via the At a Glance widget dynamically adjusts prominence based on conditions—for instance, enlarging during severe weather alerts—using AI to prioritize relevant updates without cluttering the interface. Quick Settings tiles can also be accessed more readily from the lock screen, streamlining adjustments like brightness or volume.[1] A key personalization feature in Android 14 is per-app language preferences, which allow users to set individual languages for specific applications independent of the system-wide locale. This expands on Android 13's foundation by introducing automatic locale configuration generation through Android Studio, enabling developers to dynamically update app locales via APIs likesetOverrideLocaleConfig() in the LocaleManager class. Users can configure these preferences centrally in Settings > System > Languages & input > App languages, with support for input method editors (IMEs) to reflect the app's locale accurately through getApplicationLocales(). This facilitates multilingual workflows, such as reading news in one language while using the system in another.[29]
Regional preferences in Android 14 provide customizable options for locale-specific settings, accessible via Settings > System > Languages & input > Regional preferences. Users can independently adjust temperature units (Celsius or Fahrenheit), the first day of the week (e.g., Sunday or Monday), and numbering systems (e.g., Western Arabic or Eastern Arabic numerals) to match their cultural or personal needs. These changes are handled through APIs such as getTemperatureUnit() and getFirstDayOfWeek(), with broadcasts via ACTION_LOCALE_CHANGED intent to notify apps of updates, ensuring consistent application across the system without requiring a full locale switch.[29]
The sharesheet in Android 14 saw improvements for faster and more relevant sharing experiences, including support for custom actions and enhanced Direct Share ranking. Custom actions allow apps to add tailored sharing options directly in the system sharesheet, speeding up common tasks like sending content to specific recipients or services. Direct Share targets are now ranked more intelligently using app-provided signals, prioritizing frequent contacts and apps at the top for quicker selection, which reduces scrolling and improves efficiency in content sharing workflows.[29]
Accessibility and usability
Android 14 introduces several enhancements to accessibility and usability, aimed at improving interaction for users with diverse needs and across varying device form factors. These updates build on prior versions by providing more intuitive navigation, visual aids for notifications, and better support for larger screens, ensuring broader inclusivity without compromising performance.[29][1] One key improvement for low-vision users is non-linear font scaling, which allows text to be enlarged up to 200% while maintaining readability and layout hierarchy. Unlike linear scaling in previous versions, this approach applies a non-linear curve, so larger text sizes grow at a reduced rate to prevent excessive distortion of app interfaces. A dedicated Quick Settings tile provides quick access to font size adjustments, enabling on-the-fly changes. Users can adjust this setting via Settings > Accessibility > Display size and text, enabling personalized text magnification that aligns with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) standards. Developers are encouraged to use scaled pixels (sp) units for text to ensure compatibility.[29] For hearing-impaired users, Android 14 adds customizable notification flashes, which provide visual alerts through either the camera LED or screen illumination. These flashes can be color-coded—such as selecting from options like white, red, or blue for the screen flash—to distinguish between different types of notifications, enhancing awareness without relying on sound. The feature is accessible in Settings > Accessibility > Flash notifications, where users toggle camera flash, screen flash, or both, and customize colors and intensity for optimal visibility in various lighting conditions.[30] Navigation usability is refined with predictive back gestures, which offer animated previews of the destination screen—such as the previous app or home screen—before completing the swipe. This helps users confirm their action, reducing errors in gesture-based navigation, particularly beneficial for those with motor impairments or cognitive challenges. The animation plays in real-time during the gesture, and while enabled by default on supported devices, developers can opt out via a toggle in the app manifest to customize behavior if needed. To activate system-wide, users enable it in Settings > System > Developer options > Predictive back animations.[31] On tablets and foldable devices, Android 14 improves multitasking usability with a persistent taskbar option, allowing users to keep it visible at the bottom of the screen for quick app switching and launching. This contrasts with the transient taskbar in earlier versions, providing a more desktop-like experience; users can pin favorite apps to the taskbar for one-tap access and refine split-screen setups by dragging apps more precisely into resizable windows. The choice between persistent and transient modes is available in device settings or via developer flags, enhancing productivity on larger form factors without overwhelming smaller screens.[32] Additionally, when using the device as a webcam via USB connection—a new capability in Android 14—on-screen privacy indicators notify users of active camera access. Selecting the "USB webcam" mode in USB preferences activates this, displaying a persistent indicator in the status bar similar to standard camera usage, with taps revealing the connected app or service and options to revoke permissions. This ensures privacy-focused controls, preventing unauthorized access during video calls or streaming on connected computers.[33][34]Performance optimizations
Battery and power management
Android 14 introduces enhancements to battery management, emphasizing user control and system-level efficiencies to prolong device runtime. The operating system's battery monitoring tools have been refined for greater transparency. In the Settings app under Battery, Android 14 provides a detailed usage breakdown that separates contributions from system components (such as Android OS and Google services) versus individual user-installed apps. This categorization helps users identify power-hungry elements, with visual graphs showing percentages over the past 24 hours or since the last full charge. Additionally, a prominent "Screen time since last full charge" metric displays total active screen usage, aiding in correlating display habits with overall drain.[35] These stats exclude idle periods, focusing on actionable insights to optimize habits without delving into broader system efficiency tweaks.[36] Android 14 also adds battery health monitoring features, accessible in Settings > Battery > Battery information on supported devices like Google Pixel phones. This includes details such as the battery's manufacturing date, first use date, charging cycle count, and estimated health percentage based on capacity retention. These tools help users assess battery degradation over time and decide on potential replacements, with data derived from device sensors and usage history. The feature was introduced in the Android 14 QPR1 update in December 2023.[37][38] To address resource waste from unnecessary software, Android 14 includes bloatware management tools tailored for Pixel devices. Users can now access a dedicated menu in Settings > Apps that identifies and flags carrier-installed or pre-loaded apps pushed during setup, such as Verizon-specific utilities on compatible SIMs. This allows straightforward uninstallation or disabling of these apps, freeing up RAM and CPU cycles to reduce background power consumption.[39] The feature targets non-essential bloatware without requiring root access, potentially improving battery longevity by eliminating persistent drains from unused services.[40] On Pixels, this integrates seamlessly with the system's app management, promoting a leaner environment for extended runtime.[41]System efficiency
Android 14 introduces several backend enhancements aimed at improving system-wide efficiency by optimizing resource allocation and reducing unnecessary computational overhead. These improvements focus on streamlining process management, enhancing media handling, and leveraging hardware capabilities more effectively, resulting in faster app launches and lower overall memory usage without compromising functionality.[6] In terms of process optimization, Android 14 refines the handling of foreground services through stricter type declarations and prioritization mechanisms, which minimize CPU wake-ups by focusing resources on critical tasks and deferring non-essential operations. This is complemented by broader runtime optimizations in the Android Runtime (ART), which reduce app code size by an average of 9.3% via compiler improvements like collapsing return statements, leading to fewer CPU cycles for cache-based programs—up to 50% less compared to Android 13. Additionally, the system freezes cached applications more aggressively and optimizes broadcast handling to limit background activity, contributing to an overall reduction in memory footprint and improved launch times.[5][42][43] A key feature for productivity is the introduction of app screen sharing, which allows users to share or record only the content of a specific app window, excluding system UI elements like notifications or the status bar. This granular control reduces the overhead of full-screen captures, preventing accidental exposure of sensitive information and enabling more efficient collaboration in scenarios such as video calls or remote assistance.[44] For camera operations, Android 14 supports in-sensor zoom, enabling apps to crop RAW sensor data directly for zoom functionality before other controls are initialized. By performing zooming at the sensor level rather than through computationally intensive digital post-processing, this feature lowers the processing load on the CPU and GPU, resulting in faster capture times and better image quality with reduced power draw during photography.[6][17] Graphics pipeline updates in Android 14 emphasize hardware-accelerated rendering to achieve smoother animations and custom UI elements. The Canvas API now includes HardwareBufferRenderer, which facilitates direct drawing into hardware buffers using GPU acceleration, while paths become queryable and interpolatable—allowing developers to inspect path contents and blend between them for fluid transitions. These enhancements optimize rendering efficiency, particularly for complex vector graphics, by offloading more work to dedicated hardware and minimizing software fallbacks.[29][6]Privacy and security
Permission controls
Android 14 introduces several enhancements to permission controls, empowering users with more precise management of app access to personal data and device functions. These updates build on prior privacy protections by emphasizing selective sharing, blocking insecure legacy software, and streamlining user profile isolation, all while maintaining compatibility for modern applications. By defaulting to restrictive policies, Android 14 reduces unintended data exposure without compromising usability. A key feature is the Selected Photos Access via the Photo Picker API, which provides a system-wide interface for users to grant apps temporary access to individual images and videos rather than their entire media library. This browsable, searchable selector, integrated across devices, allows selection from local storage or cloud services like Google Photos, ensuring apps receive only chosen media without requiring broad READ_MEDIA_IMAGES or READ_MEDIA_VIDEO permissions. Developers can invoke the picker using ACTION_PICK, promoting a privacy-first approach that limits potential overreach by third-party apps.[45][46] To address vulnerabilities in outdated software, Android 14 enforces a minimum target SDK requirement by blocking the installation of apps with targetSdkVersion below API level 23 (corresponding to Android 6.0 Marshmallow). This policy targets legacy apps that lack modern security mitigations, such as runtime permissions and scoped storage, thereby preventing malware exploitation of obsolete code paths. If a user attempts to sideload or run such an app, the system displays a prompt explaining the restriction, encouraging updates to compliant versions while safeguarding the device ecosystem.[7][6] Screen recording and sharing permissions are refined through the MediaProjection API's support for partial screen capture in Android 14. Apps can now request access to a specific window or app surface instead of the full device UI, allowing users to approve targeted recordings—such as a single application's content—while obscuring sensitive notifications, other apps, or system overlays. This granular control mitigates privacy risks in collaborative scenarios, like video calls or demos, by preventing comprehensive screenshots of the entire interface.[47] Guest mode, a temporary profile for shared device access, is accessible via the Quick Settings panel at the top of the notification shade. Users can swipe down to access the user icon, select Guest, and switch to an isolated environment that excludes personal accounts, apps, and data from the primary profile, with all guest activity automatically cleared upon exit. This facilitates quick privacy isolation without extensive configuration.[48]Data handling
Android 14 enhances user data privacy by introducing mechanisms to detect and safeguard sensitive information during capture and sharing activities, going beyond basic permission grants. A key feature is the privacy-preserving screenshot detection API, which allows apps to register callbacks on a per-activity basis to detect when a user captures a screenshot while the activity is visible.[49] When triggered, the API invokes the registered callback in the app and simultaneously displays a toast notification to the user, promoting transparency and alerting them to potential exposure of sensitive content.[6] This standardized approach replaces inconsistent app-specific implementations, ensuring consistent privacy protections across the ecosystem without compromising system performance.[29] To protect against unintended data exposure during sharing, Android 14 introduces app window sharing controls for screen recording and casting. Users can opt to share only the content of a specific app window, excluding system UI elements like the status bar or navigation gestures, thereby preventing the accidental disclosure of personal notifications or device information.[29] Regional preferences in Android 14 support localized data processing by allowing users to set device-specific formats for elements like temperature units, numbering systems, and the first day of the week directly in system settings.[6] Apps can query these preferences via new APIs, such asResources.getTemperatureUnit(), enabling them to adapt interfaces and computations locally without relying on remote servers, thereby minimizing cross-border data transmission and enhancing privacy through on-device handling.[50]
Health and connectivity
Health Connect
Health Connect is a centralized platform in Android 14 that enables secure storage and sharing of health, fitness, and medical data across compatible apps on the device. Integrated directly into the operating system, it replaces the standalone app from previous versions and receives updates via Google Play, allowing users to consolidate data from multiple sources without compromising privacy. This platform supports a wide range of data types, including activity metrics, vital signs, and wellness records, while providing tools for granular management.[6] In Android 14, users can access Health Connect through the device's settings menu, specifically via Settings > Security and privacy > Privacy controls > Health Connect, where they can manage data permissions, view connected apps, and configure storage options. On Pixel devices, an alternative path is available under Settings > Apps > Special app access > Health Connect for streamlined data oversight and app integrations. This built-in accessibility simplifies user interaction, enabling direct control over data flows without needing a separate application.[51][52] Android 14 introduces enhanced support for specific data types in Health Connect, including exercise routes that capture GPS paths for workout mapping, nutrition logging for tracking dietary intake and hydration, and menstrual cycle predictions based on cycle and related health metrics like basal body temperature. These additions allow for more detailed and shareable fitness insights, such as visualizing running or cycling paths, while maintaining data standardization across apps. For instance, exercise routes enable users to share interactive maps of their activities seamlessly.[53][54] Health Connect facilitates collaborations with major health platforms, including partnerships with Fitbit, Samsung Health, and Google Fit, to enable seamless data syncing and permission management. These integrations allow data from wearables and apps to flow bidirectionally through Health Connect, reducing silos and enhancing interoperability—for example, steps recorded in Fitbit can automatically update Samsung Health records. Such partnerships emphasize standardized APIs for consistent data handling across ecosystems. With the deprecation of Google Fit on June 30, 2025, users are encouraged to migrate to Health Connect for continued syncing.[55][56][57] The platform adopts a privacy-first design, featuring granular read and write consents that let users approve specific data types and time ranges for each app individually. Additionally, Health Connect includes automatic data deletion options, configurable to remove records after periods such as 90 days, particularly for data from inactive sources or overall storage management. This ensures sensitive information is not retained indefinitely, with users able to set auto-delete schedules like 3 months (90 days) to balance utility and security. All data remains on-device, avoiding cloud uploads unless explicitly permitted. A policy update on March 5, 2025, strengthened safeguards for handling sensitive health record data. Health Connect continues to evolve, with Jetpack SDK v1.1.0 released on November 3, 2025, adding support for new datatypes, permissions, background reads, and history reads.[58][59][60][61]Other integrations
Android 14 introduces enhanced support for hearing aids via Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) Audio, utilizing connection-oriented L2CAP channels (CoC) to enable low-latency audio streaming between the device and peripheral hearing aids. This implementation employs an elastic buffer to maintain steady audio flow even in the presence of packet loss, with the recommended G.722 codec operating at 16 kHz and 64 kbit/s for optimal performance at a 20 ms connection interval. Additionally, volume adjustments are facilitated through a dedicated Volume characteristic (UUID: 00e4ca9e-ab14-41e4-8823-f9e70c7e91df), supporting attenuation levels from -48 dB to 0 dB, including mute (-128) and fine-grained control via write-without-response commands.[62]Developer tools and APIs
New APIs
Android 14 introduced several new application programming interfaces (APIs) to enhance developer capabilities in areas such as authentication, internationalization, camera functionality, graphics rendering, and screen sharing. These APIs aim to provide more secure, efficient, and flexible tools for building modern applications, with a focus on backward compatibility where possible.[29] Android 14 aligns core system libraries with OpenJDK 17 LTS, providing access to over 300 additional classes and full support for Java 17 language features. This update improves performance and compatibility but may affect apps using regular expressions or UUID.fromString() due to behavioral changes in these areas. Developers should test compatibility, as the alignment enables broader use of modern Java features in Android apps.[6] The Credential Manager serves as a unified API for handling various authentication methods, including passkeys, passwords, and federated sign-ins from providers like Google or Apple. It simplifies the sign-in process by allowing developers to retrieve and store credentials through user-configured providers, reducing the need for multiple disparate authentication flows. This API is backward compatible with devices running Android 4.4 (API level 19) via the Jetpack Library and Google Play services, enabling broader adoption without requiring app updates on older systems.[29][63] Another key addition is the Grammatical Inflection API, which enables apps to generate inflected text dynamically for multiple languages, particularly those with grammatical gender variations such as French, Spanish, or Arabic. Developers can use this API to personalize user interfaces—such as adjusting adjectives or pronouns based on the user's gender preferences—without extensive refactoring of existing string resources. It promotes more inclusive and engaging experiences by supporting grammatical case, number, and gender inflections, improving accessibility in localized content. Introduced specifically in Android 14 (API level 34), it integrates with the existing internationalization framework to handle complex linguistic rules efficiently.[29] For camera development, Android 14 expanded the Camera Extensions framework, providing tools for OEM-specific enhancements like in-sensor zoom and logical multi-camera access. This allows apps to leverage cropped RAW streams for advanced zoom capabilities and supports longer processing times for features such as low-light photography or bokeh effects, ensuring smoother integration of hardware-specific controls. The framework builds on prior extensions, enabling developers to access unified camera streams from multiple sensors without custom implementations, which streamlines development for high-end imaging apps.[29] In graphics, Android 14 added enhancements to vector and rendering APIs, including queryable Paths that allow developers to interrogate path contents for precise intersections and interpolations, and support for custom meshes with vertex shaders for advanced 2D and 3D effects. These tools facilitate more sophisticated animations and UI elements, such as deformable shapes or shader-based textures, by enabling runtime queries and custom rendering pipelines. Backward compatibility for path queries is provided through the Jetpack graphics-path library for earlier API levels, while full mesh and shader features are native to API level 34.[29] Android 14 also introduces the app screen sharing API (available from QPR2), enabling users to share or record individual app windows rather than the entire screen via the MediaProjection framework. Developers can implement callbacks to customize the sharing experience, excluding system UI for enhanced privacy. This feature supports partial screen sharing options and is backward compatible with earlier Android versions through existing MediaProjection APIs, though full app-window isolation requires API level 34.[64]Compatibility changes
Android 14 enforces a minimum target SDK version of API level 23 (Android 6.0) for app installations on devices running the operating system. Apps with atargetSdkVersion lower than 23 are blocked from installation, resulting in an INSTALL_FAILED_DEPRECATED_SDK_VERSION error during the process. This change aims to enhance security and privacy by ensuring apps adhere to modern standards and cannot exploit outdated behaviors to bypass protections in newer Android versions. Existing apps on devices upgraded to Android 14 that target below API 23 remain functional but cannot receive updates unless retargeted. Developers can test such apps using the ADB flag --bypass-low-target-sdk-block to simulate compatibility.[7]
To ensure compatibility with Android 14, particularly for apps distributed via Google Play, developers must update backend library dependencies to include 64-bit support where applicable. Common libraries like those in Android Jetpack require verification that their versions provide native 64-bit binaries (e.g., arm64-v8a and x86_64) alongside any 32-bit counterparts, aligning with the platform's 64-bit architecture mandates. This prevents runtime issues and optimizes performance on 64-bit devices, which form the majority of Android hardware. Failure to include 64-bit libraries can lead to app rejection or limited availability on the Play Store. Testing on 64-bit-only factory images for Android 14 is recommended to validate library compatibility.[65]
Android 14 removes support for Linux kernel version 5.4 in Android Open Source Project (AOSP) builds, mandating the use of kernel 5.10 or higher for new device implementations and custom ROMs. This deprecation ensures access to improved security features, bug fixes, and hardware support available in newer kernels, while dropping outdated code that could introduce vulnerabilities. Vendors building AOSP-based systems must upgrade their kernel configurations accordingly, as 5.4-based builds will no longer compile or function with Android 14's framework. This change aligns with Google's extended long-term support (LTS) kernel strategy to maintain device security over longer periods.[25]
New app store APIs in Android 14 introduce rules for pre-approval installations and split APK handling to mitigate sideloading vulnerabilities. The Update Ownership API allows app stores to claim responsibility for future updates via PackageInstaller.SessionParams.setRequestUpdateOwnership(true), ensuring only the designated owner can perform automatic updates without user intervention each time. Unauthorized sideloaded updates from other sources require explicit user approval, and claiming ownership from another store revokes prior claims. Additionally, the requestUserPreapproval() method enables app stores to seek user consent before downloading APKs, facilitating secure background installations. For split APKs, the setDontKillApp(true) parameter prevents the system from terminating running app processes during installation of dynamic features, enabling seamless updates while reducing exposure to malicious split payloads. These mechanisms collectively strengthen protection against tampering and unauthorized modifications during sideloading.[29]