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Google Launches Android 14 for Pixel Phones: Everything You Need to Know

If your Android phone supports Android 14, you can download the OS today.

Google announced the release of Android 14, alongside the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro phones, on Wednesday during the Made by Google event. The Android 14 software update is rolling out to supported devices.

The latest major release of the Android mobile operating system brings new features to your Android smartphone, including AI-generated wallpapers, passkeys for third-party apps, monthly reminders for data-sharing, and camera flash notifications.

Read more: Google Promises Pixel 8 Phones Will Get Software Updates Through 2030

Android 14 was first released as a developer beta back in February, shortly after Google’s annual Google I/O event, with a beta version dropping a couple of months later. The general public release of Android 14 was originally slated for early September but was ultimately pushed back until today.

During today’s Made by Google event, in addition to the new Pixels, the company also unveiled the Pixel Watch 2 and the latest Pixel Buds Pro — all of which you can preorder.

Don’t miss: Google Pixel 8, Pixel 8 Pro, Watch 2: Everything Google Just Announced

If you’re interested in testing Android 14, here’s everything you need to know, including the biggest new features, whether your phone supports Android 14, and if so, how to download Android 14 onto your device.

See the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro Up Close and Personal

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What new features are coming with Android 14?

Android 14 doesn’t revolutionize the Android experience so much as push the mobile operating system forward, but it does now offer AI-generated wallpapers, passkeys for third-party apps, dynamic monochromatic themes and more.

Mostly there are enhancements: camera, accessibility, home screen, lock screen, privacy and security, and battery optimization all are improved with Android 14.

The camera gets several improvements with Android 14, including support for high-quality Ultra HDR images, better low-light photography on compatible phones and in-sensor zooming that allows you to zoom in and out without loss of image quality in some third-party apps. A new document scanner service will allow apps to digitize physical documents, like your receipts, with your camera.

For accessibility, Android 14 offers larger fonts, scaled up to 200%, for those who are visually impaired. There are also camera flash notifications — which use your camera’s flash to notify you — meant for people who are hard of hearing. You can pinch-to-zoom to set magnification in your apps. And there are more customization settings for hearing aids.

The lock screen features a new customization picker, with custom clocks and lock screen shortcuts.

And for privacy and security, you have notifications warning you of any changed data-sharing practices for third-party apps, stricter app permissions, enhanced PIN privacy, ability to disable 2G connectivity, encryption for all cellular connections and more.

Which Android phones support Android 14?

Every Android phone out there supports the Android OS — but not in the same way. 

Google usually develops a new Android update, known simply as Android OS, and then releases it to its own devices, like the Pixel Pro, Pixel Fold and Pixel Tablet. Other smartphone manufacturers then transform the stock Android OS into their own update, or skin — Samsung has One UI and OnePlus has OxygenOS, for example.

As for pure Android 14, only a limited number of Google devices support the latest Android OS:

Android 14-based updates will be pushed out to devices from Samsung, Nothing, OnePlus, Sony and other manufacturers later this year.

pixel 8 phones

How to download Android 14 on your phone

On your supported Android, go into the Settings application, scroll down to the bottom and tap System > System update. If Android 14 is available on your device, you’ll see your update status appear. If not, tap the Check for update button at the bottom. Next, hit Download and install and wait for your phone to download the latest software and restart. Once your phone boots back up, you should see Android 14 running.

Note: If you see a «not enough space available» notification, you’ll need to free up storage before you can update to Android 14.

Android 14 running on a Pixel 6 Pro.

Technologies

This Transformable Electric Truck Could Become the Cheapest EV in the US

Merging retro touches with a high-tech electric platform, the Slate Truck offers a customizable, budget-friendly alternative to traditional EVs.

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Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for April 27, #686

Hints and answers for Connections for April 27, #686.

Looking for the most recent Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.


Today’s Connections puzzle might make you hungry — especially if you spot the four words in the blue category. Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.

The Times now has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.

Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time

Hints for today’s Connections groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group, to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Do the math.

Green group hint: Tresses.

Blue group hint: Munchies.

Purple group hint: Think Stockholm.

Answers for today’s Connections groups

Yellow group: Calculator buttons.

Green group: Amounts of hair.

Blue group: Salty snack unit.

Purple group: Swedish ____.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is calculator buttons. The four answers are equals, minus, percent and times.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is amounts of hair. The four answers are lock, shock, thatch and tuft.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is salty snack unit. The four answers are Combo, Goldfish, Ruffle and Taki.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is Swedish ____. The four answers are Chef, Fish, massage and meatball.

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Technologies

Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for April 27, #420

Here are hints — and answers — for the NYT Strands puzzle No. 420 for April 27.

Looking for the most recent Strands answer? Click here for our daily Strands hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.


Sleep used to be so simple, but now it can be complex, as we try to add in extra things to help us get that good night’s rest. Today’s NYT Strands puzzle highlights sleep assistance, and a few of the words are tricky. If you need hints and answers, read on.

I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story. 

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Toughest Puzzles So Far

Hint for today’s Strands puzzle

Today’s Strands theme is: Sleep tight

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: Zzzzz…

Clue words to unlock in-game hints

Your goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle’s theme. If you’re stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get those hints, but any words of four or more letters that you find will work:

  • BEDS, MINE, TAKE, TAKES, TAKER, STAKE, LATS, EARL, PLUG, PLUGS, ROUT, MIKE, DATE

Answers for today’s Strands puzzle

These are the answers that tie into the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that reaches from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you’ve got all of them (I originally thought there were always eight but learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the nonspangram answers:

  • MASK, EARPLUGS, MELATONIN, MEDITATION, MOUTHGUARD

Today’s Strands spangram

Today’s Strands spangram is BEDTIME. To find it, start with the B that’s five letters down on the farthest row to the left and wind across.

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