Jason Cipriani/ZDNet

Recommends

The best Android phones

Here are the top Android phones you can buy.

Read now

Google announced on Wednesday that the third beta of Android 13 is starting to roll out. The update is an important one for Android 13 developers and future users: It is considered the platform stability release, meaning that all APIs and underlying system behaviors are finalized. 

In other words, developers can build apps with confidence that there will be no further changes to the APIs they use to integrate new features in Android 13. Google is asking developers to finish compatibility testing and release app updates ahead of the final release. 

The update arrives right on schedule, with Google's release schedule for Android 13 showing a platform stability release in June followed by another one in July - after which we expect to see the final release. 

Android 13 is currently available through Google's beta program for Pixel users, along with a handful of devices from various manufacturing partners. If you own a Pixel phone and want to test the latest Android software now that it's further along in development, you can follow the steps in this post. 

Image: Google

Google has added many new features to Android 13, including new privacy features along with changes to the interface. As far as privacy changes go, there are more granular permissions for an app to access your files, images, or videos, for example. 

Have you installed Android 13? If so, what do you think? Let us know in the comments below.

Recommends

The 100+ best October Prime Day deals you can buy: Live updatesThe 5 best VPN services (and tips to choose the right one for you)The best Android phones you can buy (including a surprise pick)The best robot vacuum and mop combos (and if they're worth the money)

• The 100+ best October Prime Day deals you can buy: Live updates
• The 5 best VPN services (and tips to choose the right one for you)
• The best Android phones you can buy (including a surprise pick)
• The best robot vacuum and mop combos (and if they're worth the money)