Android 14 was released to the public along with the Pixel 8. The latest version of the operating system can also benefit organizations. “With Android 14, businesses get advanced security and compliance, plus productivity and personalization tools,” Google said.
Google is introducing better security and compliance features for Android work phones with Android 14, the publisher of Android 14 itself says in a blog devoted entirely to the business features of the recently released operating system.
Security features
In terms of security, Google is strengthening features both for people with bad intentions who have physical access to the device and for those who want to break into the device remotely. The unlock screen’s numeric code will be expanded from four to six digits to discourage physical access attempts. “By adding only two digits to unlock the device, the number of possible PIN code combinations will be increased from 10,000 to 1 million, reducing the risk of break-ins.”
Another security update is being made to Android Work Profile. This profile was specifically designed for devices used both in the work environment and for personal purposes. By putting two profiles on the device, the employee can switch at home to the personal profile and will no longer notified of work-related issues. A new addition to Work Profile is a function allowing IT administrators to disable credential managers against security risks.
Another option for IT administrators is to disable 2G connectivity. This is to prevent so-called “stingray” attacks. Here, hackers connect phones to fake base stations to intercept users’ sensitive information. As of Android 14, it is possible to disable this on all corporate devices simultaneously, whereas previously, this had to be marked on each device individually.
Separating work and private life
There will also be updates to Android’s flagship feature for business users: Work Profile. This second profile to turn a private device into a business device will now be even better divided from the personal profile. This is made possible by, among other things, more straightforward choices between the two profiles when opening a link.
Still, it appears to be a challenging exercise for Google to strike a balance between dividing the two profiles without requiring an employee to switch constantly to the other profile. That’s why the profiles are also partly growing together with a new feature to transfer work contacts from communication apps to the same apps on the personal Android profile. IT administrators can designate for which apps this feature will be enabled. At the same time, switching between the business and private profiles should be made easier by a new feature that lets users swipe on their profile picture to switch profiles.
Furthermore, screenshots taken with the work profile will become better separated from personal photos. Finally, Google wants to prevent an employee from accidentally sharing apps or notifications from the private profile during screen sharing. To this end, the sharer first gets a preview of the apps and designates the apps that may be shared. The option is available under ‘Partial screen share’.
Source: Google
Accessibility improvements
Finally, Android 14 improves the accessibility of the operating system for the hearing and vision impaired. This makes it easier to enlarge fonts and apply them across all applications. “And for people with hearing loss, we’ve added hearing aid enhancements and flash notifications.” So all employees will be better able to use digital devices.
Android 14 has been made available for Google’s Pixel smartphones. Smartphone manufacturers will customize the operating system to give it a personal touch and will make it available for their smartphone models later on. By the way, Android 14 does not only have new features in store for business users, but the operating system also has a new look and feel with a revamped logo and updated avatar.
Also read: Google gives Android and Android 14 new look and feel