Google released Android 14 Beta 4 on Tuesday as the company prepares for the final release of the operating system update. The new version mainly contains bug fixes, but also introduces a useful feature to make unlocking easier.
The Beta 4 has a new “automatically confirm unlock” feature in the settings, which automatically unlocks the phone once you enter the correct PIN of six digits or more. Previously, after entering the PIN, you had to tap Enter to confirm. In the settings menu, Google warns that unlocking automatically is a “slightly less secure” method than having to confirm the action.
In previous beta versions, the Ring Volume and Notification Volume sliders were linked together, so you couldn’t increase the ring volume without increasing it for notifications. Like Android researcher Mishaal Rahman notedin the latest update these two controls are now completely separated.
Other improvements in Android 14 Beta 4 include new default profile pictures, support for the beta version on tablets and foldable, a better widget picker for tablets, and a more prominent placement of the slip screen option in the long press menu. The new update is immediately available to download for Google phones, including Pixel 4a and newer.
Google released the first developer beta for Android 14 in March and the first public beta in April. According to the timetable released by the company earlier this year, the new operating system would become stable in July and the final version would be released after that. It is likely that the search giant will release the stable version of Android 14 in August.
![](https://techcrunch.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/android14-release.png?w=680)
Image Credits: Google
The Android 14 update includes an upgrade to the back gesture, per-app language settings, a screenshot detection API, and a new photo picker that allows users to give an app access to select photos only.