Hidden Apps
This is something that has been present on Android for ages in the form of custom skins and third-party apps. As someone who has used cheap Chinese phones, I've noticed that their OS skins have this feature as well. Android 15's implementation is pretty much the same: a separate pane hidden under an extra layer of authentication. Private apps are paused when this pane is closed, and notifications are hidden as well. One good change I noticed is that hidden apps aren't shown in Settings either, something most custom skins forget to implement.
Predictive back gestures
Predictive back gestures are, in my opinion, a quality of life improvement that you only miss once you've used them. They show users a preview of what their gesture will do, such as returning to a previous menu or exiting the app to the home screen.
Camera boost in low light
This isn't a Night Mode upgrade for your camera. It provides users with improved real-time previews in low light conditions, allowing them to better frame a photo they're about to take. It also helps with scanning QR codes in darker areas. When shooting still photos, Night Mode still gives a better end result.
Support for page sizes of 16 KB
Another option that has been available on the iPhone for a few years is the 16KB page size, which offers better performance than the traditional 4KB page size. With support for 16KB page sizes coming soon to Android, you can expect smoother and faster performance in the future.
A built-in song identifier
A really nice little feature with Android15 allows you to identify songs playing in public or on your phone without the need for third-party apps. Just enable the Circle to Search feature and tap the music button. Yes, Circle to Search doesn't just work for identifying pants in a picture.
Partial screen sharing and recording
This privacy-focused feature lets you share or record only a specific app window, rather than your entire screen, similar to Discord. Additionally, login details in apps are automatically hidden, which is very welcome.
Intelligent audio control
You know that moment when you put your headphones on in the middle of a video and suddenly your eardrums burst? That's over now! Android15 intelligently compares different audio outputs to ensure consistent volume when switching from one to the other. There are also a ton of other changes coming, many of which will make Android developers' lives a lot easier. And there are a ton of small improvements in the background that will make you and your data more secure.
I just wanted to list some of the new features that caught my eye, because I think we all know that Google will talk about Gemini at every opportunity. Especially now that Mark Gurman has called Apple Intelligence disappointing compared to Gemini.