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Whether you have been using Android 14 since its release or recently upgraded your device, the chaotic world of Android often feels like an adventure where you continuously discover new tricks that give your smartphone a new lease of life.
So we discover them — new ways to shape your home screen, track your well-being, and find the elusive Android 14 Easter Egg, a feature the cheeky developers at Google still slip into every version.
As the Android vs. iOS debate rages on and we await the arrival of Android 15, we focus on uncovering why Android 14 is the gift that keeps giving.
Key Takeaways
- Android 14 was first released in October 2023, with rollouts continuing into 2024.
- Android 14 offers new customization options for home screens, lock screens, and notifications.
- The update includes productivity tools like a focused screen recording feature and Digital Wellbeing enhancements.
- Android 14 introduces the ability to use your phone as a webcam for higher-quality video calls.
- An Easter egg in Android 14 allows users to explore space in a themed mini-game.
How to Find the Android 14 Easter Egg
Every version of Android also comes with hidden Easter eggs, and Android 14 did not disappoint. Building on its space theme, the Android 14 Easter Egg is a cool mini-game where users can explore deep space in a rocket.
Here is how you can find the Android 14 Easter Egg:
- Navigate to Settings and then select About phone.
- Locate and select the Android version.
- Tap Android Version 14 three times.
- Now press and hold the Android 14 logo.
- If you have successfully activated the Easter egg, you’ll see the official Android 14 logo, which looks like NASA’s Apollo 14 mission patch logo.
- Enjoy the mini Asteroids-like game!
Pressing and holding on Android 14's Easter egg gives an extremely soothing haptic feedback.
And the game itself is quite interactive making it one of the best Android easter eggs of all time. pic.twitter.com/Jg0L9Byt1C
— Gadgets Hub 𝕏 (@thegadgetshub) January 2, 2024
Top Android 14 Features
Whether you want to improve your productivity, bolster your security, or make your life easier, Android 14 has many hidden features waiting to be discovered. In this guide, we will round up some of our favorite features and tips from the Techopedia team that you might have missed.
Screen Recording
Android 14 allows you to restrict a screen recording session on your device to a single app. This means that any clips you record will not display any of the notifications bombarding your home screen or any UI elements.
When you start a new screen recording, you can access the feature by selecting “A single app” from the drop-down menu.
Android 14 adds a function to record only the app you are using when recording the screen
in Android 14, a 'single app' item is added to the screen recording option. When this function is selected, only the screen of the currently used application is recorded without pic.twitter.com/crRkqc5fwe
— Riceball (@korean_riceball) May 20, 2023
Use Your Android Phone as a Webcam
The hybrid workforce is here to stay, and any location can quickly become your makeshift office. Whether your next meeting is in a cafe, bar, hotel, or co-working space, Android 14 allows you to turn your device into a high-quality webcam.
Android users can improve the camera quality on video calls by simply plugging into a PC or Macbook and changing the default camera in Zoom or Teams.
Do you work for an OEM or on an AOSP project and want to enable the USB webcam feature Google introduced in Android 14 (QPR1)?
Good news, because Google has recently published documentation on how to do so!
Use a device as a webcam: https://t.co/LiqdtYOtyb pic.twitter.com/UNxRRavY3n
— Mishaal Rahman (@MishaalRahman) July 3, 2024
Customize Your Lock Screen
Android’s biggest selling point has always been the high level of customization. Whereas Apple always opted to keep users confined to its walled garden, many users felt this was restricting and stifled creativity.
Android 14’s lock screen customization allows users to showcase their individuality and ensure their smartphones don’t look like every other device. The lock-screen customization tool allows users to change the clock’s color and style to match their wallpaper and tweak the quick settings tiles at the bottom of the screen.
Google Android 14 – Always On Display to Lock Screen transition is a true work of art. pic.twitter.com/iSfAcRk7Tp
— TechDroider (@techdroider) August 11, 2023
Customize Your Message Notifications
The constant bombardment of notifications can feel overwhelming. Android 14 enables users to cut through the noise and will prioritize the most important conversations. For example, messages from family and best friends can be set to appear as bubbles on top of any other running apps.
You can also activate Do Not Disturb mode, which allows notifications from your significant other or boss to appear as usual. There is an additional option to use your phone’s flashlight as a makeshift notification trigger. But I suspect this feature will quickly become annoying, especially in cinema or most public settings.
Flash Notifications – #Android14 New feature 👍 pic.twitter.com/hn240eKPfA
— Rajesh Rajput (Technobuzz) (@iRaj_r) March 9, 2023
Top Best Android Tips
Improve Your Digital Wellbeing
Do you find yourself reaching for your phone to check every notification? Or have you spent two hours of your life endlessly scrolling but unable to remember any of the content you just consumed? Android 14’s Digital Wellbeing tool to help you identify your biggest digital time stealers and kickstart your productivity.
The app will tell you how many hours you spend on your phone daily, how many notifications you receive, and how many times you unlock your device. With this knowledge, you can create a personalized focus or monk mode to turn off intrusive notifications and even set daily time limits on apps that eat into your day.
Finally, a bedtime mode will remind you to stop doomscrolling, wrap up your session, and go to sleep.
Get Organized by Using Widgets
Your day will probably begin by quickly checking the weather, and Android devices have many options — FrogWeather or Overdrop are two options that bring weather widgets to your home screen.
There are multiple options for what information can be displayed, but they all offer aesthetically pleasing and vibrant visuals.
Change Your Homescreen Launcher
The best flexibility of Android is the ability to change your launcher — your home screen when interacting with your smartphone.
The king of third-party launchers is Nova, which, despite some current difficulties with its parent company, offers the most flexibility — resizable widgets, support for icon packs and folders, masses of animations, and a hideable dock. It’s really carved the way forward for how Android users think about their phones, and founder Kevin Barry has arguably had the most influence on Android outside the core Android team.
For an alternative approach, Niagara Launcher is simple: it displays your favorite apps as a list on your home screen while still offering widgets and folders galore.
There is also nothing stopping you from exploring a wealth of other launchers, even offering Windows and iOS-themed experiences for your phone.
The Bottom Line
Android fans love the flexibility in customizing almost every aspect of the user interface, from home screens and widgets to choosing default apps. The open ecosystem also enables users to sideload apps and enjoy greater freedom in how they interact with their devices.
One of the things we love most about the Android operating system at Techopedia is that it allows your handset to evolve continuously throughout its lifespan.
Whether it’s improved user experiences through greater personalization or enhanced privacy features, something new is always waiting to be discovered.
