Android 14 has officially entered the last stage of its development with today'sBeta 3 release bringing the program to its Platform Stability milestone. This means developers can get serious about updating their apps for the new version, as APIs and other app-facing features have been finalized. But from an end-user standpoint, Beta 3 also marks another major improvement:Android 14's new lock screen customization options are live.
First announced at I/O 2023 andspotted live in Beta 3 by Mishaal Rahman, the new options bring the Pixel's lock screen customization game up to par with the likes of Samsung Galaxy devices and iPhones.
You can find the new settings on Android 14 by long-pressing any empty space on your home screen and heading toWallpaper & style. Alternatively, you can long-press your lock screen and tap theCustomize lock screen chip that appears.
Next, select the newLock screen tab at the top of the screen and you'll be greeted by a carousel of clock themes to swipe through. You can also tap theClock color & size button to shrink the clock or switch away from the defaultMaterial You theming if you'd like, and there's a slider for darkening whichever custom color you choose.
Just beneath the clock customization options is a newShortcuts menu. Opening this allows you to choose betweenNone,Mute,Device controls,Wallet,Camera,Do not disturb,Video call,Flashlight, andQR code for toggles that can be added to both the left and right corner of the bottom of your lock screen. Once added, these shortcuts are activated by long-pressing their respective icons on your lock screen. As we reported earlier,custom lock screen shortcuts are not allowed at this time.
Changes take effect on the fly, so you can simply press your power button twice to see your newly customized lock screen. Most of the clocks are digital, though there's one analog-style theme available. The vast majority of clock styles incorporate Google's At a Glance widget, and the one that doesn't displays weather information alongside the date as part of the clock itself.
We're still not seeing thenew emoji wallpapers and cinematic wallpapers Google teased at I/O, but those are expected with Android 13 QPR3, better known as theJune Pixel Feature Drop, which might just release next week if we're lucky. Until then, we'll keep digging into Android 14 Beta 3 and highlighting any cool new stuff we come across.
