First big Android 13 leak teases big changes to notifications, shows off per-app language settings

Plus a new clock option coming in Android 12L

We’re still in the early days of Android 12L being available in beta builds, but that doesn’t mean we can’t look forward to what’s coming down the road in Android 13. A day after we reported about Google’s work on “Panlingual” settings for apps, a new look at the company’s next update for phones has us excited about plans for 2022.

XDA Developers published screenshots from an early build of Android 13 today, codenamed “Tiramisu.” These images give us, among other things, our first look at the language settings we initially reported on yesterday. Based on these shots, you can see per-app language settings within the settings menu. If you’d rather keep your browser or various social media apps in another language than your phone’s default, it’ll be just a couple of taps away.

Perhaps more exciting, however, is the switch to opt-in notifications. Getting spammed incessantly with ads, in-app offers, and other inessential prompts is something Google has tried to corral in the past, but with Android 13, they’re making a big switch. According to XDA, new runtime permissions for notifications seem to hint at a move to opt-in permissions for prompts, just as apps already request access to location, camera, files, and more. iOS already does this, requesting the user approve notifications upon first launch. As any iPad owner will tell you, it goes a long way in curtailing spam. This type of permission coming to Android is a big deal and could make notifications that much better.

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Google is also working on a new feature called “TARE,” or “The Android Resource Economy.” Designed to help boost how your device uses power, it affects any tasks using Alarm Manager or JobScheduler policies. TARE awards and takes credits to and from apps as they perform specific actions, limiting the ability to schedule unlimited jobs in the future. It seems like this particular function is early in development, so we’ll need to wait for full developer previews — and, in all likelihood, some detailed descriptions from Google for developers — to better understand.

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As it stands, the only visual change is a new toggle for controlling the size of the clock on the lock screen. If you’re sick of being greeted with giant numbers on your Pixel 6, this option is for you. Even better news: according to Mishaal Rahman on Twitter, this change is coming to Android 12L first.

This quick glimpse at Android 13 might seem pretty small at the moment, but we’re still months out from when anyone should expect a public developer preview. If you’re missing the constant influx of sneak previews that usually arrive in the summer months, don’t forget about Android 12L’s ongoing beta period.

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