Ever since the Pixel 9 was launched in August, we’ve all been asking when Android 15 might arrive. But now Google has stopped giving us vague answers, confirming that Android 15 starts rolling out to Pixel phones today (October 15). The new update brings with it all sorts of features and upgrades aimed at improving your Android experience.
Pixel phones are always first in line for these Android updates, which means those of you with other Android phones will have to wait a while longer. How much longer all depends on which phone you have, and how proactive the manufacturer is at adapting new versions of Android to their own software. But rolling out the latest Android update to Pixels is a crucial first step, and hopefully means your wait should be a little shorter.
Here are all the biggest Android 15 features rolling out to Pixel phones right now — and hopefully coming to some of the other best Android phones in the near future.
Private Space
In my opinion, one of the best features arriving with Android 15 is Private Space. This secure folder is a place to keep all your most sensitive apps, hidden away from prying eyes or any thieves that might have accessed your phone. Because we keep a lot of sensitive information on our phones, the last thing you want is for someone to access and exploit it.
When Private Space is locked, all those apps might as well have been erased from your phone. You can’t access them, contents can’t be searched for, and you can even hide the Private Space folder itself to make it even harder for intruders to access stuff they shouldn’t. So whether it’s mobile banking, a dating app, or files that all need to be for your eyes only, Private Space can keep it that way.
Theft Detection Lock
Of course hiding your apps is one last line of defense. It helps if thieves can’t actually access your phone to begin with, even if they snatch it right out of your hands. That’s where Theft Detection Lock comes in. This is an AI-powered feature that will sense if someone snatches your phone out of your hands — automatically locking everything down and denying the thief access to your phone.
If you’re not so trusting that AI features can lock your device by themselves, then phones running Android 10 and above gain a new Remote Lock feature. All you need is access to a device and your own phone number. Once you pass a few security checks, you’ll be able to lock down your phone no matter where it’s gone — and the process will go much more quickly than logging into the Find My Device service via a web browser.
Better security
On top of all those security features, Android 15 will make it harder for thieves to access sensitive information in other ways. New authentication settings will stop thieves from trying to guess your passwords, locking down your phone if there have been multiple failed attempts to access certain areas of your phone.
It also means thieves won’t be able to turn off Find My Device or remove your SIM card without completing an extra authentication step first — all to make it harder for them to reset the phone and sell it on.
Apps that use passkeys for authentication will also let you log in with a single tap, which should make accessing your accounts significantly easier than before.
Better productivity on larger screens
Tablets have never had the best support on Android, but that’s been changing — and Android 15 is pushing the envelope a little more. Both Android tablets and foldables come with an optional taskbar, which can be pinned or unpinned from your home screen as you see fit. That way, you can keep your favorite apps within reach, and not have to navigate back to the home screen or app drawer.
App pairing is also designed to make multitasking easier, letting you open a pair of apps at the same time — and side by side. Those pairs can be saved as their app icon too, so you can be sure you’ll open them both with a single tap.
Satellite connectivity
Satellite connectivity came to Pixel 9 earlier this year, but Android 15 should ensure that this feature is supported on more Android phones — assuming they have the necessary hardware to connect to satellites. But crucially the satellite support in Android 15 isn’t limited to emergency calls.
Carrier messaging apps will be able to use satellite connectivity to send and receive messages, even when it’s not an emergency. That way you can keep in touch, even if you have no cellular or Wi-Fi connectivity.
Better low light photography
Google has confirmed that Low Light Boost and in-app camera controls now offer better performance in low-light conditions. The Pixel typically has rather good low-light photography capabilities, but any improvement is always welcome. Third party camera apps are also getting more camera control, including precise flash controls, once the Android 15 update has been installed.
