Android 15 beta 3 rolling out now — here’s what’s new

Android mascot in a triangle flexing his arms as an android 15 promo
(Image credit: Googlw)

It won’t be long now before a final Android 15 build becomes available, now that Google has released Android 15 Beta 3 today (June 18). The new release catapults the operating system update to platform stability, giving developers access to the latest APIs and all app-facing behaviors to integrate into their apps, before final compatibility testing and eventual public release.

Beta releases are typically riddled with bugs, which is no different this time because Google has already pushed out two updates for Android 15 — one to fix an annoying bug with Private Spaces, another to address Google Wallet issues. Android 15 Beta 3 primarily centers around improving the user experience for passkeys and Credential Manager. 

For developers, this streamlines the way users sign-into apps with a new single-step UI experience. Previously, users had to perform two operations in order to do this, but the sign in process with the Android 15 beta 3 release has been condensed into a single one. Users can sign into apps using facial recognition, fingerprint scanning or screen lock.

In the event when a user is presented with a selector at sign-in (like a situation when they have stored accounts), developers can associate a Credential Manager request so that the appropriate credentials are shown in autofill fallback UIs — as seen in the above image.

Lastly, the Android 15 beta 3 release will have WebSQL deprecated in Android WebView. WebSQL is a web page API for the storage and management of data in databases, but it’s now removed in Chrome and deprecated in Android WebView. Google is encouraging developers running apps that require web databases to adopt other Web Storage API technologies instead, since the current methods will become a ‘no-op’ on all versions of Android in the next 12 months.

Naturally, this beta 3 release primarily targets developer tools, but it won’t be long now before a final release of Android 15 should become available. Google is encouraging developers to try these new APIs and features to ensure better app stability. 

Based on Google’s timeline, we could see a final release sometime later this summer as early as August. Google’s line of Pixel phones traditionally get it first, with subsequent rollouts to other manufacturers much later. And, of course, Android 15 will come pre-installed on the Pixel 9 phones expected this fall.

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John Velasco
Senior Channel Editor for Phones

John’s a senior editor covering phones for Tom’s Guide. He’s no stranger in this area having covered mobile phones and gadgets since 2008 when he started his career. On top of his editor duties, he’s a seasoned videographer being in front and behind the camera producing YouTube videos. Previously, he held editor roles with PhoneArena, Android Authority, Digital Trends, and SPY. Outside of tech, he enjoys producing mini documentaries and fun social clips for small businesses, enjoying the beach life at the Jersey Shore, and recently becoming a first time homeowner.