Now Is Finally the Best Time to Run the Android 15 Beta

If you’re a diehard Android user who can’t wait a couple of more months for Android 15, now is the best time to check out the beta. The third beta of Android 15 started rolling out several days ago and officially hit Platform Stability. That means that developers can code their apps to this version of Android without worrying about bugs and crashes (save for those that still haven’t been discovered, of course).

According to 9to5Google, which does a pretty thorough job of combing through the beta documentation, the Android 15 beta comes with a myriad of fixes for things. For instance, the Share sheet will no longer crash. I encountered that bug on the last beta, and it was a glaring reminder of why you don’t install preview hardware on a daily driver.

Android 15 Beta 3 debuts a few new abilities that weren’t in the previous releases, like Adaptive Timeout, which dims the screen after a period of inactivity, and Safe Browsing, which allows you to vet websites and search terms without touching your Google account. There is also a new Home Control screensaver, a redux of the Device Controls shortcut from the notifications shade. At the very least, it pins your favorites, so they’re always right there.

That 9to5Google piece I cited also reminds us that even at Platform Stability, you risk bugs when operating unreleased software. The Adaptive Timeout feature is missing from the screen timeout options on the Pixel 6 Pro for one commenter. I can confirm it’s also missing on Gizmodo’s review device running the latest beta.

If you’d rather not wait for the beta and you’re curious to try something like Adaptive Timeout, there are third-party apps that can facilitate this now. The Intelligence, a trusted Android tips blog, recommends KinScreen, which offers similar screen-dimming capabilities.