Android 15 Developer Preview 2 is Here: Download, Changes, and More

Following up on the release of the first Android 15 Developer Preview last month, Google has gone ahead and dropped Android 15 Developer Preview 2 on us today. This 2nd preview brings us closer to an Android 15 Beta that could arrive as early as next month.

In this Android 15 DP2 build, Google is still mostly talking about changes for developers to focus on while not recommending you and I run this on our daily phones. This is still an early enough build that it could have plenty of bugs and might not be stable. Keep that in mind as you contemplate flashing it on your Pixel 6 up through Pixel 8 Pro.

Download Android 15 Developer Preview 2

For those willing to take the plunge and install Android 15 Developer Preview 2, there are a few ways to do so. You can manually flash factory image files, use the Android Flash Tool, or if you were already running Android 15 DP1, you will see an update over-the-air shortly. OTA files are still broken for now and Google doesn’t expect those issues to be fixed until Beta 1.

The second build of Android 15 is:

Release date: March 21, 2024
Build: AP31.240223.016.A3
Emulator support: x86 (64-bit), ARM (v8-A)
Security patch level: March 2024
Google Play services: 24.08.12
API diff
V DP1 → V DP2
API 34 → V DP2

Downloads: Factory Images | OTA Files

For now, Google has provided factory image files that can be flashed. We have instructions for using this type of file here.

What’s new in Android 15 DP2?

We’ll put together separate posts if we find a bunch of fun toys to play with or that you should know about. Below, though, we have the official list of changes for DP2 from Google.

• READ: The 3 best new features in Android 15 DP2

• Satellite connectivity: Should you connect to a satellite on your device in Android 15, you’ll see notifications like the one above. Google also says that Android 15 brings support for SMS/MMS (and RCS) applications to use satellites for sending and receiving messages.
• Smoother NFC payment experiences: Google is building out an updated NFC experience that is more seamless and reliable.
• PDF improvements: This latest DP2 includes an early preview of “substantial improvements” to PDF-related APIs. These improvements include rendering of password-protected files, annotations, form editing, selection (with copy), and searching. We’re talking about local PDF viewing, not necessarily from a PDF app.
• Cover screen support on foldables: Google is making the cover screen experience on smaller foldables (which they are calling “flippables” now) more robust by adding specific cover screen support in Android 15. This means that developers can tell their apps to support them, since they wouldn’t by default because these screens are often too small for Android apps to run on.
• Screen record detection: We now have support for apps to detect when the screen is being recorded. If they do detect such a recording, they could warn you, especially if presenting sensitive information.
• Loudness control: Android 15 supports the CTA-2075 loudness standard, so developers can provide consistent audio when switching between content.

That’s just a quick run-through of some of the new items in DP2. The full write-up (here) is worth a look if you are a developer. There’s more related to fonts, efficiency with apps and their start and stop states, and more.

Again, this Android 15 DP2 build is only meant for developers. We’ll be sure to flash it and report back anything else we find for you.