6 new Android 15 features that I've fallen in love with

Android 15 has landed, but it isn't a spectacular update to Google's operating system. Still, the more you look, the more additions you find that make you think, "Why hasn't anyone added this sooner?" That's how I felt while exploring the new Android 15 features. None of them are groundbreaking, but there's a bit for everyone who wants a better, smarter phone. Let's check what's new as I take you through my favorite new features in Android 15.

Read our review

My favorite Android 15 features are far from flashy

A minor update with welcome quality-of-life tweaks

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7 Private Space

Because work and life should be separate

Private Space is a virtual locker for everything personal. It creates a separate and protected section in your app drawer where you install apps only you can access.

As a parent who occasionally hands their phone to their kid, I can see how Private Space could be useful. Things like banking and shopping apps are safe in there, PIN-protected from the taps of a curious 5-year-old. It's also an effective solution for isolating work accounts on a personal device. You can use Private Space to access personal apps in a pinch if you have a dedicated work phone. I expect many Android 15 users to hide their dating and other apps securely in there.

Private Space is helpful in a variety of use cases. However, there are caveats, including private apps that cannot run in the background. That's ideal for keeping a dating app private, but it's annoying when a payment app doesn't show notifications of inbound transfers.

Related

How to set up and use Private Space in Android 15

Work and play, separated safely

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6 Battery charging limit to 80%

Sacrificing battery life to gain battery health

One factor affecting long-term battery health is the time it spends fully charged. That's why I'm glad to see Android 15 implementing a hard limit, which I set up. It can be mildly inconvenient, but I keep my tech in tip-top shape, and I'm not keen on replacing my phone's battery. Unless you're a heavy user, I recommend trying this one.

I also believe that introducing the 80% limit in Android 15 will raise awareness of the conditions that speed up battery aging. Battery health is still poorly understood by the public, so having such features available helps people understand how to make their phones last longer. This is a welcome feature, with software support promised for up to seven years on some phones.

Related

Charging optimization in Android 15: What it is and how it works

The benefit of an 80% battery charge limit explained

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5 Theft detection and protection

Hope you never need to use this one

Source: Google

A 2023 BBC report states that a phone is stolen every six minutes in London. Many people have some type of screen lock set up, but that's useless if your phone is pulled out of your hands while it's unlocked.

I've attended several tech events worldwide in big, busy cities and know how swiftly thieves operate. I hope you never have to find out how well Google's Theft protection features work. With Android 15, a phone tells if it has been snatched by detecting unusual movement. It can't promise you'll ever see your phone again, but it locks it automatically to protect your data and prevent a factory reset. Additionally, you can lock a phone using your phone number for authentication from another device.

4 Adaptive Vibration

Because nobody likes a rattling phone

I don't know what my ringtone sounds like. My phone is on vibrate or mute since I don't want to bother anyone around me with the sound of beeps. But that tactic does not always work.

That's why it's nice to see Adaptive vibration built into Android 15. We've seen this feature in older Pixel phones, but Google should improve it and make it broadly available after the update's release. It uses your phone's microphone and other sensors to detect if the strength of a vibration alert should be adjusted. It works both ways: to grab your attention in noisy places or to spare you the embarrassment of your phone rattling on a glass table.

3 Saving App pairs

A treat for frequent split-screen users

Split screen gets much-needed love in Android 15 with the addition of app pairs that you can save for use anytime. When saved, these appear as shortcuts on your home screen that you tap to open. This option isn't only coming to large-screen devices like the Google Pixel Fold and Pixel Tablet. It's also found on slab phones like the Google Pixel 9 Pro after the Android 15 update.

I don't know many people who use split screen on Android, but I do for work. Typically, I have Google Keep alongside another app:

• Google Keep and the Clock app for timing scripts for my YouTube videos
• Google Keep and YouTube for taking notes while watching videos by other creators
• Google Keep and Chrome for taking notes and saving links while researching a topic

2 App archiving

Freeing up storage space with less friction

Having 128GB of storage on my phone means I need to get rid of old apps occasionally. However, uninstalling an app wipes its data, and I have to set up that app from scratch if I install it again.

To remedy this, Google added app archiving to the Play Store last year. With Android 15, the feature is built into the OS. Archiving an app removes its core data but leaves user data intact. This frees up most of the space occupied by the app. If you download it again, you can pick up where you left off.

1 Bonus: SMS over satellite

A big deal … if it worked

Source: Verizon

This one would have been higher up the list under other circumstances, but it's just an honorable mention for now. Although Android 15 has built-in support for SMS messaging over satellite, the feature isn't usable.

This differs from Satellite SOS on the Pixel 9 series. The new feature, introduced with Android 15, allows regular texts to be sent to anyone over satellite, even in non-emergency situations. However, carriers are working on pricing the service, as Android Authority explains. I guess we'll have to stay tuned for this one.

Iteration is the theme with Android 15

There's no doubt about it: Android 15 is an iterative update. It's about polishing and refinement over breaking new ground. Given the mature state of Google's operating system, I'm fine with that. There isn't much critically missing from Android anymore.

At the same time, there are enough new, albeit minor, features in Android 15 worthy of checking out, even by the standards of a hard-to-impress, long-time Android user like myself. They won't make your phone feel overhauled, but they're nifty nice-to-haves that could make your Android ride smoother and keep your phone secure.