Google has just announced the second developer preview version of Android 14, which is now available for download on the latest Google Pixel devices, starting from the Pixel 4a 5G. Among the updates of this release, we can highlight a tool for creating your own wallpapers and a new accessibility feature called “Flash Notifications” that will turn on the camera or screen flash every time you receive a notification.
But that’s not all, because Android 14 Developer Preview 2 is also bringing back one of the best features of the Android music player.
The Wave Interface Returns to the Android Music Player
As discovered by analysts from Android Police, the second development preview of Android 14 brings back the wave animation that appears in the notification panel when the music player is active.
The Android 14 Music Player Recovers the Wave Animation
This multimedia player interface of Android will be familiar to you since it was initially seen in the first Beta of Android 13 QPR2 but disappeared in later versions. This could have been due to Google deciding to postpone the inclusion of this feature until Android 14, or perhaps the company never intended to launch it in Android 13 and did so by mistake.
But that’s not the only new feature that comes to the Android music player with this second developer preview. The well-known leaker, Mishaal Rahman, recently published a tweet revealing a new section called “Speakers and Displays” that appears when you click on the playback media. This allows you to send music not only to your speakers but also to other connected devices, such as smart screens or devices with Android TV and Google TV.
The Future of Android Music Playback
With the reintroduction of the wave animation and the addition of the “Speakers and Displays” section, it is clear that Google is aiming to make the Android music player more versatile and user-friendly. This move is also in line with the company’s ongoing efforts to improve the overall Android experience for its users.
As Android 14 continues to evolve, we can expect more exciting features to be added to the music player and other aspects of the operating system. For now, users of the Pixel 4a 5G and other compatible devices can enjoy the new developer preview and explore these latest additions to the Android ecosystem.
