Android TV 13 is now officially available, but you probably shouldn’t expect to see it on any consumer devices in the foreseeable future. This is more of a developer milestone than anything else, as Android TV updates are generally slower and less extensive than regular Android updates. Google’s Chromecast devices also just received Android TV 12 earlier this year.
Even if you receive an OTA today, it’s unlikely you’ll notice any major changes since most of the new additions to version 13 are back-end, aimed at developers. The user interface is mostly the same. You can read the full changelog here, but we’ll point out some of the highlights anyway.
User adjustable resolution and refresh rate on supported HDMI source devices are finally a thing. OS-level power saving has been improved overall, including adding methods that allow the device to pause playback if the HDMI signal changes to something new. AudioManager APIs now support audio anticipatory paths for supported audio formats and speaker groups.
There is a new Keyboard Layouts API in Android TV 13, which allows for the selection of different language layouts for external keyboards. We also make some changes to how keyboard and controller button mapping is handled, especially for use by game developers.
Privacy and accessibility have also been improved. Hardware mute switch states, where available, are now reflected in system privacy controls, and there are new user controls for Assistant software microphone access.
As we said, it’s unlikely you’ll see Android TV 13 on your consumer device any time soon, but if you’re a developer, you can now start using the full version of the OS on your ADT-3 dev kit or Android emulator for TV .
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