Android 15 might get new options to improve app readability

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Android 15 might get new options to improve app readability
Android has many accessibility options built-in that make the operating system easier for everyone to use. Normally, you will find options to make the screen bigger, have it read text out loud, and even control things with your voice if you can't use the touchscreen. However, accessibility options on mobile devices can always be improved, and it looks like Google is working on just that with the upcoming version of Android.

Google recently dropped a new QPR beta for Android 14 that included mostly bug fixes. Although the changelogs usually don't reflect it, sometimes little surprises are snuck in as features that are currently in development, but not yet ready to be unveiled. This is when we depend on code experts such as Mishaal Rahman, who often go through these betas with a fine-toothed comb and uncover the features we are likely to see soon. This time, what he dug up were some hidden "color contrast" settings, which he documented in great detail.

A sneak peek

These settings let you play with the contrast of text, buttons, and even icons within your apps. You can dial things down to "default", crank it up to "medium" or "high", or even hit "maximize text contrast" to slap a background behind text for ultimate visibility. It even has a preview so you know what you're getting into. Just keep in mind, not every single app might play perfectly with these settings quite yet.

New color contrast settings in light and dark mode | Credit: Android Headlines

If this rings a bell, you're not imagining things. Google tinkered with a "contrast level" slider in older Android previews. It was mainly for "Material You" theming, but this new stuff seems a lot more useful for everyday folks. It looks like it might replace the old "high-contrast" option in your display settings, too.

Unfortunately, these settings are still under development, but judging by them being in this stage of completion in this QPR beta, they will likely pop up in the full Android 15 release, which should hit sometime this fall. With a big update like that, we might even see some other cool interface changes from Google (fingers crossed).

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