Android users have been able to use live wallpapers since the release of Android 2.0 Eclair in 2009. However, despite the capability to set a separate static wallpaper for the home screen and lock screen, Android only lets users set a single live wallpaper for both. This limitation might be changing with Android 14.
Android 14’s latest Developer Preview holds clues regarding the requested feature. According to XDADevelopers, while digging through the source code for the Developer Preview, code changes that suggest Android 14 will enable an “independent lock screen live wallpaper” feature were discovered.
One of the code changes adds a new method to Android’s WallpaperManager class called setWallpaperComponentWithFlags(). This new method allows system apps that hold the SET_WALLPAPER_COMPONENT permission, such as Android’s Live Wallpaper Picker app, to set the live wallpaper for the home screen, lock screen, or both screens.
Currently, the “independent lock screen live wallpaper” feature is not enabled in the Android 14 Developer Preview, so the lock screen in current builds only supports showing static wallpapers.
XDADevelopers speculates that the feature is being added for new devices like the Pixel Tablet, which will double up as a Nest smart display. While there’s no guarantee that this feature will be released, it’s still exciting to see the possibility of setting a separate live wallpaper for the lock screen in Android 14. It’s a small but important feature that can add more personalization and customization to users’ Android experience.
In other Android 14-related news, Pixel users might get separate ring and notification volume settings with the new OS. Read more about it here.
Source: XDADevelopers
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