Android 11 beta launched – Here are the new features
Google has launched the first beta version of Android 11, offering improved features over its current Android 10 mobile operating system.
“Millions of developers around the world build their business with Android, and we’re releasing the Beta today to continue to support these developers with the latest tools,” said Google.
The Android 11 beta is currently only available on the Google Pixel, although Google said those who don’t yet have access to a smartphone that can run Android 11 can set up an Android emulator to test the new operating system.
Google unpacked the three key themes of the first beta version of Android 11: People, Controls, and Privacy.
People
Google said it is making Android more “people-centric and expressive,” with the goal of being able to recognise and prioritise the most important people in each user’s life.
To achieve this, it has unveiled the following features:
- Conversation notifications – These notifications now have their own dedicated section, and now offer conversation-specific actions like opening a conversation as a bubble, creating a conversation shortcut, or setting a reminder.
- Bubbles – Conversation bubbles help users to keep their conversations accessible while multitasking.
- Consolidated keyboard suggestions – This allows Autofill apps and Input Method Editors (IMEs) “offer context-specific entities and strings directly in an IME’s suggestion strip”.
- Voice Access – This is a new on-device feature for users who control their phone exclusively by voice. This feature understands screen content and context, and uses this knowledge to organically create accessibility commands.
Controls
The Android 11 beta allows you to control all of your smart devices in one space.
- Device controls – These make it simpler to access and control connected devices. For example, by long-pressing the power button, users can bring up device controls instantly.
- Media controls – It is now simpler for users to switch the output audio or video device they are using.
Privacy
Google said it is giving users more control over permissions and is keeping devices more secure through faster updates.
- One-time permission – Users can choose to give an app access to their device’s microphone, camera, or location, for just one time – meaning the app will need to request permission to use it again next time.
- Permissions auto-reset – Android 11 will automatically reset all permissions associated with apps that users haven’t used in a long time. It will notify users that it has done this.
- Google Play system updates – This feature was launched last year, and allows Google to make core updates available faster to devices that use Android. In Android 11, the number of updatable modules has more than doubled, which Google said will “help improve privacy, security, and consistency for users and developers”.
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