Google officially released the first Android 11 Developer Preview for Pixel smartphones. Although the release is still internally referred to as Android R, Android 11 won’t be getting a dessert name as Google changed Android’s branding with Android 10 last year. Like previous beta releases, this first Android 11 Developer Preview is aimed at helping developers test the latest Android OS release ahead of the stable launch in August. In fact, Google has released this build a few weeks earlier than expected, just so they could give developers more time to prepare. Google will continue to release new previews until stable, but don’t expect the main features and APIs to be revealed until Google I/O 2020 in May.
Android 11 Developer Preview 1 is now available for Google Pixel smartphones, Android Studio emulator, and Project Treble devices.
The first Developer Preview is available now for manual flashing on the Pixel 2, Pixel 2 XL, Pixel 3, Pixel 3 XL, Pixel 3a, Pixel 3a XL, Pixel 4, and Pixel 4 XL. Sadly, the Essential Phone won’t be joining the list now or in the future as the company has ceased all operations. However, smartphones from other manufacturers could be supported in future preview releases as we’ve seen with Android 9 and Android 10 betas. Google typically shares the source code of the latest Android release with its biggest partners so that they can prepare for the new Android update, after all. Expect to see more Android 11 Developer Preview releases in the coming months followed by a stable update for Pixel phones in August.
Android 11 Developer Preview 2:
Google has released the second Developer Preview for Android 11. You can download it on your Google Pixel device right now. We’ve been digging through Android 11 Developer Preview 2 and compiling all the new features and changes we’ve found so far. Check out the list below!
- Notification History in Settings, shortcut in drawer
- "Require eyes to be open” for Face Unlock
- Manage Conversations” option in Settings
- Pixel Wallpaper picker gets a facelift
- Pixel Themes prepares for clock face customization
- New Screen Recorder UI
- “Tap to Restart” to make apps fit aspect ratio
- Wireless ADB debugging
- New IPSec VPN
- New “Allow from lock screen” option for accessibility volume key shortcut
- AOSP files app being replaced by Files by Google
- ANGLE preferences are back
- New “Enhanced Connectivity” toggle
- New “HD audio” toggle for Bluetooth audio
- New “waterfall” and “punch hole” cutouts
Android 11 Developer Preview 3:
The third developer preview for Android 11 was released yesterday. You can download Android 11 Developer Preview 3 right now on most Google Pixel smartphones, compatible Project Treble-supported devices, or in Android Studio. This release is intended for developers, so you shouldn’t install the release unless you plan on developing an Android app using the latest APIs. However, if you’re just curious about what’s new in the release, we’ve been digging through the latest developer preview and compiling all the new features and changes below.
New User-Facing Features
- Recents app screen gets larger previews and shortcut buttons
- App permissions can be automatically revoked if the app hasn’t been used for months
- Notification shade has been redesigned slightly and hidden persistent notifications are now less intrusive
- Undo gesture to bring back dismissed apps in Recents
- There’s a new, compact screenshot pop-up menu, but scrolling screenshots aren’t supported yet
- Individual left/right gesture sensitivity
- Support for Ethernet tethering
- New onboarding screen for Bubbles
- Caption preferences have been redesigned
- Disable ADB authorization timeout toggle in Developer Options
- Volume menu renamed to Sound
- Still In-Development Features
- Resizing picture-in-picture windows
- New animation for upcoming “Battery Share” feature
- Upcoming “Schedules” Settings Page
- Window blurs
- Further development on the “Quick Controls” feature
- New “Contact discovery” feature
- New system permissions to bypass audio recording restrictions and monitor camera openings
Android 11 Developer Preview 4:
The first Beta will now be revealed at an online event on June 3rd, 2020. Until then, we have the Android 11 Developer Preview 4 to keep us occupied. While there are no developer features highlighted in this release, that doesn’t mean there aren’t any changes of note in Preview 4. Here are the changes and new features that we have found while digging through the latest Developer Preview 4 on the Google Pixel 3a XL and Google Pixel 4.
1. New Features in Android 11 Developer Preview 4
- Select button in the recent apps overview
- Picture-in-picture windows are now resizable!
- New Hexagon and Flower Icon Shapes in Pixel Themes
- Wireless Debugging now has a Quick Setting tile
- Connected Preferences now links to Android Auto
- Notification counts are shown in the preview
2. In-Development Features
- Select button in the recent apps overview
- Picture-in-picture windows are now resizable!
- New Hexagon and Flower Icon Shapes in Pixel Themes
- Wireless Debugging now has a Quick Setting tile
- Connected Preferences now links to Android Auto
- Notification counts are shown in the preview
- In-Development Features
3. Removed Features in Android 11 Developer Preview 4
4. Undo Recent Apps Dismissal Gesture and Dismissing Persistent Notifications
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