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The wait for Android 11 is officially over, at least for some of us. Google has released a final version of the newer Android operating system, which can be found here. It’s currently only available on Google Pixel phones – anyone with a Pixel 2 or newer can upgrade to Android 11, and that includes the budget new Pixel 4a.
Users of other Android devices may still have to wait a while to see Android 11 arrive on their phones, and even Pixel owners won’t get a simple OTA (over-the-air) update just yet. But, a handful of devices from major Chinese smartphone makers are getting an updated beta version of Android 11, XDA-Developers reports.
The new beta version of Android 11 will be available for OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro, Xiaomi Mi 10 and 10 Pro, Realme X50 Pro, and almost half a dozen Oppo phones, including the Find X2 Pro.
What does the Android 11 update include?
Android 11 comes with some major quality of life updates. Perhaps most importantly, Android 11’s new security features for app permissions. Now, users will be able to offer applications unique permissions that only apply while the application is running in the foreground.
This means that if you don’t want an app to always have access to your location, microphone, or camera, you can limit it. Android 11 will also automatically revoke certain permissions for apps that haven’t been interacted with in a few months.
The Android notification tone is also getting some changes. On the one hand, notifications from messaging applications will be grouped in a conversations section that will appear above and separate from other notifications. This can make it easier to keep up with ongoing conversations.
Google is also adding options to mark conversations as priority and silent or to set custom sounds or vibrations for a conversation. You can also turn conversation notifications into bubbles (similar to Facebook Messenger Chat Heads)
The Android 11 update has better control of multimedia and smart home devices in mind with this update as well. The media controls in the notification tone will have more options to help you manage the multiple streams you may have running on both the phone and external devices, as a streaming target. And a new power button menu will offer quick controls over smart home devices without the need to launch individual apps.
