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After months of various beta updates, Android 11 is finally here. Google today publicly released the latest and greatest version of its operating system, and while there aren’t many surprises for those of us who have been using beta for a while, it is nonetheless a worthwhile update for everyone else.
The update is rolling out today to “select Pixel, Oneplus, Xiaomi, Oppo, and Realme phones,” with other partners to follow. In fact, the update is already available on my Pixel 4 XL. If you have a compatible device, these are some of the best reasons why you should consider upgrading.
Conversations are a priority
Android 11 includes two great improvements for text conversations on your phone. First of all, Google now keeps your conversations separate from your other notifications, prioritizing them near the top of the notification tone. They get their own section, which takes precedence over random pings from other apps, and you can also set conversations to a high priority, allowing notifications to come through even if you’ve muted notifications.
This is one of my favorite things about Android 11 – it helps prevent important conversations from getting buried under the myriad of notifications we receive every day.
Bubbles, bubbles everywhere!
Second, Google is finally rolling out its official implementation of conversation “bubbles.” If you use Facebook Messenger on Android, you may already know what I’m talking about; the feature allows conversations to exist in floating bubbles that you can move around the screen and access from any application. While developers will have to update their app code to support the feature, I hope the feature will catch up quickly.
While Android has always had an edge over iOS in notifications, today’s update puts it a step further.
Built-in screen recording
So far, recording your screen on Android has been a bit tricky, requiring you to use third-party apps that often have bugs. Starting today, you can record content on your device, including audio from your microphone, device, or both, without having to install a separate app.
To enable the feature, you may need to add it to the quick settings menu of your notification shade first. On Pixel phones, you can simply open the notification ringtone, tap the pencil icon, and drag and drop the Record Screen button onto your active tiles. Then you can start recording by tapping the Record Screen button on your phone at any time.
Quick access to smart devices
If you have multiple smart devices in your home, you know how difficult it can be to manage all of them, especially in those times when the Google Assistant can’t seem to understand what you’re trying to say. Google now has a solution: you can access the controls of all your smart devices directly from the power button menu. Just press and hold the power button and you will see the controls for all the smart lights, locks, thermostats, and anything else you might have in your home.
Much better media controls
Switching audio devices is a bit tricky on Android, especially now that Bluetooth headphones are becoming the norm. Sometimes I listen through my phone’s speakers, sometimes I use headphones, sometimes my fancy speakers or the television. Android 11 allows you to quickly select your audio output from the notification tone.
Android 11 also provides more extensive multimedia controls to interact with your music in the notification tone. For example, you can now resume a music session directly from that menu; no need to open Spotify again after closing it. Google says you’ll be able to switch between apps in the order they were last played, which is useful for someone like me who is constantly switching between music and audiobooks.
Permissions don’t have to be forever
With Android 10, Google started taking privacy a little more seriously, allowing users to limit things like location access to operate only when you’re actually using an app (as opposed to the background). Now the company allows you to give apps single access to certain features, like your camera or microphone, something that should have been done a long time ago, if you ask me.
Google will also automatically reset the permissions provided to an app if you haven’t used it in a long time. Google doesn’t specify what a long time means, but it is a good security measure in case an app is compromised or changes its privacy policy.
Pixel Only – Live View Location Share
While the above features are available for any Android 11 device, Google also has several Pixel exclusives launching today.
Live View with Shared Location lets you easily use turn-by-turn directions to meet up with friends who have shared their location with you. It’s essentially an augmented reality friend finder, as this clip from Google illustrates:
Pixel Only – Better Screenshots and Text Selection:
Google also makes it more convenient to take screenshots and capture text from applications. Now you can swipe up and hold to access the application card view, from which you can choose to take a screenshot and edit an image or select any text on the screen; event text that you normally wouldn’t be able to select on Android.
Other AI-based updates include Smart Replies built into the Pixel’s keyboard (in which Google suggests phrases, not just words), app recommendations on your home screen based on your usage habits, and folder name recommendations to help you keep files organized. For more information on the updates that roll out with Android 11, you can check out Google’s blog post here.
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Posted on Sep 9, 2020 – 03:09 UTC
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