How to Test the Best Features of Android 11 Preview Builds
With so many Android devices still waiting for Android 10 , it’s hard to believe that the first pre-release versions of Android 11 are already available . There is currently no official release date for Android 11, and it will be a while before regular users have a chance to check out the public beta, but early testers have already revealed some of the features that Android 11 will have when it launches later this year. … Some of the most notable are:
- Accident Tracking (Pixel only): All Pixel devices will get a version of the previously exclusive Pixel 4 car safety app after updating to Android 11, although users can also install an earlier version of the app right now if they’d rather not wait.
- Chat Bubbles: Older versions of Android used bubbles similar to Facebook Messenger to quickly access text messaging conversations, and they seem to be making a comeback in Android 11. However, it is unclear exactly how they will work or how they will look.
- Customizable Share Menu: Users can personalize apps and contacts listed in the Android 11 Share menu.
- Dark theme timers: While there are already apps that can do this on Android 10, it looks like automatic timers to turn the dark theme on or off will be available natively in Android 11.
- 5G connectivity improvements: Android 11 preview build contains new APIs that should make it easier for developers and manufacturers to develop 5G apps and features. Buying a 5G phone is still probably a bad idea , though, even if Android 11 makes them a little better.
- Motion Sense media playback controls (Pixel only): Pixel phones will also be able to play / pause audio playback using simple gesture controls instead of clicking on controls in the notification bar.
- New App Permission Options: It looks like Android 11 will allow users to grant one-time permissions to apps. For example, if you want to allow an application to access your camera only at certain times, you can select the “This time only” option. An app will be able to use this feature once and then have to request it again in the future.
- Screen Recording: Users will be able to record their screen activity using the built-in OS feature instead of a third-party app. This feature was originally planned for Android 10, but has reverted back to 11 (at least for now) instead.
It will be interesting to see how these features evolve and what other additions arrive – or are removed – prior to the full release of Android 11, not to mention the anticipated Android 11 review at the Google I / O event this May.
Trying Android 11 early
If you really want to try out Android 11 early on, you can try to download and install the current developer build on your Pixel phone (only Pixel 2, 3, 3a, and 4 devices are supported), but make sure you know exactly what we’re going to do first. …
Installing a developer build is different from registering your device in Android beta testing, not to mention much more complicated. If you try any of the super-early builds of Android 11 you’ll have to factory reset your phone, so back up your device before attempting this. Google also strongly recommends against using the Android 11 developer build on your primary phone. Android 11 is still in early stages of development for most applications or features to work as expected (if at all).
However, if you’re happy with stability issues and limitations, you can download the Android 11 developer build here and then follow the steps on this page to install it on your Pixel device.