Best New Android 10 Features
The next version of Google’s mobile operating system, Android 10, isn’t quite prime time yet. For those daredevil few who don’t mind running into one or two bugs, you can download the third beta version of Android 10 and try it out on your Android phone before it becomes available to everyone else.
But for those who are comfortable waiting for the software to be ready for release, keep reading. Google announced additional features for Android 10 at its annual developer conference this week. From more robust security settings to improved digital wellbeing features, there is a lot to expect from the next major release of the Google platform.
5G connectivity
The world is already in a 5G hype, and while it is not yet universally available, there is enough buzz that companies and manufacturers have begun preparing future-oriented software and devices for its upcoming arrival.
For its part, Google has included 5G compatibility in Android 10. By installing this version of the mobile operating system, you will be able to connect to your carrier’s available 5G network, provided your phone is equipped with the necessary components.
Suitable for folding
Folding smartphones today can not seem something is special, especially after recklessness Samsung Galaxy Fold. But the next version of Android will be optimized to work with these next generation devices. Some of the new features include app continuity, which allows you to launch an app from the home screen and then open it to continue what you were about to do, and some improved multitasking capabilities that let you pause and resume multiple apps at the same time.
Smarter answers
If you are using Android 8.0 or later, you have already experienced the practical usefulness of Smart Reply. This feature offers options for responding in the notification shade when you receive a message.
Once Android 10 launches, Smart Response will be able to predict what to do next. For example, if someone sends you a message with the address or name of a restaurant, Smart Reply will suggest a link to the Google Maps app to help you get started navigating to that exact region. It’s an easy way to move forward without copying and pasting addresses, then touching the screen to find the next app you want to use.
Robust security and privacy controls
Google has announced that Android 10 will bring about 50 security and privacy-related features. We won’t know the scale of these changes until Android 10 is available to everyone. However, Google has hinted at some options that you can access in the Android settings panel, including a new central privacy section with many settings to control which apps and services have access to your data. There will also be a new permission option that will allow you to choose how and when data and other elements are shared with Google and other third-party apps.
Small timely updates
Problem: When Google needs to make a small update to the Android operating system, it is not always easy to release it to the masses. Solution? Project Mainline is a new Google initiative to distribute security patches to more phones by distributing updates directly through the Google Play Store, where you already get updates for your apps. Project Mainline will be limited in what it updates, but it will include things like network permissions, time zone data, and media codecs.
Focus Mode to limit notifications
Do you feel like you can’t concentrate when your smartphone is constantly turned off? Android 10’s Focus Mode, included with Digital Wellbeing, lets you choose the apps that distract you the most – messaging apps, news apps, apps that constantly send you messages about daily deals – and silences them until you decide. that are ready to go. You will be able to choose which applications and which people are allowed to use when you are trying to concentrate.
Alternatively, focus mode works even when you’re not trying to focus, such as when you prefer to unplug from the Netflix binge. The idea is to separate work and play so that you avoid the phone completely. And when you shy away from work, you are completely immersed in what is happening, and not in who notifies you in Slack.
Built-in parental controls
Family Link will no longer be another app for parents to download from the Play Store. Instead, it will come standard with Android 10 and will be available for customization in the device’s settings. It will offer better control for parents hoping to cut down on screen-browsing-prone kids. Starting with Android 10, you will be able to set specific time limits for those apps your child is too obsessed with to finish their homework, as well as “bonus times” when you feel indulgent.
Hello google let’s go
Android Auto and Android built into the car are undergoing significant changes this summer. But perhaps most significant will be the phone version of Android Auto, which will no longer be a standalone app. Instead, you’ll need to summon it through the Google Assistant so you can say something like “Hey Google let’s go” to unlock a new optimized driving mode. The new driving mode features a pleasant interface, in which all the necessary information is contained in a short scroll, and not behind another menu.
Find something to eat
Google Lens isn’t exactly Android 10 specific, although it’s part of the Pixel’s camera app. A new feature coming soon will help you decide what to eat at a new restaurant without asking anyone, “What’s so good about it?” With Google Lens, you will be able to take a snapshot of the physical menu and Google will highlight the most popular items in that particular region based on its database of reviews. Google Lens will also be able to split the bill or calculate the tip after you take a photo of the receipt and read the signs and other text for people who cannot read printed language.
Live subtitles
One of the most compelling features of Android 10 will make audio and video accessible to the hearing impaired. Live subtitles will allow real-time transcription of what is being said on the screen, no matter which application you are using. People hoping to catch what the podcast host has said can use this feature to clarify in-line, while hearing impaired people can use live captioning to transcribe personal videos. Best of all, no internet connection is required to use this feature as the transcriptions are processed locally on the device and not over the cloud.
Gestures you can use
Gestures are controversial in the smartphone space because users don’t always appreciate them. But as phones get bigger and use edge-to-edge displays, the concept of using gestures to navigate an operating system seems like an obvious evolution. Google introduced gestures for the first time in Android Pie and will be more advanced in Android 10. Instead of the standard three- or two-button layout features on the navigation bar, you’ll use a swipe up gesture to go to the home screen, then swipe up and drag to switch to multitasking mode. And instead of pressing a button to return to a page, you can swipe the screen to switch between apps and then swipe up from the home screen to open the app drawer.
Darkness is everywhere
If you’ve ever looked at your phone in the middle of the night and thought to yourself, “Damn, this is too bright,” you will probably be very tempted by this next new feature. Dark Mode has long been a coveted feature in the Android operating system and is now becoming system-wide, with dark themes available for every major Google app. Third party applications will have to manually implement this.
Dark mode is also useful for saving battery power, especially for devices with bright OLED displays. Activating it is quite simple: open the quick settings menu, then tap settings to switch the interface from white to black.