On the night of March 18-19, Google released the second beta version Android 11, officially called Developer Preview 2. As the name suggests, the update is in the early stages of testing and debugging, and therefore is intended for developers only . This limitation is a kind of precaution that Google is taking to protect ordinary users from possible bugs, vulnerabilities and other flaws that can cause freezing and even turn a smartphone with installed beta into a brick. However, this did not stop us from studying the update, and now we are ready to share details about it with you.
Android 11 Developer Preview 2 contains almost all the same innovations as the original build, but makes them better
Since Android 11 Developer Preview 2 can only be installed on Pixel smartphones, it is logical that most of the innovations are focused on them.
- The requirement to keep your eyes open when recognizing faces on the Pixel 4;
- Changing the interface design in the Pixel Wallpaper application;
- Wide possibilities for customizing the lock screen;
- The ability to call Google Assistant by double-tapping the screen;
- Partial support for Nearby Sharing technology (not working yet).
The rest of the innovations, although there are not many of them, are focused on a wider range of devices, and therefore, most likely, they will get to all smartphones and tablets that are shining Android 11 when the update goes into release.
Notification history at Android
In my opinion, this is generally the most important feature that Android has been missing all these years. I think everyone has it that we accidentally closed the received notification with a random swipe, without even having time to see which application sent it, not to mention the content. Google Play has a ton of applications that keep track of all notifications, recording their contents, but I suppose not everyone would agree to let the 'left' programs read their correspondence. Therefore, Google decided to implement such an opportunity for itself.
Android 11 learned to save the history of incoming notifications
Partially this feature appeared in the first beta build Android 11, but with the release of the fresh Google it has expanded its capabilities. Users can now enable or disable the history of incoming notifications at will. This is very useful, given that not everyone might want the alerts they receive to be captured elsewhere. And for those who want to use history, there are divisions into applications. If earlier all notifications were piled up, sorted exclusively by the time of receipt, now it is possible to create sections depending on the applications that sent them.
Screen recording at Android
The ability to record screen appeared in one of the early beta versions Android 10, but then it could only be enabled through the developers menu. Now Google has worked out the interface of this mechanism, which allows you to simultaneously capture a picture and record external sounds using the built-in microphone. That is, in fact, users will also be able to comment on their actions, recording what is happening on the screen, for example, as an instruction.
In addition, Google has thought about the recording process itself. First, the engine now counts down three seconds before recording starts to give the user a chance to get ready. Secondly, a special icon appears in the status bar indicating that recording is in progress. Thanks to him, it will be possible to understand that some application is using a mechanism and is recording the screen. Third, it is rumored that in future beta versions it will be possible to manually adjust the resolution, frame rate and other metrics.
Minor Features Android 11 Developer Preview 2
- In the Notification Item, the separator separating notifications from each other has become larger;
- Now it is possible to place silent notifications at the very bottom of the Notification Point;
- The ability to block eSIM;
- The ability to launch the accessibility menu from the desktop;
- Quick commands to control your smart home;
- Wi-Fi debugging (feature for developers);
- Creation of important notifications, bringing them to the top of the Notifications item.
Where to download Android 11 Developer Preview 2
If you want to install Android 11 Developer Preview 2, you need a Google Pixel smartphone no older than the second generation (original 'pixels' Android 11 are no longer supported.
- Android 11 Developer Preview 2 for Pixel 2 (download) / Pixel 2 XL (download);
- Android 11 Developer Preview 2 for Pixel 3 (download) / Pixel 3 XL (download);
- Android 11 Developer Preview 2 for Pixel 3a (download) / Pixel 3a XL (download);
- Android 11 Developer Preview 2 for Pixel 4 (download) / Pixel 4 XL (download).
True, you need to understand that so far this is not a full-fledged operating system, but a poorly debugged beta, which has just left the alpha testing stage. Despite the fact that Developer Preview 2 is still a little more stable than Developer Preview 1, this is still a test version, which is almost half a year before its release. Therefore, remember that by installing it, you will regularly encounter all sorts of problems like freezes, crashes and possibly even loss of accumulated data. Therefore, we strongly advise against downloading Android 11 Developer Preview 2 to your main smartphone, and without extreme need.