Finally, Android 11 beta 1 has arrived. It was delayed last week by current social events in the United States, but Google has decided to publish it online now. A new version of the mobile operating system that brings improvements in the control of app permissions and how we interact with others mainly, although there are many other changes.
Being a beta version at the moment only some users can install it. It is a test version, so it can contain numerous errors. However, it allows us to see and test the main novelties that will arrive in the final version. We saw some of them in the Android 11 Developer Preview, but there are more.
After so many iterations over the years, Android has become a sufficiently “mature” operating system so that the news we see is somewhat minor and not radical changes. This is what happens in Android 11, where the main changes are rather improvements on functions and bases already imposed.
Messages like bubbles:
Android 11 allows the use of “bubbles”, which essentially means having your favorite conversations superimposed on other apps to be able to access them and chat directly without having to go to the specific app where they are taking place. It can be used with any messaging app.
Granular privacy permissions:
Just like iOS did last year, Android 11 apps now always stop having permission to the location and will only get it when using the app or only once for each session of use.
Conversations and notifications:
Conversation notifications now have their own space in the notifications section to differentiate themselves from other types of app messages that we may receive. Likewise, it is possible to mark certain conversations as priorities so that they appear more prominent or even arrive in ‘Do not disturb’ mode if we wish.
Screenshots and screen recording:
Finally Android officially and directly allows screen recording. It can be done directly from the quick settings section. Screenshots have also changed slightly, which will now appear in a corner at the bottom.
Other changes:
Do not disturb programmable, a suggestion of apps in the dock, suggestions of Gboard, control of connected devices from the power button and new multimedia controls
Android 11: compatible devices
The issue of compatible devices is not very complicated. Like every year, Google first releases the trial version for its own devices where it has been tested. Later it arrives at other manufacturers to certain models. In other words, at the moment the devices compatible with Android 11 beta 1 are the Google Pixels. Specifically the following:
- Pixel 2, 2 XL
- Pixel 3, 3 XL
- Pixel 3A, 3A XL
- Pixel 4, 4 XL
How to install Android 11 beta 1
To test the beta of Android 11 you must register in the official Android beta program, it can be done from the official website. Once done you have to access a compatible phone (the Pixels mentioned above) and it will appear on the web that we have a phone associated with the Google account that is compatible with the beta. Just click on sign up for the beta under the phone that appears.
From there it will be necessary to wait for a notification to arrive on the phone as there is a new version of the operating system ready to install. Sometimes the notification arrives, other times we will have to check it manually from the system settings in System> System update. Google advises that sometimes it can take more than 24 hours, so if it does not arrive it is a matter of being patient.
Once the update arrives you just have to install it like any other update. As always, it is recommended to have a backup of the most important data, especially if we consider that it is a trial version that can fail or even delete important files.
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