Just like Google told us they would do, the start of May means it’s time for the next Android Q beta. What better time to release it than Google I/O? Android Q Beta 3 is here for the Google Pixel family and now even more phones than the Android Pie beta. This is the last incremental update before Beta 4, which will include final APIs and the official SDK.
Previous beta updates brought features like system-wide dark mode, desktop mode, notification bubbles, and a whole lot more. Android Q is not so much about UI updates as it is about user experience and privacy. The previous betas were limited to the Pixel family, but Android Q Beta 3 is available also for the Xiaomi Mi 9, Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 5G, Asus Zenfone 5z, Essential Phone, Nokia 8.1, Huawei Mate 20 Pro, LG G8 ThinQ, OnePlus 6, OnePlus 6T, Oppo Reno, Realme 3 Pro, Sony Xperia XZ3, Tecno Spark 3 Pro, Vivo X27, NEX S, and NEX A.
Along with Google Pixel phones, the following phones will also get the early build of Android 10 (Android Q Beta 3) from respective OEMs.
Asus Zenfone 5z
Essential PH-1
Nokia 8.1
Huawei Mate 20 Pro
LG G8
OnePlus 6T
Oppo Reno
Realme 3 Pro
Sony Xperia XZ3
Tecno Spark 3 Pro
Vivo X27
Vivo NEX S
Vivo NEX A
Xiaomi Mi 9
Xiaomi Mi MIX 3 5G
Download Android Q Beta 3
Factory images and OTAs for Google Pixel phones are available for download now. Enroll in the beta program or download Factory images [here] or OTAs [here] and flash manually.
Note: Phones from other OEMs will get the firmware soon. We will update in a separate post with download link and installation guide once it is available to public.
Below are some of the best features of Android Q Beta 3
Dark Mode
Dark Mode is the most requested feature of Android Q Beta 3. Google finally enabled a system-wide dark theme with this build and users can change the traditional white UI to dark UI from the display settings menu. This not only saves battery on phones with AMOLED display, but it will also reduce eyestrain in a low-light environment.
Full Gestural navigation
Google introduces a full gestural navigation mode on Android Q beta 3 to take full advantages of the new full-screen displays. It removes the navigation bar and allows apps and games to use the full screen. Users can use the edge swipe in place of the Back, Home, and Recents navigation buttons.
Focus Mode and Family Link
Android 9 Pie’s Digital Wellbeing extended with two new features in Android 10 – the Focus Mode and Family Link. Focus Mode is for students, workers, and others who want to focus on something to do. In this mode, users can silence apps that you think might distract them.
Family Link is designed for your kid’s smartphones. Parents can set the daily screen on time, limit specific app usage time, review any new apps that child wants to install on their phone and more.
Live Captions
Another interesting feature of Android Q Beta 3 is the Live Captions mode. It transcribes words from any video playing on the phone in real time. It supports all video players and can be very useful for those who have trouble understanding various accents from English languages as well as useful for hearing impaired.
Notification Assistant
Android Pie’s Smart Reply let users engage with apps direct from notifications. This function is further enhanced in Android Q Beta 3 with support for all apps. Using the AI technique, the system reads the notification in the background and curate a reply that you would have sent yourself.
Privacy
The prime importance of Android Q is on privacy. Among the changes, Google is bringing the ability to select whether to limit an app’s permission to see location to only when it is in the foreground. Users will also be able to control apps’ access to photo, video, and audio files. And finally, Google will be limiting developer access to ‘non-resettable device identifiers’, which include IMEI and serial numbers.