Android Q developer beta now available for all Pixel devices: Here’s what has changed

Google follows an annual tradition of giving an early look at the next major version of Android. True to its reputation, the Software Giant released the first preview of Android Q to developers today.

The release focuses on developers only with the major changes that will affect users aren’t available yet. Google reveals that the new update will bring some interesting changes like better privacy controls and native support for the foldable devices.

Currently, the first beta of Android Q is available for any Pixel device which includes the first gen Pixel and Pixel XL. The company said it extended support for those models due to popular demand but you should probably avoid installing them on your main device. Even if Google is saving features for later announcements like Google I/O, it should give an idea on how Android Q will look.

Android Q Features

Talking mainly about UI changes, the notification panel has been slightly modified. Also, the UI elements now have a slight curved added to them, including screenshots. Google has now added a system-wide dark mode for saving battery on OLED displays. As of now, the mode pops up only when you turn on Battery Saving mode. Anyways, guys at XDA have already made a post regarding how to enable dark mode permanently via ADB. That said, there are minor changes and refinement in the file manager.

The share menu now opens up faster and has better integration with contacts. There’s also a screen recording feature which is currently hidden. However, it can be accessed by enabling the respective feature in Settings> Developer Options> Feature Flags.

Other Changes

Google has really worked on security with additional privacy settings for location access. Users can now limit the apps to use the information only when it is in use. There is also new limit on apps for accessing things like photos, videos, audios and other files on the device.

Google already promised back in November that Android Q will come with support for foldable smartphones.  There is better support for pausing and resuming apps from running in the background. Improvements in split-screen modes will be helpful for the first foldable smartphones like the Galaxy Fold and Huawei Mate X.

It also includes a new Settings Panel API giving developers access to phone settings like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth without having to kick users out of the settings and back. Google has also worked on the share sheet in Android Q, allowing the developers to pre-publish how their apps work in sharing.

Other features include some new photo and options that will help depth maps work with Android with a new Dynamic Depth format. It means the developers will now be able to pull Dynamic Depth images from the supported cameras making it easier for third-party apps to give more blur and bokeh options. The Q version is also getting support for the next-generation AV1 video codec that should offer improved streaming quality with less bandwidth. As for now, we don’t have any information as which Q-named snacked this version will be named after.