Internet search giant Google has made Android 11 public beta version available today. The latest operating system will be first available for Pixel 2, Pixel 2 XL, Pixel 3, Pixel 3 XL, Pixel 3a, Pixel 3a XL, Pixel 4, and Pixel 4 XL smartphones and the company has said that it will soon roll out the support for the same on other devices in the coming weeks.
Through its blog post, the company has revealed some of the key features that are going to be part of the latest Android operating system update.
With an aim to make “communication easier and simpler on your phone,” the Android 11 comes with a new feature that will club together all your conversations from across multiple messaging apps to a common section in the notification centre. Within this combined notification, you can choose to see the messages from a particular app at the top by making it ‘priority.’ Keep in mind that those platforms that you choose as priority will appear on the always-on display and will even be notified during a ‘Do Not Disturb’ setup.
Apart from that, users will also get a new feature called ‘Bubbles.’ This feature is essentially a shortcut to conversations that appear in the form of floating badges so users don’t have to switch between apps. It will look similar to how chats appear in Facebook Messenger mobile apps.
Android 11 operating system version aims to offer more control over permissions, claims Google. This includes one-time permissions for apps to access microphone, camera or location. This means that you don’t have to allow an app to permanently access your smartphone’s sensors. Further, when an app has not been used for an “extended period of time”, the company will auto rest all the permissions you may have granted that app in the past after notifying the user about it.
In its blog, Google also detailed how the Android 11 version will allow users to control smart devices by a long press of the power button. Pressing the button, will open a device control screen that also has shortcuts to payment methods or boarding pass.
This is the first public beta version of the latest Android 11 update, which means that it could be buggy. Those who wish to install it on their Pixel devices can do so by enrolling on Google’s Android beta website and get an OTA update.
