With every new Android release, there’s a list of things Google always seems to mess around with. In the third Android Q Beta, one of those is notifications, and it’s a mixed bag of gains and loss.
Alongside Android Q Beta 3 today, Google announced that for the second year in a row, OEMs would be able to join in on the beta fun. Already, two of our favorite devices in the Essential Phone and OnePlus 6T have the Android Q beta available. Here’s how to get it.
We always say that when installing an Android beta update you should proceed with caution, and that most definitely appears to be the case with the Android Q Beta 3 which has a few tiny teething issues.
Updates have long been one of Google’s biggest problems for Android, and they’ve been mocked relentlessly for it too. Project Treble was the company’s last big attempt to fix Android updates, and now Android Q is introducing “Project Mainline.”
Google has been working hard to get gesture navigation right, and Android Q has seen a lot of progress. In today’s release of Android Q Beta 3, a brand new, fully revamped version of gesture navigation has been added, and it breaks a lot of stuff.
It’s finally, truly, properly here. Google has added a system-wide dark mode to Android, and with Android Q Beta 3, it’s working system-wide with a toggle and even with support for some applications. Here’s what you need to know.
Android Q Beta 3 was released at Google I/O 2019 as the next “incremental update” to the initial March and April releases. We’re enrolling in the Beta Program and sideloading the OTAs right now to explore all the changes, so stay tuned to our updating (reverse chronological) list below.
One of the big gripe users had with Android Pie was the debut of Google’s new gesture navigation system. Many weren’t a fan of the system, and they were especially unhappy when Google’s Pixel 3 forced them into it with no way to revert back to the classic three-button navigation setup. Now, with the 3rd Android Q beta, that option is back.
At Google I/O 2019, we got our first look at Android Q Beta 3. If you want to give it a shot early, here’s how to sideload the Android Q beta 3 on your Pixel 3, Pixel 3 XL, Pixel 2, or Pixel 2 XL.
The last two Android Q Beta versions were unfortunately limited to the Pixel series phones, including the original Google Pixel “by popular demand.” At Google I/O, the company has announced that today’s third Beta release will bring Android Q to fifteen more devices, like OnePlus 6T and Sony Xperia XZ3.
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Following the March launch and April follow-up, Android Q Beta 3 is launching at I/O 2019. The developer conference gives Google the opportunity to discuss high-level features for its operating system. This includes full gesture-based navigation and dark mode.
Tomorrow kicks off Google I/O 2019 and there’s a ton we’re expecting from the event. From hardware launches to fresh details on Android Q and so much more, it’s going to a busy day. With everything that’s going on, the question begs to be asked, what are you most excited for at Google I/O 2019?
When Android Q Beta 2 rolled out to our beta-enrolled Pixel devices, we noticed that many apps were unable to function as they once could. This is partly because of a new restriction placed on apps, called Scoped Storage, that changes the permissions needed to access certain files. In response to developer feedback, Google is making Scoped Storage optional in Android Q, starting with Beta 3.
Android Q has only been in beta testing on Pixel phones for just over a month, but Google has already begun work to bring this latest version of Android to Chrome OS devices, according to a code change.
Google’s take on gesture navigation isn’t exactly loved by everyone, and it seems the company is preparing a huge overhaul. Alongside tweaks in recent beta releases of Android Q, new commands have been discovered which replace the back button entirely.
Android Q Beta 2 delivered a lot of handy new options for users with special audio needs. Starting in Android Q, there’s a native, system-wide option for adjusting audio balance.
Last week, we spotted references to “system updates” occurring via the Google Play Store. This feature — which specifically delivers a “Google System Update” — appears to be live as part of Android Q.
For a second beta update, Android Q Beta 2 brought a shocking number of impactful changes for Google’s next release. Today, the company has released a patch update for that version which fixes a few glaring problems from the update. Here’s everything we’ve found that the Android Q Beta 2 patch fixes. We’ll continuously update this post, and drop comments to let us know if you’ve found anything.
Google released Beta 2 of Android Q last Wednesday with the notable inclusion of Bubbles for multitasking and notifications. A week later, Google is releasing an Android Q Beta 2 patch to address some issues.
As many have noted, Android hardware has a tendency to follow the trends of Apple’s hardware. The clearest example of this is the prevalence of display notches, following the release of the iPhone X. It seems this trend has the potential to continue with the next generation of Android phones, as Android Q is adding support for “deep presses” on the touchscreen, loosely similar to the 3D Touch capabilities found on recent iPhones.
Between all the bigger, more exciting features launched in yesterday’s Android Q Beta 2, one that’s gone relatively unexplained is the new Notification Assistant setting, which claims to help you manage your notifications. We’ve deciphered some of the documentation to help give you a better idea of what to expect from the new Notification Assistant apps that may be coming to Android Q.
Android 8.0 in 2017 made it harder for users to install APKs downloaded from sources outside the Play Store. A new behavior in Android Q takes this a step further by disabling that permission after every install.
The Android Q Beta has thus far only officially been available for Google’s own Pixel phones, unlike last year’s Android P Beta which launched on a significant number of non-Pixel phones. While other OEMs haven’t launched their beta programs yet, Google has provided an Android Q Beta 2 GSI that can be flashed to some non-Pixel phones, thanks to Project Treble. However, you probably shouldn’t install it just yet.
Among the numerous other changes in Android Q Beta 2, we’re still finding new features Google added to the second beta. This morning, we stumbled across some more changes to the settings menu with some new mini-menus for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
