Android Q Beta
Android Q at the finish line. Only last month we received Beta 5, and today Google is updating its mobile operating system to a new beta version, which at the same time is the latest. Next time we will see the official public release, but for now, let’s figure out what’s new to us given the next update of the “green robot”.
When will the final release of Android Q
The good news is that Android Q Beta 6 is now available for installation on compatible devices. Even better news is that the public final version of Android Q, according to Google, is “only a few weeks from the release,” which means that representatives of the “pixel” line like Pixel 3 and Pixel 3a and their larger versions with the XL prefix, they will be among the first to receive an official software update. This is followed by the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL, and then any other devices that do not fall under the pen of Google, manufacturers of which want their users to receive timely updates.
What has changed in Android Q Beta 6
Now let’s talk about the few innovations that Beta 6 pleased us with. One of the updates that users may notice in the sixth beta is an improved gesture navigation system. Improvements to the navigation system were made by Google in Beta 6 (and will also be available in the final version of Android) due to the fact that previously users regularly complained about the incorrect operation of the Back gesture.
In Android Q, the “Back” action is performed by swiping the finger from the left edge of the screen, but such a gesture conflicted with the side menu, which in some applications is called in the same way. In order to solve this problem, in Beta 6 Google added to the System Navigation menu for the Gesture Navigation option an additional setting for Gesture Sensitivity Back, which is called by clicking on the gear icon. In this setting, you can set the sensitivity for the Back gesture to one of four positions. There is also a warning that states: “With a high level of sensitivity, gestures from the edges of the screen in any application may conflict with the Back system gesture .”
In general, thanks to the new setting, navigation with gestures should be smoother than in the early beta versions, where users began to have problems with it from the very beginning.
As for the developers, this beta includes an updated version of the build tools for Android Studio, as well as the final API 29 SDK and final system images for the Pixel and Android Emulator. Now developers for Android have the most relevant software today.
How to install Android Q
Of course, these are not all the changes that appeared in Beta 6, but they are the most noticeable and most significant. Now the new beta is flying through the air to all participants in the Android beta program, and as soon as users begin to install and use it in bulk, they are likely to notice much more innovations than is known at this time. Most likely, all these changes will be mostly cosmetic, since Android Q is already at the final stage of its preparation for the release and we observed all the main functional changes in previous beta versions.
In order to install the beta version of Android Q, you must be a member of the Android beta program, and you will also need a Pixel device if you want to receive the update by air. If you don’t have a Pixel device, Google says that devices from manufacturers participating in the beta program will also receive an up-to-date update in the coming weeks.