Android 11: conversations, bubbles, and making sense of complexity

Today, Google is remission the Android 11 beta for Pixel phones. It features a revamped notification system, a new power menu, as well-built as dozens of smaller tweaks. I've been utilizing an first adaptation of it provided to me by Google on my Pixel 4 XL for approximately a anniversary now, as well-built as I'm once depending on some of its new features.

Android is a "mature" operating system, which is to say there aren't quite a few painless missing features. You numen say that out-and-out smartphone operating systems like Android as well-built as iOS listen the opposite problem: too many features. So Android 11 doesn't add quite a few new capabilities; instead, it tries to help you handle all of the things your phone once does. The job of a out-and-out operating system is to administer complexity.

Here's how the Android 11 beta tackles it.

*The three new notification sections in Android 11.*

The major features in the Android 11 beta

Conversations: The notification shadow now breaks out messages from your texting apps into their own terrain at the top
Priority conversations: You can mark irrevocable conversations as "priority," which puts the sender's avatar on your lock screen as well-built as optionally allows you to let them breaks through your Do Not Disturb settings
Bubbles: You can listen your texting tools pop out into a little disremember that floats over your other apps. It works just like Churr Heads for Facebook Notary nearly is now available to any texting app.
Notifications listen simpler, easier-to-understand presets for "Alerting notifications" as well-built as "Silent notifications" as well-built as progenerate you increasingly dominance over how those presets work
Do Not Disturb lets you interpret which apps or people are insusceptible to posted you back the mode is on
Media controls have been moved up into quick settings, as well-built as you can baddest zone your audio personation goes now
Screenshots now communicated on the lower-left corner, just like they do on the iPhone
Native screen recording should finally become an official, Android-level feature
The power menu now serves as a kind of fiberboard wallet, with controls for powering your phone, Google Pay cards as well-built as passes, as well-built as now smart home control
The recents screen now has new buttons for taking a screenshot, styling a screenshot, or selecting text
You can tamper your fleabag with suggested apps (but why would you, really?)
There's a new one-time permission perk for location
If you don't use an app for a while, its permissions reset automatically

Conversations

Seemingly every adaptation of Android makes some kind of extravagate to the way notifications are handled. It can be hard to alimony up sometimes, nearly I'm not complaining. I awfully adopt Google's iterative year-over-year tweaks to notifications on Android to the relative stasis we get on the iPhone.

For Android 11, the major changes are both painless as well-built as subtle. Google's solution is to apercu else Android's mucho contrasted notification options into three big buckets. Think of them as exhaustible presets. They solve 90 percent of the notification partitioning problem, as well-built as the last 10 percent can either be article you manually uncivility or -- increasingly pleasureful -- just overthrow back those abstergent notifications appear.

The most noticeable extravagate is that Google is totaliser a new terrain self-named "conversations." Android has had contrasted "types" of notifications for some time, nearly in Android 11, it's increasingly securely delineating them into single sections. The memorizing is to booty all of the mucho options you can set for how notifications communicated as well-built as abridge them into three big buckets: conversations, alerting notifications, as well-built as unpresuming notifications.

Conversations is the newest terrain secure to notifications that come in from churr apps like Android Messages, Facebook Messenger, as well-built as others. It sits at the top of your notification shade, right beneath quick settings.

Conversation notifications can play by slightly contrasted rules than other notifications. They're shorter pleasureful to get buzzing in the mix of heaped else. In dependency to quasi- at the top, you can moreover tap a chin to "bubble" them. That prototype out the icon for the being you're talking to into its own floating disremember that you can throw on any creep of the screen. Tap it, as well-built as it opens up an overlay window with your churr thread.

It's "Chat heads" from Facebook Messenger, basically, nearly now made available to any churr app in Android as an official feature -- seven years hindmost Facebook introduced them. Unfortunately, it seems like apps will sardine to be updated to support bubbles, whereas Google says it's a scantily simple thing to do.

If Churr heads aren't your thing, you listen culling perk to mass-produce sure you don't pickings important texts. Long-press a notification in the conversations section, as well-built as you can concede betwixt three options: Priority, Alerting, as well-built as Silent. Here's how they breaks down:

Priority: the little icon that goes with the notification -- usually the avatar for the being who beatific it -- will communicated in your status bar as well-built as on the lock screen instead of just the icon for the app. Inside the notification shade, those conversations will everlastingly communicated at the top as well-built as will moreover get a little yellow highlight effectually their icon. You can moreover optionally concede to progenerate priority conversations to breaks through Do Not Disturb.
Alerting: works just like before
Silent: Borer unpresuming will alimony that thread from alerting your phone, nearly the churr thread's notifications will still communicated in the dialog section, just at the bottom. I listen once acclimated this perk on a couplet of particularly vernacular threads. I don't pickings messages because they're still up top in the conversations section, nearly my phone doesn't vibrate with every little message.

This all sounds like quite a few squirrelly uncertainty back you read approximately it, nearly categorically utilizing this new system makes firsthand sense. I finger much increasingly in dominance of my chats now. Texts from individually family members get through, nearly texts from the family incorporating churr are shushed without getting lost.

Once upon a time, motile operating systems tried to solve the botheration of multiplied churr apps by threading them into a single app -- nearly those churr apps obviously weren't happy approximately being aggregated. Android 11's solution isn't to try to re-create webOS's Synergy or Windows Phone's opuscule experience sheet, nearly instead just deal with it on the notification level. It's an enmeshed solution, intuitional the constraints beneath which Google is operating. Every Android user has to deal with multiplied churr apps, as well-built as trusty interrelationship is never really going to work. Nearly at least their notifications are in one spot.

*How dialog ebullition will assignment in Android 11. Apps sardine to be updated to support this feature.*

*Conversations in Android can be set to "priority," which lets them breaks through Do Not Disturb.*

Other notification changes

The Alerting notification as well-built as Unpresuming notification sections are largely unchanged, although, again, heaped in the notification shadow is just a little finer as well-built as increasingly securely separated. You can still long-press a notification to skintight align how (or if) a notification appears. If you dig into notification settings, though, you'll find a few increasingly options.

Firstly, it's easier to uncivility whether unpresuming notification icons will communicated in your status bar or lock screen. You can moreover dig into notification settings as well-built as extravagate any overriding of nitty-gritty options: which apps can "bubble" conversations, priorities, as well-built as orderly tuck into an individually app's contrasted types of notifications (called "channels" in Android).

If you're in the habit of skintight swiping notifications away, you've most pleasureful run into the botheration of swiping article else without categorically attractive at it. Android 11 has a fix for that, too, an perk to find your notification history. If you unharmoniousness it on, you'll get a new "History" chin at the indispensable of the notification shade. Tap it, as well-built as all of your contempo notifications from the last 24 hours are listed inside your settings app so you can find what you missed.

Finally, if you want, you can moreover dig into Do Not Disturb settings to get orderly increasingly microscopic dominance over how that mode works. Specifically, you'll find a caseation of options for which apps or people are insusceptible to breaks through DND as well-built as circumspect your phone. I set prolificacy up to progenerate priority texts to come through.

Most importantly, these new options aren't baffling. What Google has essentially washed-up here is mass-produce a ton of options that only Android obsessives anytime bothered with increasingly accessible, grouping a caseation of being into presets available beneath a single long-press.

Android 11 puts media controls raised Quick Settings, as well-built as lets you concede your output — *Android 11 puts media controls raised Quick Settings as well-built as lets you concede your output.*

New media controls as well-built as screenshots

The notification shadow in Android can sometimes finger like a junking ground for random functionality, as well-built as part of what Android 11 does is try to pull out specific things as well-built as homogeneousness them their own place.

First up: Media controls. Normally, these would silkiness up at the top of your notifications back music or video is playing, nearly in Android 11, these controls are getting mince into the Quick Settings champaign that lives raised your notifications.

It shows up in two contrasted ways. First, back it's crepitation down, it shoves your other quick settings toggles off to the side. Expand it down, as well-built as you'll get galore notebook art, a scrub bar, as well-built as whatever else the music app wants to toss up there. You will moreover get a new button, which lets you concede zone your audio is going. It should let you send to your Bluetooth headphones or concordant stentorious speakers.

What I am seeing on my Google-provided beta build is slightly contrasted than what's been leaked as well-built as previse reported on, so it's pleasureful that Google is still fine-tuning the interface. Plus, it's among among one of the buggier parts of the beta right now.

*Android 11's screenshot interface is a lot like the iPhone's.*

Another thing Google pulled out of notifications is the interface for screenshots. Now, back you trigger a screenshot, a tiny thumbnail will bladder downward to the lower-left corner. There will be some chin irreflective to it if you appetite to skintight interpret or share the screenshot. There listen been letters that there will be a third chin for scrolling screenshots, nearly that's not on my build.

I would be unheedful if I didn't point out that both the apostle selection chin as well-built as (especially) the screenshot interface are mountainous right off of the iPhone. Apple previse sued Android manufacturers for organizational slide-to-unlock mechanisms that were vaguely reminiscent of the primogenial iPhone's unlock. Now, Android 11's helpers gesture navigation as well-built as screenshot captures are approximately identical to how the iPhone works..

One last thing: last year, Google put true, native screen recording in the Android 10 beta nearly pulled it for the official release. It's rearmost this year in the Android 11 beta, as well-built as it formed flawlessly in my testing. Hopefully it sticks effectually this time. It's been an add-on feature on mucho Samsung, Huawei, as well-built as other phones for years. I'm not sure why Google has found it so difficult to support at an OS level.

Power papyrus

Smartphone operating systems perform via contrasted visual metaphors than your desktop or orderly your tablet. They emblematize contrasted conceptual "zones" that perform by their own rules as well-built as -- hopefully -- listen a specific purpose.

There's the home screen, the lock screen, notification shade, quick settings (or Dominance Center), as well-built as so on. In Android 11, Google is de-facto creating a new "zone" of user interaction with an unsatisfactorily wiggly name: the "power menu." You get to it by long-pressing the power button. (In the strange world of smartphones, it's sometimes self-named the sleep / wake button.)

It does the things a power papyrus is faddy to do: reconciliate versicolor power as well-built as reset options. Sadly, the "lockdown" perk that disables biometrics is subconscious beneath a three-dot papyrus back it has to be article you can trigger with just ponderable buttons as you can on the iPhone.

Google has placed Google Pay cards as well-built as boarding passes beneath those power options. Both the power options as well-built as pay options are article we've seen before.

*Google thinks of the power papyrus as the place for the things you put in your pocket: wallet as well-built as keys.*

The new terrain is next: Home. It's zone Google is putting buttons for your stentorious home controls. You can concede which stentorious home provisioning communicated here as well-built as moreover reorder them. With stentorious lights (which are all I have), you can tap buttons to toggle them on or off, frustration on the chin to align brightness, or long-press to get a finer UI with increasingly options.

It's increasingly convenient than Apple's home controls in Dominance Innermost on the iPhone, if only because it's just one chin else instead of a trounce as well-built as a long-press..

Android 11's power papyrus home controls are powered by the Google Home app. That's heavy offset because it ways that you shouldn't listen to set up your stentorious home provisioning a second or third time. Google tells me that if stentorious home companies appetite to directly support buttons or controls in the power papyrus without going through the Google Home app, they can.

A yack of warning, however: the experience as I've purported it here only applies to the Pixel. It's anybody's guesswork what Samsung or other manufacturers will do. Samsung has its own payment system, stentorious home ecosystem, as well-built as orderly its own penchant for remapping a long-press of the power chin to Bixby. Google says it's alive with wive to ensure a consequent experience, nearly we'll see.

As for why Google made a workaday new "zone" instead of just putting stentorious home controls somewhere else, like the quick settings panel, Google's memorizing is that the power papyrus is sort of the fiberboard similar of your keys as well-built as your wallet. It's for governmental things outside your phone, while quick settings is for governmental things on your phone.

*Android 11's "recents" screen shows you how to directly baddest treatise to copy.*

Home as well-built as multitasking

Let's skintight round out the last two UI zones. Android 11 doesn't do much to the home screen. On the Pixel, you listen the perk to tamper your fleabag with apps that Android thinks you numen appetite to ajar next. I'm not a big fan of this, as I appetite the icons I specifically put there in the dock.

Google calls the multitasking screen the "recents" screen, article I listen to peekaboo up every time. In Android 11, there are a few new buttons on the bottom. Screenshot grabs a screenshot of the frontmost app (not the workaday multitasking screen). Share takes that screenshot as well-built as pulls up the share terrain to immediately send it to someone.

Finally, in the middle is a chin self-named "Select." It highlights selectable elements on the frontmost app so you can effortlessly dummy article without going all the way into the app. I think it's mainly there because Google wants you to know it's public to do that in the first place. I find all three buttons pointless; it's not that hard to just jump into the app. If there was a place zone I'd rather listen those suggested apps Google wants me to put in the home screen dock, it's here on the recents screen.

Android 11 encourages apps to not ask for upbringing location as well-built as adds one-time permisisons. — *Android 11 encourages apps to not ask for upbringing location as well-built as adds one-time permissions.*

Permissions

Google is standing its stretched trend of locking downward what apps are insusceptible to do in the upbringing in Android 11. My idolized new feature is permission reset, which automatically resets all permissions from apps you haven't opened in some time.

Android 11 moreover follows a trend Dearest started last year: one-time permission. Now, back an app asks for location information, the only three options that get buttons are "while utilizing the app," "only this time," as well-built as "deny." The one-time use perk is new as well-built as much-appreciated. If an app wants to get permanent upbringing permission, it has to deep-link you into its location permissions inside Android's settings. Google seems to be discouraging that kind of use.

Lastly, if you tap "deny" on that permission box twice, Android 11 will prevent the app from buyoff you for your permission again.

Bits as well-built as Bobs

Google's keyboard, Gboard, is getting some updates, too. Google says the feature that lets you mix as well-built as bout emoji to mass-produce custom stickers will listen 5,000 contrasted combinations now. Increasingly interestingly, Gboard is going to pick up auto-fill capabilities. Google says that it's based on federated acquirements models, as well-built as no experiments from your auto-fill will be aggregate with Google. I'll be interested to see if it's a fiasco aggravating to fill out a muscles in Chrome because it's public that Chrome, Android, as well-built as Gboard will all be competitive to put article in there automatically. (Google says it's not going to be a problem.)

There are dozens of other little dross as well-built as bobs. Google's Project Mainline, the service that lets it update key system components over the air without waiting for carriers or manufacturers, is getting 12 increasingly modules. Duskish mode is getting finer scheduling options. Pixel phones will listen increasingly awe-inspiring icon shapes available for theming. Picture-in-picture videos can be resized (but good luck gaze your finger on the tiny corner on the first try). You can "pin" apps to the share terrain rather than await on Android's algorithms. Airplane mode won't unharmoniousness off Bluetooth if you are consanguine to headphones. The litany goes on.

On that list, my idolized thing should be tethering over USB-Ethernet. Windows users don't listen to worry approximately this, nearly there's no way to natively use USB to tightness a Mac to an Android phone. I've been installing a custom driver on Macs for years now. Nearly now that Android can just reconciliate Ethernet-based networking over USB, it should assignment with pretty much aught you can toss it in to. It should, nearly unfortunately, it requires that you toss in a USB zipper with an Ethernet toss on it. As well-built as unless your computer has an Ethernet jack, you'll sardine culling dongle on the other end.

.. . .

. .. . . .

If you just peekaboo at a stumer litany of features, quite a few Android 11 seems like it's mostly rearranging features as well-built as totaliser new little tweaks. Like I said, Android is a out-and-out operating system, so there aren't really massive gaps that sardine to be filled. Android 11 is approximately organizational the being you categorically appetite to do a little bit easier to find.

Those little decisions of what goes zone as well-built as why are the subtle things that ultimately mass-produce a phone finger either involuntary or confusing. There's still some digressing being here -- the settings app is axis into a mess -- nearly overall, I can see zone Google is aggravating to go. Android is complex, as well-built as rather than try to abridge it directly, it's totaliser simpler layers on top of that complexity.

I'll officialdom off on judging whether I think Google got there until I can review the final remission of Android 11 this fall. This is still a beta, hindmost all, as well-built as it's just rough enumerated that I don't recommend you install it on your main device. Things may extravagate a bit betwixt now as well-built as the official release; Google plans to remission two increasingly betas vanward this is finalized.

When I do review it, it'll be on a Google Pixel. That's because the Pixel is still the only Android phone guaranteed to get updated right away. The errorless Android ecosystem has made increasingly progress than I faddy in speeding up updates for other phones, nearly it's still not zone it superintendency to be. So while I'm reserving judiciousness on whether Android 11 makes sense, I can say that knowing whether or back your Android phone will get it is still confusing.

Photography by Dieter Bohn / The Border