APIs are boring. We have discussed them already and thanks to 9to5Google we have a quick summary of the new changes you will notice on the surface of the new Android 11 Developer Preview, after all that’s basically what most of us care about.
It was a surprise when the March feature drop featured many new functionalities that were also in the first developer preview suggesting that Google is using the developer preview as not just a testing ground for Android 11 but also for new features they will be adding to Pixels throughout the year. Some of the new features listed below will hopefully make their way there too.
The much asked for security feature to only unlock the Pixel 4 while the eyes are open has been added into the Android 11 developer preview. This one was a glaring omission by Google when the Pixel 4 was released. Expect this to arrive on Pixel 4 phones very soon if all goes well.
The Pixel Wallpaper has received a new UI with a new easier-to access grid layout. No more scrolling horizontally to see only a few wallpapers at a time. This one seems like a no-brainer to arrive soon on Pixels as well.
There is now a place holder to allow for lockscreen clock customisation. Google is building more and more features into Android to allow for theming and personal customisation. While we don’t expect this one to arrive any time soon we are certainly looking forward to it.
There is a new UI for the screen recorder as well. Now the toggles have been simplified and the ability to start a lot easier too.
There is a new UI in the notification shade with a bigger gap between different notifications along with the ability to mark certain notifications as “important”.
There will be more new features found as others (including ourselves) keep testing the Android 11 DP2 throughout the day. Check back in here periodically for any more features we or others may find.
