There are a variety of changes in the new operating system that will make a massive difference in your daily use of smartphones. Bubbles' new chat feature makes it simple to communicate with any Android application. The new Quick-Controls page is my favorite. It allows me to access my smart home devices with one swipe. There's also a screen-recording tool that lets you show off your favorite games, helping others troubleshoot problems. Many Android users have smartphones running Android 10 or lower.
You'll be one of the fortunate ones who has a phone that can go all the way to 11 - which is something that only a few of the top Android phones can do. According to our calculations, that's one more than Android 10. This means you'll be able to access a lot of new features.
Are you interested in developing enterprise apps for the Android app store? The good news is this: Google has published the final upgrade to Android 11 after releasing the beta version of the operating system in June. In comparison to Android Q or Android 10, this new operating system features a lot more upgrades and changes.
More businesses are announcing it, even if it isn't supported by all smartphones. As a result, if it hasn't appeared on your phone yet, you won't have to wait very long. If you're interested in finding out more, here is everything you need to know about Android 11 and the enhancements it has made since its announcement.
Below, we'll take a look at some new features to help you make the most of Google's mobile OS. You can also use an Android 11 smartphone if you aren't currently using it but still want to satisfy your curiosity.
There are many things to learn, including souped-up messaging, hidden Easter eggs, screen recording, and other features.
How do you Download Android 11 on your device?
Android software updates take a long time to roll out. This means that only a handful of phones will be able to download Android 11 today. It will take manufacturers months to distribute it to their devices. If you purchased your phone from a wireless carrier, the update would take longer to send out because it requires additional approval.
Android 11 is now available for those who own a Google Pixel 2 or older. You can get Android 11 on select, as well as Android One devices like many Nokia-branded phones. Make sure to back up your phone before you download any software updates. You might see a different settings menu depending on your device. However, you should still be able to find the option under Settings > System > Backup > Back Up Now.
Go to Settings > System, then click on Advanced > System Update to check if the update is available. The update should be downloaded automatically. You can also tap on Check for updates. You may need to wait a few days if you don't find anything. Google frequently sends Android updates over several days, even to phones that receive them first.
Your phone may not be a Google Pixel phone or an Android One smartphone. Check your manufacturer's website, social media, or the internet to find out when your phone will receive Android 11. High-end phones usually get two years' worth of Android updates from the date they are launched. If you purchased your phone, you should consider getting it.
Features of Android 11 Your Must Try
More Conversation
Our phones can be cluttered with notifications that include direct messages, WhatsApp group updates, and game notifications. It is easy to forget important messages in the shuffle of information. This is why the new Conversations tab in Android 11 can be a great help for organizing your life.
Scrolling down from the top of Android 11 splits information into two groups: notifications and conversations. The first group is general notifications from apps. The latter includes all notifications from chat apps like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Twitter. This allows you to prioritize them.
Less Conversation
It's great to stay in touch. However, there are at least a few WhatsApp groups that have keyboard-happy members who don't know when to put down their phones to enjoy some silence. Android 11 allows you to prioritize important messages and silence less important ones. For example, take the pixelated Facebook memes that your mom sent. When you press the long-press button on the dropdown, there will be three options: Priority Alerting, silent alerting, and alerting.
Conversations marked as priorities will always be at the top with a yellow highlight around the icon. If you are expecting an important message, you can choose to ignore Do Not Disturb rules by choosing priority conversations.
Notifications are treated in the usual way by Alerting. Still, Silent will prevent specific threads from alerting your smartphone at all. These notifications will still be displayed in your statements, but they'll be at the bottom. All three options can be used to remove chatty WhatsApp groups and still bring important messages to your attention.
A New Power-Menu
The most significant visual change in mobile app development in Android 11 occurs when you open the Power Menu (by long-pressing the power button on most smartphones). You could see options to lock, restart, or turn off your phone. But now, you can quickly access your default eWallet application, such as Google Pay, with a credit card or debit card. If you have set it up, you can change it in the Google Pay app. You can also access boarding passes and other tickets purchased.
You'll find shortcuts below the cards to any intelligent home control you have set up using the Google Home app. These tiles allow you to toggle the power switch for lights, TVs, and other smart home devices with just one tap. These controls can be customized from the power menu (tap the three dots to the right).
Redesigned Media Player
You will see music controls in notifications when you play music. These controls are now part of the Android 11 quick settings menu. If you have music playing, swipe down from the top to see the music controls. It has a cleaner appearance and works well with streaming video (such as YouTube clips) that you've cast to other screens.
This isn't a cosmetic upgrade. It's also possible to choose which device plays the music. This is useful if you have Bluetooth speakers and earbuds in your home. You can drag the menu down to see more options. For example, you can give a song an up-or-down thumbs-up without opening your music app.
Bubbles
Google has taken that idea and called it "Bubbles." It will be available natively in other messaging apps. Your messages will now appear as floating bubbles. However, not all messaging apps work. For example, you can't have bubbly Instagram Directs or Direct Messages. These bubbles can be moved around, and they can be dragged to the bottom of your screen to get rid of them.
You'll notice a small circle and arrow icon at the bottom of the notification. Tap the circle icon to open the conversation in a bubble. Tap the arrow pointing away from the drop to open the messaging app. These bubbles can be combined with different messaging apps. A lump can be grouped with a Facebook Messenger bubble. You can also set up specific conversations as bubbles. It's easy to continue discussions from anywhere.
Read More: What is the best developing software for android apps?
App Suggestions for Pixel Owners: Replace your app Dock
After installing Android 11, you will see a prompt asking you to enable app recommendations on your home screen. The new app suggestions will replace your app dock. Your phone can then swap between the bottom row (or ports) depending on what apps you use at specific times.
You'll see a glowing border surrounding the apps, which lets you know that your phone has added them. You will also frequently see other ones when you return to your home screen. To pin a suggestion to your home screen, long-press any app icon. If you don't want apps like Gmail to show up in your advice, you can block them.
Long-press your home screen to access App Suggestions. You can then tailor the app's functionality for yourself. You can also control the suggestions on your home screen and in the app drawer, or block certain apps from appearing on the list.
Second Chance
We've all been there. Sometimes it's instinctual, sharpened by your primal, panther-like reflexes. Sometimes it's a result of seeing an email with words like 'overdue' you quickly delete in panic.
These mis-swipes can be a problem if you use notifications as a to-do list. Android 11 has an option that will quickly bring up your notification history. You can tap the History button at the bottom of the notification shade to view all notifications for the last 24 hours. This will allow you to see what you missed quickly.
Dark Themes
Dark themes are a huge favorite of ours. They can be more soothing on the eyes and help to extend your battery life, especially if you have an OLED display phone. Android 11 allows you to schedule dark themes automatically, which will help you avoid switching between light and dark themes.
You have the option to choose to accept the darkness from sunset until sunrise and avoid the harsh blue light in the evening. Or you can choose to go dark at a time that suits your needs. You can simply pull down the Quick Settings menu at the top of the screen and hit the Dark theme icon to select the scheduling option you prefer.
A dark theme was added to Android 10 last year. The dark theme on Android 11 is more advanced than before. Users of Android 11 can plan when the dark theme will switch. All Android phones may schedule the use of dark themes thanks to Android 11. This includes adjusting the music's on/off timing to the sun's rising and setting times. However, the Android 10 operating system previously had this feature for Pixel phones.
Pin "and" Share
We love Android's robust sharing capabilities. They were there long before iPhone users had similar features.
It can be challenging to choose the right app to share. You might find yourself scrolling through several pages before you finally choose the one that you want to share.
Android 11 simplifies this process by allowing users to pin their most-used social media apps to the top of the list. This saves them precious time every time they share something. It's simple, but it is incredibly effective.
App Suggestions (Pixel only)
Pixel owners can rejoice as this feature is only currently compatible with Google Pixel phones. Google's AI smarts can predict the app you will use next based on your past usage. The dock will include the Reddit app if you like to start your day with a cup of coffee and cat GIFs.
It might disappear at lunchtime when it is replaced with the Twitter icon. This is because you are likely to go on a post-lunch rant regarding the state of Destiny 2's in-game economy (or whatever your routine may be). You can also remove apps from the selection pool or disable the feature altogether. However, it's worth checking out if you own a Pixel.
Power button 2.0
Android 11 powers up your Power button to allow it to do more than just turn off your phone or restart it. You can launch a new screen by holding it down. This adds additional options to your phone's power settings.
These shortcuts allow you to use Google Pay to make it easier to buy lunch sandwiches at your local supermarket. Android 11 will pre-populate a new section in the Home section with up to six of your connected smart devices, allowing you to control your lights, and other functions quickly and easily. You can also edit the list with your most used devices if desired.
This is an excellent addition to Android 11. It allows you to access essential features without opening up additional apps. Google, you did a great job.
Read More: What is the best developing software for android apps?
Start a Friendship with a Cat
Android's built-in Easter eggs have been a hallmark of Android since its inception. Version 11 is no different. Follow these steps, and you will soon be the proud companion of many virtual feline friends.
- Open Settings and then go to "About Phone."
- Tap 'Android Version'
- Repeat this step until you see the 'Android Version.'
- Turn up the volume dial until it reaches 11
- After three attempts, the number 11 should appear with a small cat emoticon at the bottom.
- Press the power button
- Select "Add controls."
- Click the button 'See Other Apps' at bottom
- Select 'Cat controls.
- Choose from a water bubbler, food or toy
- Return to the power menu screen
- Click the down arrow beside 'Home' to select 'Cat controls.
- Swipe the water bubble to fill it, tap the food bowl and tap the cat.
While you wait for a virtual number cat to join your collection, think about what you are doing with your life.
Integrated Screen Recorder
Screen recording is now natively supported by Android. Before Android 11, producers of customized Android devices had access to this feature. The Android 10 beta had this feature, but it was eventually taken away.
You can make a screen recording of what's happening on your screen using the built-in screen recorder. With this new function, which works similarly to screenshots, you can record your screen using simple screen controls. To register your screen, you don't need to download any additional software.
Auto-Reset and One-Time Permissions
Over the years, Google has come under fire for allegedly jeopardizing privacy and security. Users now have more privacy and security control thanks to Google's Android 11. The one-time permission is one of the significant security and privacy improvements in this OS.
While the app is open, Android 10 lets apps access the microphone, location, and camera data on your phone. Users of Android 11 can now only ever authorize one access request. The OS will later take away the permission.
The Key Takeaway
Android 11 mobile applications are packed with excellent features, and it's something to be excited about. The demand for Android app development is also on the rise as Android 11 has something exciting to offer to users. Although the exact dates are uncertain at the moment, we know that we will be able to enjoy all the significant updates in the future.
Here is a brief rundown of Android 11's top new features. The feature that has been highlighted is the focus. We sincerely hope you may find this material helpful. You can get assistance from our Android app developers to develop your next big idea and expand your company.
The built-in screen recorder, intelligent home controls, greatly enhanced media, and "Only this Time" one-time permission are all still available, even though it lacks some of the key features of Android 10's Dark Theme.
