With the annual Google I/O developer conference right around the corner, we can expect to soon hear about what that Google has in the…
With the annual Google I/O developer conference right around the corner, we can expect to soon hear about what that Google has in the works for the rest of the year, including for Android Q, the next version of the company’s Android operating system due in the summer or fall.
I’m coming up on two months of using Android Q — Google’s beta software available on its Pixelphones — every day since the middle of March. I love dark mode, I want guests to visit so I can add to them my Wi-Fi network via a QR code, and I appreciate getting a better of idea of my battery usage. But I also miss a few of my favorite apps that don’t work quite right in Android Q yet.
The first prerelease versions of any new operating system are interesting because they show the direction a company is heading and offer you a chance to try out a feature before it’s finished. But they can also be unstable, as a company works out the kinks. And some apps may not work as expected because they depend on a part of the OS that is changing. I am up to the challenge, because I want to find out what kinds of treats Android Q will bring us later this year when Google intends to release Android Q to the public.
Google released the first public beta of Q on March 18, the second beta on April 3 and then a security patch on April 5. The software runs on any Pixel device and gives interested Android owners a chance to check out upcoming features as well as help Google track down issues with the prerelease software and apps.
Honestly, unless it’s required for your job — or you have a spare Pixel you want to try it on — running a beta of a mobile OS may not be the best use of your time. With Q, Google is focusing in large part on privacy, giving Android owners finer control over what data they share and creating stricter limits on the information apps can ask for. It also includes small but useful changes to its notifications and controls.
Google makes it clear what you’re getting into with Android Q, cautioning before you install the mobile OS that the prerelease software contains significant changes that may affect your photos, videos and other files you store on your phone. I was curious enough to jump in anyway. So here, about two months, is what stands out about Android Q so far.
You expect odd behavior when running a beta.
