The first Android 11 beta is officially here, and we’re going hands-on. Learn more about Android 11 features, bugs, performance, and more right here!
The first Android 11 beta is here! It’s an exciting time to be an Android user, especially if you own a Pixel. New priority notifications, media playback controls, messaging app bubbles, and many more features were announced for Android 11 Beta 1.
But! Before you go installing Android 11 on your main smartphone, keep in mind that this is a beta. It’s not meant to be the most stable version of Android ever made. In fact, we’ve found a handful of bugs in this build that may stop you from installing it on your Pixel device. Here’s what we’ve found out about Android 11 performance so far, as well as some of our thoughts on the new Android 11 features.
Don’t miss: The most notable new features in Android 11
This is a bit of a unique Android 11 build. Usually, the first beta is where Google rolls out new UI changes (if there are any) or any other new user-facing features. We’re not getting a lot of that here. Google has trickled out feature after feature in the first four developer previews, and many of the things that weren’t already official leaked out weeks in advance.
What I’m saying is, there aren’t a lot of surprises here, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a lot to dig into. We’ve rounded up all the new and notable Android 11 features right here, so be sure to check that out for more granular developer-focused features. In Android 11 Beta 1, there are a handful of really useful tweaks that make Android feel much more mature.
Notifications are a huge priority in Android 11. Google is making thoughtful changes to the notification shade that prioritize your most important notifications. Notifications from messaging apps now have their own section in the shade at the very top, denoted by a “Conversations” header. That’s where you’ll see emails, texts, Telegram messages, and so on.
I won’t go into too much detail here — Eric already did that in a very informative article on Android 11 notifications — but I can tell you this will no doubt be a mainstay in Android going forward. Android’s notification shade has become so cumbersome over the years, that it can be difficult to pick out the most important things. Now, Google is putting these important messages at the forefront of your interaction with your phone.
Furthermore, you can mark certain conversations as Priority, meaning these convos bypass “do not disturb” mode. They’re also pinned to the top of your notification shade, and that person’s profile icon will show up in your status bar instead of a generic app icon. How cool!
To further clean up the notification shade, Google is also moving media playback controls into the quick settings panel.
