Android 11 Developer Preview 2: All the changes we’ve found so far!

Google has released the second Developer Preview for Android 11. You can download it on your Google Pixel device right now. We’ve been digging through Android 11 Developer Preview 2 and compiling all the new features and changes we’ve found so far. Check out the list below!

More Android 11 News

Notification History in Settings, shortcut in drawer

We wrote about the beginnings of a new Notification History section in the first Android 11 preview and now there is more to check out. The Notification History is actually visible in the Settings and there is a shortcut to this screen at the bottom of the notification shade.

“Require eyes to be open” for Face Unlock

The first Pixel 4 leaks showed the Face Unlock UI with an option to “require eyes to be open.” That wasn’t present on the phone at launch, but it looks like it’s finally here. The toggle is present in the Face Unlock settings.

“Manage Conversations” option in Settings

 

The first Android 11 preview brought a new “Conversations” section to the notification shade. Now, there is a “Manage Conversations” section in Settings > Notifications. This is for controlling which apps appear in the Conversations area.

Pixel Wallpaper picker gets a facelift

Google’s Pixel Wallpaper app has received a nice little facelift. The current wallpaper is displayed in a big preview at the top of the screen. The categories for the wallpaper choices are now displayed with square thumbnails with the names centered on top.

Pixel Themes prepares for clock face customization

Google has been tinkering with custom clock faces in Pixel Themes for a while and they are moving closer in Android 11 DP2. There is a new “clock” section for customization, but you can’t change anything yet. Baby steps.

New Screen Recorder UI

The first Android 11 preview added a screen recorder Quick Toggle and now the UI has been updated. It’s now a floating dialog with toggles to Record Audio and Show Touches on Screen.

“Tap to Restart” to make apps fit aspect ratio

Some apps don’t scale properly to the tall aspect ratios on newer devices. If an app isn’t scaled correctly, a new pop-up gives you the option to restart the app and make it full screen.

Wireless ADB debugging

It has been in the works for a while and it looks like Android 11 is finally getting wireless ADB. We first wrote about this back in October and now we can see it in the Android 11 settings. Users can pair a device with a QR code or a pairing code.

New IPSec VPN

There are new IPSec options available when you’re setting up a VPN. IPSec is a way to encrypt packets to be used within the VPN. It’s another standard people can use.

New “Allow from lock screen” option for accessibility volume key shortcut

There is a new toggle in the Accessibility settings to allow the user to access the volume key shortcut from the lock screen. The user can press both volume keys for 3 seconds to start an accessibility feature.

AOSP files app being replaced by Files by Google

It looks like Google is preparing to replace the old AOSP files app with Files by Google. You can access the old files app by going to Settings > Storage. Also, the “Other Storage” option in Files by Google is new. This allows users to access cloud storage providers (like Google Drive). The AOSP files app could do this and Google is using the API for Files by Google.

ANGLE preferences are back

ANGLE is a Chrome project that allows users to run WebGL and OpenGL ES content on the native APIs of any platform. Android 11 DP2 brings back the ANGLE Preferences in the Developer Options settings.

New “Enhanced Connectivity” toggle

We found a toggle for “Enhanced Connectivity” in the developer options. It says “Enables the Enhanced Connectivity” feature, but we’re not sure what that actually does yet.

New “HD audio” toggle for Bluetooth audio

Similar to Enhanced Connectivity, there’s a new toggle for “HD Audio” for Bluetooth audio. Connecting a Bluetooth audio device enables the toggle. Turning it off set the Bluetooth Audio codec to SBC, while turning it on set the codec to AAC (higher quality).

New “waterfall” and “punch hole” cutouts

“Punch Hole” and “Waterfall” have been added to the list of Display cutouts. You can mimic how these would look on your device.

Here are photos showing the new cutouts on the Pixel 3a XL pic.twitter.com/m5pyViBMg6

— Mishaal Rahman (@MishaalRahman) March 18, 2020

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Thanks to XDA Recognized Developers Quinny899 and luca020400 for helping us find some of these features, and for providing some of the screenshots.

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Android 11 DP2 reveals Google is adding call recording support for dialer apps

The ability to record a phone call is vital for many users who conduct business over a voice call. It can also be really useful for anyone involved in legal, insurance, or medical matters. However, it isn’t easy for most users to record phone calls on Android. While some OEMs provide call recording functionality in their dialer applications, not every OEM makes this feature available. Third-party applications used to be able to record phone calls using roundabout methods, but Android 9 Pie made it completely impossible for third-party apps to record phone calls, at least without root access. Last year, Google said they were considering adding a call recording API in a future Android version, and it looks like that may finally be happening in Android 11.

Earlier today, Google released Android 11 Developer Preview 2. While digging into the new framework changes, we spotted a new permission called “ACCESS_CALL_AUDIO” with the protection level “appop” or “signature.” The “appop” permission, interestingly, can actually be granted to non-system applications, unlike the “signature” permission which requires the app to be signed by the OEM. Digging deeper, we spotted new strings that describe this permission in a bit more detail. According to one string, this permission can only be granted to the default dialer application, and it allows for the app to “record or play audio in telephony calls.”

<permission android.label="@string/permlab_accessCallAudio" android:description="@string/permdesc_accessCallAudio" android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_CALL_AUDIO" android:protectionLevel="appop|signature"/>
<string name="permdesc_accessCallAudio">Allows this app, when assigned as default dialer application, to record or play audio in telephony calls.</string>
<string name="permlab_accessCallAudio">Record or play audio in telephony calls</string>

We’re excited to see the possible introduction of call recording support for third-party dialer applications in Android 11. Google is finally adding call recording support for Pixel devices in the Google Phone app, but most devices can’t use the Pixel’s dialer app. With this change, users on devices that don’t have call recording support in the stock dialer app will be able to download a different dialer app from the Google Play Store to record their phone calls.

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Android 11 DP2 reveals work on “Quick Control” shortcuts in the Power Menu

When Google released Android 11 Developer Preview 1 last month, we spotted a new feature that we believed would transform the long-press power menu into a control center for home automation shortcuts. Now with the release of Android 11 Developer Preview 2, we managed to get this feature partially working.

Friend of the Portal and Recognized Developer Quinny899 shared the following two screenshots with us after flashing the latest Android 11 preview build on his Pixel 2 XL. After analyzing the framework and SystemUI last month, he developed an application that could hook into the new, in-development API. His app did not work last month, but it is now partially working in this release.

As you can see, he surfaced a new shortcut that appears in a “Quick Controls” section in the power menu. The power menu itself is revamped, with the tiles moving to the top of the screen, leaving a lot of room for quick controls. There’s also a menu button that, when tapped, opens the “add controls” activity that lets you select which apps’ shortcuts you want shown in the power menu. It is unclear where the new “Quick Access Wallet” feature will fit into this new power menu design.

Google hasn’t officially unveiled this new feature yet, but from our previous analysis, we believe that Google will reserve this space for home automation shortcuts. We found a list of “valid device types” in the Controls service in framework.jar that lists devices such as fans, coffee makers, AC units, curtains, and more that might be controllable from this UI. App developers will likely need to add support for this API to surface controls for their smart home appliances. We may hear more about this API during the virtual Google I/O 2020 event, assuming it doesn’t get postponed like Cloud Next 2020.

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How to download Android 11 Developer Preview for Google Pixel and other Android devices

Google has officially kicked off the Android 11 Developer Preview program, just five months after the stable release of Android 10. They’re starting things a little earlier this year (the first Android Q beta dropped in March). If you’re curious about the next version of Android, you can download Android 11 right now for the Pixel 2, Pixel 2 XL, Pixel 3, Pixel 3 XL, Pixel 3a, Pixel 3a XL, Pixel 4, and Pixel 4 XL (the original Google Pixel and Pixel XL are not officially supported).

This page will serve as an archive for all the Android 11 developer preview/beta releases. We will keep the page updated with the latest OTAs and factory images for supported devices. You can learn how to install the Android 11 developer preview with our guide for Pixel devices here.

Android 11 Developer Preview 1

Device	OTA	Factory Image
Pixel 2	Link	Link
Pixel 2 XL	Link	Link
Pixel 3	Link	Link
Pixel 3 XL	Link	Link
Pixel 3a	Link	Link
Pixel 3a XL	Link	Link
Pixel 4	Link	Link
Pixel 4 XL	Link	Link

GSI Downloads

ARM64+GMS	Link
x86+GMS	Link

Android 11 Developer Preview 2

Device	OTA	Factory Image
Pixel 2	Link	Link
Pixel 2 XL	Link	Link
Pixel 3	Link	Link
Pixel 3 XL	Link	Link
Pixel 3a	Link	Link
Pixel 3a XL	Link	Link
Pixel 4	Link	Link
Pixel 4 XL	Link	Link

GSI Downloads

ARM64+GMS	Link
x86+GMS	Link

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Android 11 Developer Preview 2 adds Variable Refresh Rate support, Resume on Reboot, more

Although the spread of the COVID-19 disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 has slowed down the global economy, many tech companies have transitioned their employees to work from home (WFH). Google is one such company, and today, they acknowledged the difficulties facing many of us around the world. Today, the company announced a new Developer Preview of the next major Android OS: Android 11. Android 11 Developer Preview 2, like the first Developer Preview, is still intended only for developers, and the list of changes mentioned in the blog post focus on new APIs and platform behavior changes that developers will have to adapt to. Here’s what’s new.

New Android 11 API Changes

• 5G state API: In Android 11 Developer Preview 2, developers can check if the user is on a 5G New Radio (NR) or Non-Standalone (NSA) network. If you aren’t familiar, 5G on NSA networks means the 5G network is piggybacking off of existing 4G infrastructure, whereas with 5G on NR networks, the network is independent. 5G on NR will generally be much faster, though its current availability is very limited. You can check for this status to change how your app behaves under the inferior or superior network connection.
• Hinge angle for foldables: Foldable devices like the upcoming Microsoft Surface Duo, the Motorola Razr, the Samsung Galaxy Fold/Z Flip, and the Huawei Mate X/Xs usually have more than just two states. Most of the time, they’re either folded or fully unfolded, but occasionally, users will place them at an angle. Android 11 Developer Preview 2 has added support for a hinge angle sensor that lets apps query the hinge angle either directly or through an AndroidX library.
• Call screening service improvements: Call screening apps can now report a call rejection reason to inform users why the service rejected an incoming call. In addition, call screening apps can also see if an incoming call was from a number that’s in the user’s contacts, provided, of course, that the call screening app has permission to read contacts. Finally, call screening apps can now customize a post call screen dialog, that’s provided by the system, to let users perform actions like mark the call as spam or add the number to their contacts.
• Updates to Neural Networks API: Google has added a “computationally efficient version” of a swish activation function (warning: PDF link) that allows for “faster training time and higher accuracy across a wide variety of tasks.” Another addition is the Control ops “enabling more advanced machine learning models that support branching and loops.” Lastly, Google has added “new execution controls” to minimize latency for common use cases.

Privacy and Security

• In Android 11, apps that want to access the camera or microphone data from a foreground service must declare the manifest attribute foregroundServiceType.
• Scoped storage has been updated in this new preview release. Now developers can migrate files “from the legacy model to the new scoped storage model.” Also added is “better management of cached files.”

Polish and quality

• Synchronized IME transitions: New APIs have been added to allow developers to synchronize their app’s content with the input method editor, or IME, and system bars as they animate. This allows for you to create IME transitions that are much more fluid than before. The new insets animation listener allows one to create “frame-perfect transitions” as it notifies apps of per-frame changes to insets. The new WindowInsetsAnimationController API lets apps take control of the IME and system bar transitions, on the other hand. In the example shown to the bottom right, the app is using the WindowInsetsAnimationController API to control the IME transition upon overscrolling the app’s UI.
  
• Variable refresh rate: There are now dozens of Android devices with high refresh rate displays, such as 90Hz, 120Hz, or 144Hz. In Android 11, apps and games can now set their preferred frame rate for their own windows. The system will use the app’s preferred frame rate to choose the display refresh rate when running the app.
• Resume on reboot: As we highlighted before, Android 11 improves the experience of overnight OTA updates. After a reboot, apps can access the Credential Encrypted (CE) storage without the user unlocking the device. Thus, apps can resume normal functionality after an OTA when the user isn’t around to unlock the phone.
• Camera support in Android Emulator: The Android Emulator in Android Studio now supports front and rear emulated cameras. The back camera supports HW Level 3 in Camera2 API, while the front camera supports the FULL level with logical camera support.

Get Started

There will be one more Developer Preview in April followed by 2 beta releases. The stable Android 11 release will be made available sometime in Q3 of 2020, if all goes to plan.

To install Android 11 Developer Preview 2 on a Pixel device, you must have a Pixel 2, Pixel 2 XL, Pixel 3, Pixel 3 XL, Pixel 3a, Pixel 3a XL, Pixel 4, or Pixel 4 XL. You can either manually flash the preview build or you can use the Android Flash Tool to do it for you. If you don’t own a Pixel device, you may be able to install the latest Developer Preview through the Generic System Image (GSI) on Project Treble-compatible devices, which includes devices that launched with Android 9 Pie or later. Your mileage may vary, though. Lastly, you can boot up the latest build in the Android Emulator in Android Studio. Each of these methods provides you a way to test your apps in the new environment. Be sure to thoroughly test your app because Google will eventually make targeting Android 11 a requirement for your apps’ inclusion into the Google Play Store.

Try out the latest version and give Google feedback if you encounter any problems.

Android 11 News on XDA

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Google’s Advanced Protection program now blocks sideloading non-Play Store apps

Google’s Advanced Protection program is the company’s strongest security for “those who need it most.” This program can safeguard personal or business Google accounts of anyone at risk of targeted attacks, like political campaigns, journalists, business leaders, etc. While it’s not something most people need, it is available to anyone. Today, Google announced some new features for the program.

For starters, Play Protect will now be enabled by default for anyone registered in the Advanced Protection program. For those unaware, Play Protect is Google’s built-in malware protection for Android. It scans billions of apps every day with Google’s machine learning algorithms to keep devices safe. Play Protect is already enabled on most devices, but this ensures it is for those requesting extra protection.

Next, Google will be blocking the majority of sideloaded apps for those enrolled in the Advanced Protection program. It’s much harder for Google to ensure the safety of users if they are installing apps from untrusted sources. The one exception to this will be apps installed from app stores that are pre-installed on the device by the manufacturer through the Android Debug Bridge. Existing apps on your device from outside the Play Store will not be removed.

These changes will not be applied to G Suite users, but there are equivalent protections in place through Endpoint Management. For everyone else enrolled in the Advanced Protection program, the new features will begin rolling out today.  New malware protection for Chrome is coming later this year as well. You can join the Advanced Protection program here.

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Source: Google

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Learn Ethical Hacking, Data Security and More for Under $40

Cybersecurity is one of the most sought-after skills that employers are looking for right now. A recent report by research company Cybersecurity Ventures estimates there will be 3.5 million unfilled cybersecurity jobs in 2021. If you want to take advantage of this opportunity, The A-Z Cybersecurity Developer Bundle is a great place to start your journey. It provides 170 hours of training, working towards top professional exams. You can get the bundle now for just $39.99 at the XDA Developers Depot.

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It’s worth $999, but you can get the training now for $39.99 with lifetime access included.

 

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Prices subject to change

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