Android 10 Q. What's new and how to install

Google has announced the start of preliminary testing of the new Android Q operating system. Starting today, the first beta version is available for developers to install, and it already introduces a large number of new features. It is also noteworthy that the beta testing program, due to numerous requests from users, included the first generation of Pixel smartphones from 2016.

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Android Q will feature enhanced privacy and security features, full support for foldable smartphones, new media codecs and camera features, and a host of new APIs for developers.

Restricting access to application permissions

One of the main innovations in Android Q will be a new system for managing application permissions. Users will be able to allow data to be transferred all the time (in the background), only while the application is running, or never - similar to iOS. For example, to order a ride in the Uber taxi service, location information is needed only while the application is running. With Android Q, you'll be able to give Uber limited access.

On the privacy front, Android Q will give you better control over app access to your photos, videos, audio, and Downloads folder. Google requires file managers to ask the user what files the application can view.

Conclusion

The first beta version of the new system does not allow us to assess the scale of upcoming innovations, or to get a preliminary idea of the new changes. For now, the list of fixes includes minor improvements to existing features, while larger changes will become known closer to release. We will continue to monitor important changes and update the article as new distinctive features appear.

What do you expect in the new version of the system? Share your opinion in the comments.

Support for foldable smartphones

Android Q will come with native support for foldable smartphones, which Google first announced back in November 2022. The developers are implementing interface optimization for various split-screen modes and support for resuming and pausing applications in the background. Also, if a full screen display is required, the app will need to send a high priority notification first. Previously, the image was displayed on the entire screen without resolution.

Interface customization

Everyone is already accustomed to the fact that when it comes to customizing the interface, this means installing third-party firmware (EMUI, TouchWiz, CyanogenMod, etc.) or launchers. Owners of devices with pure Android had to be content with what they had.

With the release of Android Q, users will have the opportunity to slightly change the appearance of their interface (icon color, font), without installing third-party programs. There’s not much to go around here; there are only 4 colors to choose from: black, green, blue and purple. But even despite such a meager set, this suggests that Google paid attention to the possibility of customizing the interface. So expect to see more features in the future. Also, the icons in the quick settings menu and the Google search bar received a small upgrade: support for adaptive icons was added for them.

You can also choose the font for the icon titles. There are not many of them: Google Sans, Roboto, Noto Serif and Source Sans Pro.

New settings panel API

The new settings panel API is a small but handy feature based on Android Slices. Developers will be given the opportunity to add quick access to system settings to applications in the form of a pop-up panel. Thanks to this, you can control the mobile network, airplane mode, sound volume, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and NFC without leaving the application you are using and without searching for what you need in the general settings.

Focus mode

One of the most talked about features of Android 10 is Focus Mode. The technology has nothing to do with the camera, as you might initially think, it allows you to concentrate. The essence of the function is to block all applications while work is being done. It allows you to avoid a situation where a new notification takes you away from work for a significant amount of time.

The technology is now included in the Digital Wellbeing suite, a dashboard that tracks user activity. It also includes parental controls. A similar feature was previously present in Google Tools, but the out-of-the-box support looks better.

Google Dynamic Depth Image Format

Modern smartphone cameras can simulate shallow depth of field and blur the background relative to the subject. The sensor captures depth metadata for various points in the image and applies static blur. Google's new open format Dynamic Depth is designed to make working with blur even more flexible and simple.

Dynamic Depth contains a JPEG image, depth metadata, and depth map combined together in one file. Developers will be able to request Dynamic Depth photos from devices whose cameras support them and improve the algorithms. This will make it easier for third-party apps to offer specialized blur and bokeh options.

Google does not exclude the creation of 3D images and AR images using Dynamic Depth. The company is currently working with manufacturing partners to make the format available to all devices running Android Q.

List of devices that will receive Android 10.0

Samsung:

Galaxy S9, S10, S10+, S10e;
Galaxy Note 9, 10.

Huawei:

P20, P30, P30 Pro;
Mate 20, 20 Pro, 20 Lite, 20X;
Honor View 20.

OnePlus:

OnePlus 5, 5T;
OnePlus 6, 6T;
OnePlus 7, 7 Pro.

Nokia:

All Nokia models from 1 to 9 inclusive.

Google Pixel:

All devices in the line.

Judging by past Android updates, the list of smartphones that will receive the update may expand to include older devices. For example, Galaxy S8 users will probably also be able to upgrade to 10.0 later and try out all the new features, since there are still a lot of them.

New audio and video codecs

Android Q will add support for several new open-source audio and video codecs.

AOMedia Video 1 (AV1) - Allows media providers to stream high-quality video with less bandwidth.
Opus - will provide low latency audio encoding, stronger audio compression and support for multi-channel audio.
HDR10+ - for playing video with high dynamic range on devices that support it.

Live Headlines

This feature was announced at the Google I/O developer show. The name speaks for itself. With local machine learning and an audio API, you get subtitle support for any multimedia content without an internet connection.

When you play a video on your device, subtitles will be created automatically. Not just videos, but even when you listen to an audio message or podcasts. And in any application. This even works with recordings that you made yourself. Audio and subtitles never leave your smartphone. This can help the deaf and hard of hearing people, of whom there are about 466 million people worldwide. This will also be useful for healthy people who do not want others to hear what they hear.

Sharing Shortcuts

The main improvement for the Share menu in Android Q is that it opens twice as fast compared to Android 9 Pie. This is really important because menu launch speed was one of the most common problems in previous versions of Android. In addition, there are a number of useful changes: a button to copy the active link from the browser has appeared at the top of the menu, and the new Sharing Shortcuts API will allow users to directly go to other applications for sharing content.

Gestures

Android 10 and earlier offer more advanced gesture controls. So, to go back one step, just swipe your finger from the edge of the screen to the center. Unfortunately, the gesture does not work in some applications. At first, it is not very convenient to use; there are cases of accidentally activating a gesture. You soon get used to it, but erroneous alarms still appear from time to time.

In the new OS, this gesture has been slightly changed, which is aimed at eliminating the problem with accidental clicks. Users must not only swipe their finger, but also hold it in the final position for a few seconds. You should only let go of your finger when a stripe appears on the side.

Visual changes

Removing an app shortcut from the Pixel Launcher home screen can now be undone. Useful because sometimes it happens by accident.
Android Q displays rounded corners and a notch in screenshots.
Android Q now has a full-fledged dark interface theme, which can be turned on separately if desired. In previous versions of Android, the interface automatically became light or dark depending on the accent color of the desktop wallpaper.
In the settings for developers, a Theming category has appeared with functions for customizing the accent color of individual elements of the Android Q interface, font and icon shape.
The built-in file manager of Android Q has received a redesigned interface in accordance with the Material Theme design.
Long pressing an app notification opens quick settings with lock and mute options right inside the card.
Applications with disabled notifications are shown in a separate menu in the Application Notifications section.
Minor redesign of the About page in the Settings app.
A bell now appears in the notification card to indicate recent notifications.
The locked screen in Always-on Display mode now displays the currently playing song and the time of arrival to home or work (from Google Maps), and the battery percentage has moved to the upper right corner.

Digital Wellbeing

Last year, Google introduced an option called Digital Wellbeing, located in the main System Settings window. At the same time, development lagged behind the Android release schedule. The beta version of digital well-being appeared after the release of the final version of Android 9 and only on Google Pixel smartphones. This year, digital wellness is getting a new focus mode, which is available on Pixel devices and other Android smartphones running Android 9 and Android 10. Of course, if digital wellness is included in the shells of the manufacturers of these smartphones.

The name "Focus Mode" speaks for itself. When you activate it, pre-selected apps will no longer show their notifications until you exit this mode.

The Family Link suite of parental controls is also now available in Settings on every Android 10 smartphone with digital wellbeing. They are located at the top level of settings and are ideologically related to each other.

The company is expanding parental controls by adding sought-after features. For example, you can give children extra time to use their smartphone before going to bed. You can also set a time limit for working with individual applications.

Another digital wellbeing enhancement is the ability to quickly pause an app with a long press on an icon on the home screen. In this case, an additional option appears. When you click on it, the application will be suspended for the rest of the day, making it impossible to use. This complements Digital Wellbeing's ability to set a timer on the app so that only certain programs can be used for a set amount of time. All this should help you concentrate on your work so that nothing distracts you. Whether you use timers or pause is up to you. It will be interesting to see if third-party launchers will support pausing applications.

It seems that digital well-being is not a root Android feature that Google offers to third-party skin makers. Thus, they themselves decide whether to prioritize digital well-being or not.

Other innovations

Share Wi-Fi . With the new Share Wi-Fi feature, you can share Wi-Fi network information or join a nearby hotspot via QR code.
Screen Recording . The long-awaited native function of recording actions from the screen of an Android device. Previously, you had to use third-party applications.
Native MIDI API . Google's own API for communicating Android Q with MIDI devices via NDK. Designed for applications that perform audio processing in C++.
ANGLE for Vulkan . A graphics engine developed by Google for high-performance hardware compatibility with OpenGL and OpenGL ES content. Converts OpenGL code to Vulkan code.
Neural Networks API 1.2 . New version of the neural networks API with functional improvements and performance optimizations.
BiometricPrompt . The unified authentication framework to support system-level biometrics now supports passive authentication methods such as facial recognition.
TLS 1.3 support . The latest generation of the protocol for establishing secure connections is 40% faster compared to TLS 1.2. In Android Q, TLS 1.3 will be enabled by default.

Security updates via Play Store

The next big innovation for Android 10 is Google's attempt to bring security updates to the Play Store. This seemingly minor change will actually significantly reduce the wait time before downloading and installing security updates. You don't have to wait for a specific operator to approve new software. And the installation process will be significantly reduced in comparison with the previous version of the work.

The approach also has a significant drawback - not all security fixes can be fixed in this way. Periodically, Google will have to release traditional updates that are installed at a lower level of the OS. Still, this step is a positive development.

Qualcomm is moving in a similar direction. The company previously announced that all smartphones with 2022 chipsets will be able to update graphics drivers through the Play Store. This is one of the best new features of Android 10.