The release of Android 11 for consumers is still a while away, but the Developer Preview has already been made available by Google. With the release of the Developer Preview 2, a series of new features (and security updates) are introduced.
One month after the release of the first Developer Preview, preview 2 will follow, containing a series of new additions to the upcoming version of the mobile OS. Among the added features is a 5G scanner, which allows apps to see if a user has access to 5G speeds to use if possible.
The list of additions also includes a number of quality-of-life functionalities, including an addition to the notification list. Not only is there more empty space between different notifications, it is also possible to view a history of the notifications in case a notification is accidentally clicked away or if it disappears too quickly by itself.
Recording function
Google has also finally responded to the demand for a built-in recording function of both screen and microphone. Initially, such a function was already expected with Android 10, but appeared to be absent in that version. In Android 10, the function did appear in the Developer Preview, but was omitted in the consumer version. The function in Android 11 seems to be significantly better finished (and includes a message that everything that passes by on the screen is recorded), making it more likely that the function will also be found in the actual release.
One of the other useful updates introduced in the Developer Preview 2 for Android 11 is no longer the need for a manual unlock of the phone after an update to restart apps. With the ‘resume on reboot’ function, apps (and thus notifications) continue to work without the need to unlock the phone first.