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9 hidden gems worth digging up in Android 11


Android 11’s most important additions may be more about privacy than any front-facing flashiness, but the software sure does have its share of significant surface-level improvements.

I’ve been using the new Android 11 Beta release since it arrived last Wednesday. It’s our first real look at Google’s complete (or at least near-complete) vision for the next Android version, and it has quite a few new small but impactful experience-enhancing elements. Some of ’em fit into the three broad themes I covered in my most recent newsletter, while others are just scattered little treasures strewn throughout the software.

But all of ’em are things you wouldn’t necessarily notice on your own — and, in some cases, wouldn’t even see unless you knew which out-of-the-way switch to flip.

Whether you’re among the adventurous explorers already trying out Android 11 or you’re keeping an analytical eye on it from a distance, these noteworthy new touches are worth considering and/or keeping in mind for the future.

(Of note: I wouldn’t suggest most people install the Android 11 Beta at this point — especially not on a primary phone that’s needed for day-to-day productivity. The software is relatively stable, but it’s still a beta-level release that’s unfinished and not intended for broad, public use, and you will run into occasional glitches and app compatibility issues when using it.)

Android 11 gem #1: Notification History

First up is a feature I’ve been longing to see in Android for ages: a built-in and user friendly Notification History section. What’s present in Android 11 isn’t the full notification inbox concept I’d been envisioning, but hey, baby steps, right?

Copyright © 2020 IDG Communications, Inc.



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