Just as reported back in July, Google did announce a stable update for Android 11 on September 8. However, the stable update arrives only for eligible Pixel phones while select phones from other manufacturers get open betas.
What’s new in Android 11?
Android 11 brings lots of new features such as:
- Chat bubbles (for messaging apps) – google has adopted Facebook Messenger’s chat heads and dubbed it chat bubbles. You will now be able to continue conversations without the need for opening a chat app.
- Screen Recorder – There is also a native screen recorder now which means you can discard those third-party screen-recording apps you installed. Users will able to choose if they want audio to be recorded and if screen touches should be visible too.
- Power Menu for connected smart devices – need quick access to your connected smart home devices? Just press and hold the power button to bring up the menu that displays your connected smart home devices such as lights, locks, and cameras without the need for launching an app.
- One-Time Permissions – Users will be able to grant one-time permissions to apps when they request access to the camera, microphone, or location. If you fire up the app again afterward, it will request access permissions afresh.
- Permission Auto-Reset – With Android 11, apps previously granted permissions but have not been used in a while will have their requests automatically reset. What that means is that the permissions will be removed and will have to be granted when you launch the app again.
EDITOR’s PICK: OxygenOS 11 Hands-On: A Bold New Redesign but Is It For the Better?
Android 11 Roll Out
The update has begun rolling out to the Pixels save for the first-gen models that are no longer supported. This is different from last year where the stable update was available for some other non-Pixel phones such as the Essential PH-1 (whose support has ended) and the Redmi K20 Pro.
OnePlus has made an open beta (with OxygenOS 11) available for the OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro. If you own a Realme X50 Pro, you can register for an Android 11 beta. Xiaomi has also made a beta version available for the Mi 10 and Mi 10 Pro while select OPPO devices such as the Find X2 Pro, Find X2, Ace2, Reno3 4G, and Reno3 Pro 4G will also be getting beta builds.
We expect manufacturers to begin announcing roll-out plans for eligible devices in the coming days.
UP NEXT: Google announces Kids Space: a new mode for Android tablets aimed at kids
