Everything You Need To Know About Android 11

Android 11, the latest version of Android, has finally arrived. It has been built with a focus on three themes a People-centric approach to communication, Controls to let users quickly get to and control all of their smart devices, and Privacy to give users more ways to control how data on devices is shared.

Speaking of devices that will receive the update, the Pixels aren't the only phones getting Android 11 right away.

According to a blog post published on September 8th, 2020 by Google to officially announce the availability of Android 11, “Android 11 will begin rolling out today on select Pixel, OnePlus, Xiaomi, OPPO and realme phones, with more partners launching and upgrading devices over the coming months.”

To find out if the software update is available to your supported phone, go to Settings and select System, followed by Advanced and then System Update. You’ll be able to see if your phone is up-to-date or ready to receive Android 11.

Conversation Notifications and Chat Bubbles

Android 11 offers better ways to communicate with the people in your life with Conversation Notifications and Chat Bubbles.

With Android 11, Google has introduced Conversation Notifications that appear in a dedicated section at the top of the notification shade, with a people-forward design and conversation specific actions, such as opening the conversation as a bubble, creating a conversation shortcut on the home screen, or setting a reminder. It can be said that Conversation Notifications offer instant access to all active conversations in one spot, eliminating the need to switch back and forth between multiple messaging apps to view and reply to the incoming messages.

Moreover, in Android 11, you can select people you always chat with, meaning when you get a message from a contact who you like chatting with often, you can long-press the notification and mark that particular conversation as a priority. These priority conversations will also show up on your lock screen, so you never miss an important text ever again — even when your phone is on ‘Do Not Disturb’ mode.

Another noticeable feature in Android 11 is ‘Chat Bubbles’. Almost similar to what Facebook’s offering for years with its Messenger app, Android 11 allows you to pin conversations so they appear on top of other apps and screens as a chat bubble. Moreover, you can create multiple Chat Bubbles at a time. To put it simply, Chat Bubbles help you keep conversations in view and accessible while you multitask on your device, meaning you can respond to important conversations without having to switch back and forth between what you’re doing and your messaging app(s).

Built-in Screen Recorder

Built-in screen recording is finally here with Android 11. Now you can capture and share what’s happening on your phone. Record with sound from your mic, device or both—no extra app required.

Device Controls

Android 11 comes with a brand-new power button menu, offering a quick access to smart home device controls and more.

The ‘Power’ button menu in Android 11 has been updated to include Device Controls — along with the regular options: Emergency, Restart, and Power — making it faster and easier than ever for you to access and control your IoT (Internet of Things) devices you have connected to your phone, as well as NFC bank cards. All you have to do is long press the power button to bring up the device controls instantly, and in one place. This feature lets you control your connected devices like your thermostat or smart lock with a tap, so there’s no need to open multiple apps. It is worth mentioning here that this feature might not be supported on all the devices with Android 11 update, at present.

Media Controls

With Android 11, you can quickly change the device that your media plays on.

Media controls have been redesigned and are more helpful than ever. Any app playing media on your device will create a widget in the Quick Settings drop-down menu, giving you the options like tap play/pause, skip forward or backward, and change the audio output (from your phone speaker to headphones or say TV). These actions can also be performed from the lock screen.

Wireless Android Auto

Android Auto now works wirelessly for all phones running Android 11 as long as you have a compatible vehicle. So you can bring the best of your phone on every drive while skipping the cable—get directions with a tap, talk to send a text, play your favourite media and get help from Google Assistant.

Schedule Dark mode