A super early leaked build of Android Q shows off a slew of new features that could be made available with the next Android OS.
Highlights:
- Leaked early Android Q build suggests that Google is working on system-wide dark mode.
- The permissions UI can also be changed for better privacy.
- The new build unveils many more new changes.
Google is expected to announce the next revision of its Android operating system at the Google I/0 2019. However, XDA Developers have managed to get their hands on an unreleased build of the operating system and detailed a slew of new features that could be announced with the next Android revision. The new Android build is said to be updated with the latest February 2019 security patches and latest Google’s AOSP internal master. It was flashed on a Google Pixel 3 XL but there were no Google apps or services present like the Play store. The most notable feature that comes with the new build is a systemwide dark mode. Additionally, there are refreshed permissions in the settings app and a developer option that hints at the inclusion of desktop mode in the OS.
Starting off with the dark theme, Google seems to have finally taken notice that users want a system-wide dark mode. From the screenshots XDA shares, we can see that there is an option to keep the Dark mode ‘Always on’, ‘Always off’ or Automatic. The latter is seems to be based on time of the day, so, the dark mode might be implemented during certain hours (maybe from evening to early morning). As per the report, once the dark mode is enabled, the Launcher, Settings, Launcher settings, volume panel, Quick Settings panel, and the Files app are displayed with a dark gray shade. Third-party notifications like Google Chrome’s download notifications will also be themed black. The video embedded below by XDA Developers gives a look at some of these features.
Some Google and other apps already come with dark mode options but those who don’t, they could be forced to display dark tones with a Developer option called “override force-dark” which “overrides the force-dark feature to be always-on.” Permissions page for apps might also be overhauled so that one can easily see what apps have access to which permissions. The app info screen could also be changed to give quick access to open, uninstall or force stop an app.
As per the report, a new developer option called ‘force desktop mode’ could also be included with the upcoming Android OS. Its description reportedly reads “force experimental desktop mode on secondary displays,” and going by the name and description, it could be a Samsung DeX like feature. The feature didn’t work right now and it’s probably because it is an early build. Additionally, there are some new feature flags too, which are said to be working. One of them apparently enables a shortcut for built-in screen recording option by the SystemUI, which can be accessed in the menu that pops out when long-pressing the power button. Another flag displays the current wallpaper on the Always on Display. Speaking of the Always on Display, the feature itself has been moved to Lock screen display option in the Display setting and the battery icon when the ambient display could also be shifted to the upper right corner.
The Accessibility page also gets two new settings – Time to take action and Time to read. The time to take action is said to enable users to choose “how long to show messages that ask you to take action, but are only visible temporarily.” On the other hand, the time to read feature will enable users to set, “how much time you want to read and take action on messages that automatically go away.”
Related Reads:
Android Q may bring system-wide Dark Mode: Report
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