Android Q: The best and worst features of Google's beta operating system up to now

With the annual Google I / O Developer Conference around the corner, we can expect to hear about what Google has in the works for the rest of the year, including for Android Q, the next version of the company's Android operating system in the summer or in the fall.

I come on two months of use Android Q – Google's beta software available on its Pixel phones – every day since mid-March. I love the dark mode, I wish customers visit me so I can add my Wi-Fi network via a QR code and I appreciate better understanding the use of my battery. But some of my favorite apps that still do not work perfectly on Android Q miss me too.

The first drafts of any new operating system are interesting because they indicate the direction a company takes and offer you the opportunity to try a feature before it is finished. But they can also be unstable because a company is solving problems. And some applications may not work as expected because they depend on a part of the operating system being modified. I'm up for the challenge because I want to know what kind of Android Q treats will bring us later this year, when Google intends to release Android Q to the public.

Google has published the first public beta of Q on March 18th the second beta April 3rd, then a security patch on April 5th. The software runs on any Pixel device and allows interested Android owners to check out upcoming features and help Google identify issues with preliminary software and applications.

Honestly, unless it is necessary for your work – or you want to try it on a spare pixel -, run a beta version of a mobile operating system may not be the better use of your time. With Q, Google focuses largely on privacy, giving Android owners more control over the data they share and setting stricter limits on what information apps can request. It also includes small changes useful to its notifications and controls.

Google clearly explains what you do with Android Q, warning before installing the mobile operating system that the pre-release software contains important changes that may affect photos, videos, and other files that you store on your phone. I was curious enough to intervene anyway. So, here is about two months, what stands out from Android Q so far.

Where Android Q is already solid

You expect strange behavior when running a beta version. Google said the system could be "janky". But over the course of the two months, I used Android Q and my Pixel 2 to stream movies on my TV and music on my car's audio system, browse the central California coast with Maps, check email, listen to podcasts, take pictures, etc. make calls, send messages to family and friends, fill in the gaps for Marvel movies I missed before you see End of Game… basically everything I do regularly on my phone. Except for some trouble that I will discuss in a few moments, Q has been stable and usable, despite Google's warnings.

Dark mode. In my eyes, everything seems better in dark mode. Android Pie finally allowed to apply a dark theme via the display settings. This setting has disappeared in the first two beta versions of Q, but you can still force it into dark mode. In the battery settings, if you turn on the battery saver (designed to preserve the battery charge), you can switch the phone to dark mode when you unplug it. You can also set when Q goes into dark mode to talk on battery, depending on your routine or the percentage of remaining battery life. And Q's dark mode appears in more places than Pie's, which is nice.

More info on the lock screen. Android The Q lock screen displays more interesting and useful notifications, such as the song being played or your expected arrival time if you are using a transit application such as Citymapper.

More comments. When you use Q, you get charge sound and vibration when you plug in the phone to charge it. And when you select text, you get a haptic feedback. At first, it's a bit annoying to feel my phone vibrate more, but I appreciate the notification that I plugged it in.

Sharing Wireless details. New visitors should no longer type or retype the super-secret Wi-Fi password to access the network. In Android Q, I can create a QR code containing Wi-Fi information that visitors can then scan to connect.

Useful battery level indicators. Android Pie indicates the status of the battery via an icon in the status bar. Q goes further and displays the battery level as a percentage to the right of the battery icon. When unplugged, you can swipe the status bar down to view an estimate of your battery life. Does this make the bar cleaner cleaner? Maybe not. Is this information more usable? For me, yes.

Quick access to emergency information. I do not intend to use it, but hold down the power button, whether the phone is locked or unlocked, to display an emergency shortcut. It appears under the Shut Down, Restart, and Screen Capture buttons. Tap the shortcut to view your phone's keypad and access your emergency information if you've completed them. (You can include your name, address, blood type, medications and contacts in the emergency information.)

Where Android Q is still a work in progress

Disagree, but Q has some problems that have not allowed me to change yet, which has made me change the way I use my phone.

Some applications do not work as expected. Google notes in Q that some applications have known issues. One of them is the Photos application, which may not handle the photos as expected. According to Google, Q stores more information about the images captured by its camera in a separate file, which allows you to adjust the depth of a photo. Google says it will be particularly useful for RA images, but I have not seen it in action yet.

Pokemon Go and Ingress are not fully supported yet, Said Niantic. For me, Pokemon Go will not open at all. An entry sometimes opens and sometimes a message informs me that the game is not supported on the configuration of my device. If I close and reopen, and then close and reopen, the application, I can usually make it work. Niantic said that he will have news on Harry Potter: The wizards unite support for Q as the game gets closer to the exit.

Initially, I also had problems syncing my Pixel 2 with my Fitbit Versa smart watch via Bluetooth with the first beta. The second beta seemed to have solved the problem, but the synchronization problem came back recently.

And some apps do not work at all. Mozilla's two Android browsers – Firefox and Focus – close just after pressing to open them. Promisingly, the beta version of Firefox is working properly, so Mozilla could have a fix on the way. Other Chrome-based browsers, such as Chrome, Opera, and Brave, also work correctly.

Next to Q

In the second beta, Google added bubble notifications, that act a lot like the Facebook Messenger chat heads and provide a way for applications to view a notification. Developers need to add bubble notifications to their apps. None of the apps I've installed are using them yet, but I can not wait to see them in action.

As for the future, Google has announced its intention to publish four more beta versions of here spring and summer before the final release in the third quarter.

Originally published on April 14th.

Update of April 23: Add information about Pokemon Go and Ingress.