The best new features in Android Q

5G connectivity

The world is already in 5G hype mode and, although not yet available everywhere, companies and manufacturers have begun to create software and perennial devices for its imminent arrival.

For its part, Google is integrated with the 5G compatibility of Android Q. Once you have this version of the mobile operating system, you can connect to your carrier's available 5G network if your phone is equipped with the necessary components .

Fit for foldable

Foldable smartphones may not seem like a thing now, especially after the craziness of the Samsung Galaxy Fold. But the next version of Android will be optimized to work with these new generation devices. Some of the new features include application continuity, which allows you to launch an application on the main screen, then open it to continue your work, as well as better multitasking capabilities to suspend and resume multiple applications at a time.

Smarter answers

If you are using Android version 8.0 or later, you have already used the Smart Reply utility. This feature offers answer suggestions in the notification area when you receive a message.

Once Android Q comes online, the Smart Reply feature will be able to predict what you need to do next. For example, if someone sends you a message with an address or the name of a restaurant, Smart Reply will suggest a link to the Google Maps app to help you start navigating to that location. local environment. It's a simple way to move forward without copying and pasting addresses, and then tap the screen to find the next app you want to use.

Robust security and privacy controls

Google claimed that nearly 50 Android Q features concerned security and privacy. We will not know the magnitude of these changes before Android Q is released to all. However, Google has left a glimpse of some of the options that you will be able to access in the Android Control Panel, including a new Privacy section at the front center, with a host of settings to control apps and apps. services that have access to your data. A new permissions option will also allow you to choose how and when data and other items will be shared with Google and other third-party applications.

Small updates in a timely manner

The problem: when Google has to make a minor update to the Android operating system, it is not always easy to distribute it. The solution? Project Mainline, a new Google initiative to apply security patches to more phones by distributing updates directly through the Google Play Store, where you already have access to your app updates. The Project Mainline update is limited, but includes items such as network permissions, time zone data, and multimedia codecs.

'Focus Mode' to limit notifications

Do you feel unable to focus with your smartphone that turns off all the time? The Focus mode of Android Q, part of Digital Wellbeing, allows you to select the applications you find most troublesome (email applications, news applications, applications constantly asking you about daily offers) and to silence them until you decide to treat. You will be able to choose which applications and which people are allowed to pass when you try to concentrate.

Otherwise, the focus mode works even when you are not trying to focus, for example when you prefer to move away from an area on Netflix. The idea is to keep the work and games separate so that you avoid your phone altogether. And when you avoid work, you are perfectly aware of what is happening rather than knowing who is warning you in Slack.

Integrated parental controls

Family Link will not be another application to seize for the parents of the Play Store. Instead, it will come standard with Android Q and will be available to customize the device settings. It will provide better controls for parents hoping to reduce the number of children who tend to switch to the TV screen. Starting with Android Q, you will be able to set specific time limits for apps that your child is too obsessed with to finish his homework, as well as "extra time" for those who feel lenient.

Hey Google, we're going to drive

Android Auto and Android built into the car undergo a deep metamorphosis this summer. But the most important will perhaps be the version of Android Auto on the phone, which will no longer be a separate application. Instead, you will have to invoke it via the Google Assistant. So you can say something like "Hey, Google, driving" to bring up the new optimized driving mode. The new driving mode presents a more elegant interface, with all the information you need in a short scroll rather than hidden behind another menu.

Find something to eat

Google Lens is not entirely specific to Android Q, although it is part of the Pixel Camera application. A new feature coming soon will help you determine things to eat at a new restaurant, without having to ask anyone: "What's good here?" With the help of Google Lens, you will be able to take a picture of a physical menu and Google will highlight the most popular items in these locales based on its comment database. Google Lens may also split an invoice or tip after entering a photo of the receipt and reading posters and other materials for people who can not read the printed language.

Live subtitles

One of the most compelling features of Android Q will make audio and video available to the hearing impaired. Live subtitles will allow real-time transcription of what is being said on the screen, no matter what application you are using. People wishing to capture something that a podcast host said can use this feature to clarify a line, while hearing-impaired people can use subtitles to transcribe personal videos. Best of all, an Internet connection is not needed to use this feature because the transcript is processed locally on the device rather than the cloud.

Gestures that you can use

Gestures are controversial on the smartphone circuit because users do not always appreciate them. But with the expansion of phones and the adoption of onboard dashboards, the concept of using a gesture to navigate the operating system appears as an obvious evolution. For the first time, Google introduced gestures in Android Pie, then in Android Q, they will be more refined. Rather than the standard three or two-button navigation features of the navigation bar, you'll use a swipe gesture up to go to the home screen, and then drag and slide up to switch to multitasking. And rather than pressing a button to return to the previous page, you can slide your finger on the screen to switch from one application to the other, then slide your finger from the home screen to view the application drawer.

Darkness, everywhere

If you have already looked at your phone in the middle of the night and you've said, "It's too bright," you'll probably be very seduced by this new feature. Dark mode has long been a coveted feature of the Android operating system. It is now accessible to the entire system, with dark themes available for each of Google's main applications. Third-party applications will have to implement it manually.

Dark mode is also useful for reducing battery life, especially for devices with bright OLED displays. Enable it very easily: pull down the Quick Settings menu, then tap on the setting to switch from the white interface to the black interface.