These are the Android Q features that will transform your phone

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Android Q – the next version of Google's mobile operating system – is on the way. Early users and developers may already be familiar with the third beta release of the operating system scheduled for this fall.

At its annual developer conference, Google unveiled some of the first details about the appearance of Android Q. Besides the support of foldable phones and the 5G, Android Q will include a dark theme, pennies Live headlines and more tools to spend less time on your phone.

You can download the beta of Android Q if you own a Pixel phone or a device from several manufacturers, including Sony, Huawei and OnePlus.

Here is our overview of all the best features you can expect to see in Android Q later this year.

Dark theme

Users have long been asking for a dark mode and Google has finally responded. The whole system will be darker, which will make it easier for the eyes and save battery life, especially on OLED phones. Turning on the dark theme is pretty simple: Simply pull down the Quick Settings tile or go to the View section in the phone settings. In addition, the mode turns on automatically when an Android Q phone goes into battery saving mode.

At launch, this feature will probably be limited to Google-specific applications, but the company offers developers an API to enable dark themes so they can make sure their apps follow the rest. of the operating system.

Smart answer in all email applications

In Android Q, Google's smart answer feature, as we know it from Gmail, will be available in third-party email applications such as WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger and Signal. This feature uses machine learning to suggest three short answers that might correspond to the message received. Basically, he anticipates what you will say before saying it. The version of the smart reply operating system can also anticipate actions and suggest, for example, to open the address that your friend has sent to you in Google Maps.

Live captioning

By pressing the volume button and the icon below the volume slider, Live Caption will automatically add subtitles to videos, podcasts, and audio messages, even for the audio you record yourself. . Real-time subtitles are created by machine-learning on the device and will appear as soon as speech is detected without the need for a Wi-Fi or network connection. The text box can be enlarged, moved, and moved on the screen. It is especially useful for people who are deaf or hard of hearing, or when listening to music in a noisy environment.

Improved privacy and private browsing mode for cards

Q will have a specific location section in a phone's privacy settings, which will allow users to better control the location data they share with the apps. This means that they can choose to share the location data with the apps only while they are in use and to receive reminders when an app is using their location in the background. Popular functionality of the Chrome browser and the Youtube application, Google Maps will soon go into private search mode. By enabling this feature, users can search and browse places without their data being saved or linked to their Google Accounts. The private search mode can be activated by pressing the profile picture in the search bar at the top of Maps. The company plans to offer this feature for the search application later.

Focusing mode and parental controls

Following the release of digital wellness tools last year, Google adds a new feature that allows users to focus without being distracted. Focus mode allows users to select in particular the applications they want to avoid for a certain period of time, such as email or news applications. These applications become grayed out and the notifications are hidden. With the application timers, do not disturb mode and notification commands, this feature will hopefully help you find some balance.

The parental controls, which are already available through the Family Link app in the Google Play Store, will be integrated with the Q operating system and accessed in the digital wellness settings. This tool gives parents a way to monitor and manage their children's screen time by setting specific limits and giving them "five extra minutes", for example.

Gestures edge to edge

Google has proposed new gestures for Q and reduced the navigation bar. In addition to the usual three-button functions of the navigation bar and the navigation moves in Android Pie, you can now swipe the bottom of your screen to come home, from left to right to go back rather than 39, press a button. Drag and hold to access recently opened applications. Looks like Google may have inspired the iPhone X here – these new gestures will certainly make the transition from IOS to Android easier. To test the fully gestural navigation, activate it in the system settings.

Wondering how to access Google Assistant? Swipe diagonally from the bottom right or left of your screen and hold it down until it appears. In addition, the wizard always has its own button on the home screen and multitasking. Before you get used to using these new gestures: there is a chance that they will be tweaked before the final version of Android Q, as they currently interfere with applications that rely on sweeping gestures.

Fit for foldable

The folding phones may have started badly, but Google has stepped up its support for the next wave of devices. The company has optimized Android Q with changes to its multiple summary and display functions, to allow applications to work simultaneously with other applications and to seamlessly switch from a small screen to a display screen. tablet size when a device is unfolded. Developers can begin to create and test with the Android foldable emulator to ensure that their applications fit correctly to different screen sizes and resolutions, in time for the release of these much-awaited devices.

It will be compatible with 5G

5G is coming soon and device manufacturers are getting ready. Google too. Dubbed "wireless fiber," the 5G should be faster than any hardwired broadband and virtually eliminate broadcast delays, opening the door to real-time video collaboration, AR / VR-based applications, and multiplayer gaming. Google integrates 5G compatibility and extends the existing APIs for Android Q. This will allow developers to prepare for the new era and ensure that their applications can make the most of the "ultra fast" speed.

Send updates directly to your phone

Google introduces Project Mainline for the purpose of transferring security patches directly to a phone through the Play Store. As with apps, these updates run in the background and are loaded the next time you start your phone, preventing a full system reboot. as is the case now with Android. For developers, this means that applications and games can be updated in use without the need to interrupt users.