The official version of Android 11 is rolling out this week to Android s around the globe. Google's family of Pixel devices are some of the first to receive the latest Android software, though additional phones such as the OnePlus 8 series are seeing the update as well. Android 11 is a significant change from Android 10, with a mostly familiar set of features that won't necessarily scare s away. However, there are a series of augments that are certainly worth making the upgrade from the previous version.
New iterations of Android are a big deal for smartphone owners, as they often bring a wide variety of improvements to the devices the updates come to. They can also bring changes for the worse in some situations. Some Android device manufacturers can take longer to roll out new versions of the software. In many cases, Google Pixel s will see the new features first, as well as Samsung device owners. Not every manufacturer will send out updates at the same time, so some s will be left waiting while others get to hop on board much sooner.
Many of Android 11's newest features include alterations to the way conversations are shared, as well as organized on the phone. There are augments for notifications, texting, Do Not Disturb, screenshots, and native screen recording in addition to a plethora of other changes. Overall, it's a fairly large set of differences that s will likely find pleasant upgrades to the Android ecosystem they've been using since Android 10 came along. The two updates are very different, after all.
Android 10 Vs. Android 11 Differences
With Android 10, the experience was more focused on accessibility than notifications and texting. Features like Live Caption, Smart Reply, Dark Theme, and other changes debuted. Live Caption automatically added captions to media on the phone, while Smart Reply worked the same way as suggestions in email apps like Gmail, as the phone recommended phrases and actions. Sound Amplifier offered a way to boost sound while filtering out background noise. Gesture Navigation was also improved, with additional motions being offered, including backwards and forwards, swiping through open apps, and more.
Android 11 comes with a variety of notification-centric changes meant to simplify the smartphone experience. Notifications have been changed overall, with simpler presets and additional influence over how each of them work. The notification shade will now allows s to break out specific messages from text apps into one single section. Conversations can be marked as "priority," which adds their avatar to the lock screen and overrides any Do Not Disturb settings. Bubbles let text threads appear by way of small floating windows that hover over other apps with any texting app. Voice Access lets s control their phone with their voice alone, and there's a one-time permission option to set up per location as well.
Previously, Android 10 s found themselves frustrated by the way screenshots had been transformed, as they began including a "frame" that resembled the phone screen, notch and all. Additionally, the device-to-device file-sharing format Android Beam was nixed with the introduction of Android 10. Many of the OS's notifications and permissions began to resemble something much closer to the iOS ecosystem as well. It wasn't a perfect update by any means, but it did offer a decent upgrade for s going from Android 9 to Android 10. Android 10 to Android 11, however, appears to be a much more fruitful endeavor with more useful upgrades that smartphone owners will be excited to try out.
Source: Google