Hands-On with Android Q Beta 1

When Google announced the first beta release of Android Q this past week, I resolved to ignore it. That lasted about two hours.

And honestly, I have no good rationale for installing this thing, beyond my general interest in personal technology and, more specifically, what comes next. I’ve long enrolled all of my iOS devices in the next version of that system via Apple’s developer program, for example. And I’ve had good luck with previous Android betas and developer previews (where Google seems to have dropped that latter moniker this year, perhaps to get more users on board).

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And … Call it prerelease regret, but I wish I had waited. Android Q Beta 1 has negatively impacted my Pixel 2 XL in two immediately obvious ways: The Fitbit app can no longer sync to my Fitbit Charge 3, and the Instagram screen that appears when you want to post one or more photos no longer displays thumbnails, making photo selection—especially for multiple pictures—painfully hard to use.

These issues are problematic because I recently switched back to the Pixel as my primary device, primarily to discover whether I’d miss the Huawei Mate 20 Pro and its superior camera. And … the answer is yes, actually. So regardless of these Android Q-related problems, and perhaps other coming problems that have not yet surfaced, it’s likely that I’d have switched back to the Huawei soon anyway. But these problems certainly don’t help Team Pixel.

In any event, Android Q does bring a number of changes, and some of them are no doubt improvements over what is currently being offered in Android P. I don’t have an encyclopedic knowledge of the differences between Android versions—these days, I’m having trouble differentiating different Windows 10 versions as well, given the feature update frequency—but that’s OK: I can lean on various Android enthusiasts for the nitty-gritty. For example, Android Police has a great resource detailing all of the changes they’ve found so far in Android Q.

Here’s what I’ve actually noticed in day-to-day use over the past several days.

Dark mode. It’s basically broken in Beta 1, but Android Q will officially support a Dark mode theme. And … my phone is using it, with no way to turn it back to a Light theme. That’s OK, but many apps don’t work properly with the Dark mode.  As you can see here, some of the UI elements in Google Photos are still white. (And the status bar is completely wrong.) Google could be adding more theming features, including an accent color (similar to Windows 10) but those are only in Developer options for now.

A new Now Playing experience on the lock screen. Android Q displays a nicer-looking Now Playing experience for music/audio apps on its lock screen that incorporates album art. And there are more controls when you swipe down on the display to activate the notification shade.

Music information on Ambient display. In a related vein, the Ambient display—which normally just displays the clock and a few status icons, if necessary—now displays the name of the currently playing song and artist.

Estimated battery life remaining. If you enable the battery percentage display in the status bar, which I do on non-notch-based phones, you’ll see a new estimate of remaining battery life when you pull down the notification shade, which is nice.

Updated screenshots. When you take screenshots in Android Q, they will visually indicate the curved corners and notch (if present) on your display’s device. The shots I’ve seen from Pixel 3 XL are particularly hilarious given that device’s comically-large notch, but my Pixel 2 XL just has nicely curved corners. (As you can see on the screenshots in this post.)

Updated Share pane. Google advertised this in its Beta 1 announcement post, and given how slow the Share pane is today in current Android versions, I was very curious to see how well it would work. (Today, you need to literally wait while this pane appears and then fills in.) And … it’s still slow. The main pane panel (for apps) appears pretty much immediately, but the top panel, for users, still takes a second or two to fill-in.

Share Wi-Fi password with a QR-code. I haven’t had a chance to actually use this feature—I assume it requires that a second device also be using Android Q—but you can now share the password for a connected Wi-Fi network with others by using a QR-code.

New notification alert options. When you swipe to the left on a notification in the shade, there’s a new ringing bell icon. Select that, and you’ll be presented with new notification alert options: Block, Show silently, and Keep alerting. This is smart: Like many Android users, I’m often interrupted by notifications I don’t want and wish to immediately fix the problem.

Home screen icon removal undo. When you remove an icon from the Home screen, Android Q now provides a handy “Undo” option in the “Item removed” toast, just in case you did it by mistake.

Settings suggestions. When you open the Settings app, you’ll find a selection of Settings suggestions that the top. Some are useful—like “Add emergency information” or “Identify the music around you,” but there’s no way to turn them off that I can find. I assume this will change over the course of the beta.

Finally, I also noticed that the notification shade-based method for determining what to do when you connect the phone to your PC has disappeared. Which means it was painful getting my screenshots off the device. I assume this will change over the course of the beta as well.

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Conversation 22 comments

  • dcdevito

    17 March, 2019 - 10:48 am

    <p>Yawn, seems like a small upgrade thus far. </p>

    • christian.hvid

      17 March, 2019 - 3:48 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#413137">In reply to dcdevito:</a></em></blockquote><p>As an operating system matures, upgrades are inevitably getting smaller and smaller (which is a good thing). But Android Q is apparently bringing at least two major new features: support for foldable phones and a native desktop mode. Paired with improvements like the dark theme, it looks like this version is gearing up to be a …. I don't know, a Quantum leap?</p><p><br></p><p>Just my luck that I recently bought a Galaxy S10, which won't get Android Q until 2021 or so. But then again, a lot of the new features have already been implemented in Samsung's fork of Android.</p><p><br></p>

      • Rycott

        Premium Member
        17 March, 2019 - 5:35 pm

        <blockquote><em><a href="#413217">In reply to christian.hvid:</a></em></blockquote><p>If it's like the previous two Galaxy phones you'll get Q sometime in Jan 2020. Jan's when my S8 got Oreo and my S9 got Pie.</p>

  • locust infested orchard inc

    17 March, 2019 - 10:55 am

    <blockquote><a href="https://www.thurrott.com/apple/203114/apple-is-guilty-of-infringing-on-three-qualcomm-patents#413044&quot; target="_blank"><em>Quote by Paul Thurrott, "Call it prerelease regret, but I wish I had waited. Android Q Beta 1 has negatively impacted my Pixel 2 XL…"</em></a></blockquote><p><br></p><p>Regardless of the build of Android Q, it shall persistently plague users' phones in more ways than one over its lifetime.</p><p><br></p><p>Though Google hasn't officially disclosed what 'Q' stands for, I am overjoyed to announce with great fanfare, it stands for, <strong>Android Qrap</strong> – how appropriate !!</p>

    • jimchamplin

      Premium Member
      17 March, 2019 - 11:43 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#413149">In reply to locust infested orchard inc:</a></em></blockquote><p>I’m reminded of “Crocodile Dundee 2” where Wally says to Rico the drug lord, “I told you, black magic.”</p><p><br></p><p>Rico responds with a sarcastic, “Ha! Crap magic!”</p>

      • locust infested orchard inc

        17 March, 2019 - 12:54 pm

        <blockquote><em><a href="#413155">In reply to jimchamplin:</a></em></blockquote><p><br></p><p>It seems Rico nailed it – "crap magic" indeed, for Google has dabbled in mysticism, enticing billions to Android (and its other services).</p><p><br></p><p>If my memory serves me well (you clearly have a good one), when Wally remarked about the magic, Rico's response wasn't just sarcastic, but filled with intrepidation as his face depicted the sense of fear, with his eyes scanning sideways in fear of Mick Dundee.</p>

        • jimchamplin

          Premium Member
          17 March, 2019 - 1:28 pm

          <blockquote><em><a href="#413162">In reply to locust infested orchard inc:</a></em></blockquote><p>Sharp recollection! I’d forgotten the nervous glances!</p>

          • locust infested orchard inc

            18 March, 2019 - 5:07 pm

            <blockquote><a href="#413175"><em>Quote by jimchamplin, "Sharp recollection! I'd forgotten the nervous glances!"</em></a></blockquote><p><br></p><p>My recollection was only spurred on by your insightful comment, which I sincerely appreciate.</p>

        • hoomgar

          18 March, 2019 - 1:10 pm

          <blockquote><em><a href="#413162">In reply to locust infested orchard inc:</a></em></blockquote><p>Yes and was followed shortly there after with a "We'll see"</p>

          • locust infested orchard inc

            18 March, 2019 - 5:12 pm

            <blockquote><em><a href="#413491">In reply to Hoomgar:</a></em></blockquote><p><br></p><p>Whilst Rico was absolutely scarred stiff.</p>

    • dontbe evil

      18 March, 2019 - 2:35 am

      <blockquote><a href="#413149"><em>In reply to locust infested orchard inc:</em></a></blockquote><p><br></p><p>have an upvote from me … butthurt google fanboys didn't appreciate your truth comment</p>

      • Cosmocronos

        18 March, 2019 - 3:36 pm

        <blockquote><em><a href="#413313">In reply to dontbe_evil:</a></em></blockquote><p>Similis cum similibus…</p>

      • locust infested orchard inc

        18 March, 2019 - 5:33 pm

        <blockquote><em><a href="#413313">In reply to dontbe_evil:</a></em></blockquote><p><br></p><p>Cheers for the upvote, though your comment received almost as many down-votes as my initial comment.</p><p><br></p><p>Both the Fandroids, and to a wider extent, the AdSheeple, seem totally oblivious to their beloved data guzzling from their devices – a form of digital adultery perhaps ?</p>

    • Winner

      18 March, 2019 - 7:59 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#413149">In reply to locust infested orchard inc:</a></em></blockquote><p>Meanwhile (this is not a joke), did you hear about the current Edge browser – the one that offers tracking protection as a feature – had an encrypted and hidden whitelist that allows Facebook and around 100 other sites to run flash in your browser, bypassing your ability to set permissions? Distributed by Microsoft and includes sites in Russia, China, and India. Once they were exposed, MS cleaned them all up in a recent security patch, leaving only Facebook as an exception. Interesting.</p><p>See Security Now Podcast #703.</p><p><br></p><p>I don't think my Android has that feature ;)</p>

  • DaddyBrownJr

    17 March, 2019 - 11:51 am

    <p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">"Android Q Beta 1 has negatively impacted my Pixel 2 XL"</span></p><p><br></p><p>If only there was a way to know that a first beta test release would have problems. If only there was a warning from Google that it is pre-release software and contains errors and shouldn't be used on a production device… </p>

  • wright_is

    Premium Member
    18 March, 2019 - 3:51 am

    <p>QR-Code for Wi-Fi – that is something that Android has been able to do for at least half a decade. All of our meetingrooms have an information page with QR-Codes with the guest Wi-Fi access details on the conference room table. You just need to scan the QR-Code.</p><p>The new bit is that Android itself can show the QR-Code for any of the Wi-Fi access points it can join, so that other devices can scan the code.</p><p>It is a URL encoding in QR-Code form, Windows also understands it, only Apple leaves its users out in the cold.</p>

    • leilabd

      18 March, 2019 - 7:24 am

      <blockquote>I generate a QR-code for my home guest network using https://qifi.org/. Works well for me, although not for some visitors with older Android phones. My sister was able to use it to connect her iPhone 6, though it didn't seem to stick and she ended up typing in the passphrase. </blockquote><p><br></p>

  • dallasnorth40

    Premium Member
    18 March, 2019 - 9:20 am

    <p>I would NEVER put beta software on a device I am using as my daily driver. You guys are nuts.</p>

  • Boris Zakharin

    18 March, 2019 - 11:48 am

    <p>I had settings suggestions on my Moto G5+ since Android 7, but maybe that was a Motorolla-only feature</p>

    • wright_is

      Premium Member
      19 March, 2019 - 7:15 am

      <blockquote><em><a href="#413463">In reply to bzakharin:</a></em></blockquote><p>Huawei had it at least since version 8 as well. </p>

  • anthonye1778

    18 March, 2019 - 12:29 pm

    <p>A small upgrade so far, but a welcome one! Sorry about your phone woes, Paul!</p><p><br></p><p>EDIT: Had to delete my prior comment because I posted an emoji… but it was HUGE with no way to make it smaller. It was comical… took up the entire width of the page.</p>

  • potatosalad

    22 March, 2019 - 6:27 am

    <p>Did you ever manage to fix the problem with Fitbit? I have the same issue with my Fitbit Charge 3 not syncing properly. I wish I could just return to an older version but apparently this will wipe all the data on my phone :(</p>

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