Google postpones release of Android 11 beta
So there you are with your Pixel 2 XL awaiting this coming week’s first beta release for Android 11. Originally expected to drop in May during the Google I/O Developers Conference, Google was forced to cancel Google I/O because of the coronavirus pandemic and decided to livestream what it called the #Android11 The Beta Launch Show on June 3rd. But a tweet disseminated early this morning on the Android Developers Twitter account will dampen your expectations albeit temporarily.
Social unrest leads Google to delay the release of the first beta version of Android 11
The tweet from the Android Developers account states that the June 3rd event, including the release of the first Android 11 beta, has been postponed. The tweet points out that “now is not the time to celebrate.” This refers to the violence that broke out in several states yesterday during protests over the police-related death of George Floyd last week in Minneapolis. Google will reschedule the #Android11 The Beta Launch Show for a future date.
When the first beta version of Android 11 is released-whenever that happens-Pixel owners will be able to install it to get their first look at the latest Android build. However, the number of bugs typically found on beta releases means that you shouldn’t update your daily driver with Android 11 until the final version is dropped. If you want to be early taking minimal risks, Android 11 Beta 3 is your best bet. Despite the temporary setback, Google says that the final version of Android is still expected to be available during the third quarter of this year.
Taking into account delays caused by the coronavirus pandemic, the latest schedule announced by Google earlier this month reads as follows:
- Beta 1 includes the final SDK and NDK APIs and opens up Google Play publishing for apps targeting Android 11.
- Beta 2 features Platform Stability.
- Beta 3 includes release candidate builds for final testing.
Timeline for Android 11 releases published by Google earlier this month
Some of the new features rumored to be included in Android 11 include Nearby Sharing. This would be Google’s answer to Apple’s AirDrop and would allow an Android user to share files with another Android user nearby. Supposedly, Nearby Sharing would not be a Pixel exclusive. We also could see a change in how Airplane Mode works on Android 11. Instead of automatically disconnecting a Bluetooth connection when the Airplane Mode is activated, with Android 11 the operating system will be smart enough to realize that there is a Bluetooth connection enabled and will not turn off Bluetooth by default.
One possible change that many Android users are looking forward too would remove the 4GB file size on videos. Supposedly Google ran a test showing that a 32GB video file could play on an Android device with no problem.
If you own a Pixel 2 and up, joining the beta program is as easy as heading to the Android beta site once the first beta is released and tapping on a button. That will send the beta update to your phone from where it can be downloaded and installed. Keep in mind that once you install a beta version of Android on your phone, you are pretty much committed to sticking with it until the final version drops. That’s not to say that you can’t leave the beta program, but to do so you will have to wipe your phone via a factory reset. These are the two words that no phone owner wants to hear. So before you install the first Android 11 beta, it would behoove you to backup all of your data before you proceed.