5 Useful Features Coming in Android 11: Developer Preview 3 Edition

Android 11 developer preview 3 dropped earlier this week as latest and probably the last developer preview for the next version of Android. Google will most likely start rolling out beta versions beginning next month. The Android 11 developer preview 3 (DP3) is available on all supported Pixel smartphones and if you were running the developer preview 2, chances are you would have already gotten the over-the-air (OTA) update notification for DP3. As expected, tech blogs and websites have been rummaging around the DP3 to find out all the cool new features this version brings and we can expect when Android 11 officially becomes available later this year.

It is important to note before going ahead that it is quite possible that some of the following features may not end up in the stable version of Android 11. Google, like other operating system makers, experiments with features before deciding what makes the most sense to include in the final version.

Without further ado, here are the five useful and interesting new features that are coming in Android 11 or are at least the part of Android 11 developer preview 3. The features that we are listing here are the consumer-facing changes, if you are interested in developer-specific changes, you can check our release report for Android 11 developer preview 3.

Larger previews in recent apps

According to XDA developers, Google has added larger previews in the recent apps screen in Android 11 DP3. As is visible in the screenshots below, the design of the actual preview is pretty much same as the previews in Android 11, however the size of the preview is much larger. Also, Google has added two new shortcuts in the form of screenshot and share. While the screenshot option will take a screenshot of the app that is showing up in the recent app screen, the share button takes the screenshot and opens the share sheet for quick sharing.

Recent apps screen in Android 10 (left) and recent apps screen in Android 11 DP3 (right)
Photo Credit: XDA

New screenshot pop-up

Google has also tweaked the pop-up that appears when you capture a screenshot and it is now much smaller and similar to what is seen on iOS devices. Instead of a large pop-up at the top of the screen, the developer preview 3 shows a smaller version of the screenshot that you took at the bottom-left of the screen. It is accompanied by options to dismiss the notification, share the screenshot, and to edit it.

Improved app permissions

Google has been consistently trying to fix the app permissions in the last few versions of Android and that work is continuing with Android 11 as well. The company has added a new option in Android 11 developer preview 3 that will revoke an app's permission if the app is not used for a few months. This should help unsuspecting users from getting their data drained by a malicious app.

Ethernet tethering

Android 11 DP3 also adds a new option to the hotspot and tethering menu in the form of Ethernet tethering. This will essentially allow people to connect a USB-to-Ethernet adapter to their Android phones and then connect the LAN cable to that adapter and their PC to use Internet from their phone. This is a niche feature but will certainly be helpful when you are trying to use Internet on a desktop that doesn't have Wi-Fi support.

Ability to dismiss persistent notifications

According to Android Authority, Google has added the ability to dismiss persistent notifications in DP3. While the Android users can dismiss most notifications in Android 10, the persistent notifications that sometimes show apps running in the background can't be dismissed. Google is allowing users to remove those as well in DP3, the dismissed persistent notifications will move to History panel that debuted with DP2 and will just become a part of the list. Users will be able to tap on that list to see the dismissed persistent notifications.

Will OnePlus 8 series be able to take on iPhone SE (2020), Samsung Galaxy S20 in India? We discussed this on Orbital, our weekly technology podcast, which you can subscribe to via Apple Podcasts or RSS, download the episode, or just hit the play button below.