Get to know Android 11 to unlock all the brand new options.
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The newest and best model of Android has been out for a number of months now and has slowly made its strategy to extra units. Samsung not too long ago introduced the rollout of Android 11 to a few of its Galaxy units, including new and thrilling options to the corporate’s newest telephones. The remainder of the launch will take a while, as is at all times the case with main Android updates. If you’d relatively not wait to your telephone to obtain the replace, you may decide up Google’s Pixel 4a 5G or Pixel 5, each of which run Android 11 out of the field. You’ll discover delicate tweaks all through the brand new working system that make a giant distinction in how you may use your telephone day by day. For instance, there is a new Bubbles chat function that makes it simple to maintain messaging from any app. My private favourite is the brand new quick-controls web page for accessing my sensible house units with a swipe, and there is a new screen-recording instrument for exhibiting off your favourite sport serving to somebody troubleshoot an issue. These are seven of my favourite Android 11 options and find out how to use them.
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Android 11’s fast controls are my new favourite controls.
Screenshots by Jason Cipriani/CNET
Android 11 fast controls are a real spotlightThe very first thing you must do after putting in Android 11 is long-press the ability button in your telephone to carry up the brand new quick-controls display screen. On the Pixel, at the least, this display screen offers you energy management choices alongside the highest and offers shortcuts to your Google Pay playing cards and boarding passes. Then under that you will discover my favourite function of Android 11 — fast controls for sensible house units. My telephone mechanically picked a number of units I’ve linked to Google Assistant, just like the Nest thermostat in my workplace and my Nest video doorbell. I may even view a livestream from my doorbell immediately on this display screen with out having to open the Nest app, which is gradual and a ache to make use of. So this quick-controls possibility is nice. You can add or take away sensible house units from this grid by tapping the menu button and choosing add or edit controls. Google Assistant can wait on maintain for you Instead of ready on maintain, listening to the identical boring music on loop, Google is bringing a brand new function to Assistant and it debuted with the Pixel 4a 5G and Pixel 5. Called Hold for Me, Google Assistant’s new trick exhibits a immediate on the display screen letting you understand you may go about doing no matter it’s you need to do and your telephone will warn you when somebody lastly solutions. In order for the function to work, that you must flip it on by opening the Phone app, tapping on the three-dot menu icon, then tapping Settings. Select Hold for me from the listing of choices, then flip it on. Now, when your telephone detects you’ve got referred to as a customer support quantity and you’ve got vibrate, silent mode or don’t disturb turned off, the in-call display screen could have a Hold for me button which you could press while you’re positioned on maintain. Tap Start after which a display screen will present up reminding you to not grasp up. You will not be capable to hearken to music or use your telephone to play a video whereas on the decision. There will probably be a textual content transcript that is proven, dwell, just under the decision display screen the place you may monitor what’s being mentioned (is it only a recording thanking you for being affected person, or has somebody answered?) or catch up while you return to the decision.When you are taken off maintain, your telephone ought to vibrate and ring, as if you happen to’re getting a name, to let you understand that somebody’s ready to speak to you, so you may then resume the decision. I examined out Hold for Me by calling Comcast and I used to be capable of virtually instantly have the Assistant start listening to the decision for me. The dwell transcription was a pleasant bonus that I wasn’t anticipating to see, however will certainly make it simpler to determine if that you must reply the telephone earlier than Assistant alerts you. Hold for Me is a fairly darn cool function.
Screenshots by Jason Cipriani/CNET
New message notifications get the limelight After putting in Android 11, you may discover that alerts from your whole messaging apps, like Google Messages, have a devoted Conversations part in your notification tray. The change makes it simpler to search out the alerts you seemingly care about most, however if you happen to obtain a whole lot of messages, even this part can get messy. Instead of letting Google type your new alerts by itself, long-press the dialog you need to observe intently and choose Priority. Doing this may transfer new messages in that thread to the highest of your whole dialog alerts, activate Bubbles (extra on that under) and use the contact’s avatar because the alert icon within the notification tray and on the lock display screen. Being capable of look on the notification tray and see a profile icon, as a substitute of the usual textual content alert that does not provide any actually precious data, is a pleasant contact. Messaging Bubbles to your associates appear like they will be helpful Remember Bubbles? This function was alleged to be a part of Android 10, however Google pulled it on the final minute. It made the minimize for Android 11. Bubbles are just like Facebook Messenger’s “chat heads” function. When activated, a small avatar — or Bubble — exhibits up in your display screen and is seen it doesn’t matter what app you are utilizing. Tap on the avatar and it’ll open a small window the place you may learn and ship new messages in that thread, with out absolutely opening the app. You can drag the Bubble round your display screen, or drag it to the underside of the display screen to delete it. In order to make use of Bubbles for a dialog, faucet on the small Bubbles icon within the bottom-right nook of the notification. Tapping on it should instantly allow Bubbles for that thread. Alternatively, you may mark a dialog as a precedence to at all times use Bubbles for that contact. Bubbles are handy, however will take some adjusting to.
Screenshot by Jason Cipriani/CNET
You can then drag the icons to your numerous Bubbles chats round in your display screen, or faucet on the avatar for the individual you need to speak to and the thread will open up, all with out leaving the app you are presently utilizing. I’m glad that is an opt-in function, primarily based on every thread, as a substitute of an all-or-nothing function like Chat Heads, which will be messy and downright overwhelming. To eliminate a bubble for a selected dialog, simply drag the icon to the small X that exhibits up on the backside of your display screen. If you need to fully disable Bubbles, disallowing any and all apps from triggering the doubtless annoying function, open the Settings app and seek for Bubbles. There will probably be a setting to show off Bubbles altogether. App builders might want to replace their app to work with Bubbles, and proper now I can verify that Google’s Messages app works. Facebook Messenger labored all through the Android 11 beta program, however an replace just some days earlier than Android 11 launched appears to have damaged or disabled the mixing. If you are having bother getting Bubbles to work similtaneously a selected app, I like to recommend reaching out to the developer and seeing if it plans on including assist for Bubbles.
Screenshots by Jason Cipriani/CNET
Android 11 will get fancier music controlsIn Android 11, there is a new playback management that not seems as a pending notification. Instead, there is a small field that exhibits up as a part of the fast settings panel. You can skip, return, play, pause or swap the machine the music is enjoying on all from the brand new management field. As quickly as you begin enjoying some music, the brand new media controls will probably be accessible. They’re so a lot better than the previous notification. You can lastly document your display screen with an official Google instrument.
Jason Cipriani/CNET
A built-in display screen recorder Screenshots are a fast and simple strategy to seize one thing in your display screen, however there are occasions when a recording is best suited to the duty at hand. For instance, if you wish to showcase your gaming abilities, or spotlight the steps to breed a bug — display screen recording FTW! You can discover the Screen Record instrument within the Quick Settings panel after putting in Android 11. If it is not seen, faucet on the pencil icon so as to add it to your panel. Tap on the Screen Record icon and choose whether or not you need your microphone to document audio and if you need your contact interactions to be highlighted within the video. To cease recording, faucet the Screen Record notification. The video will probably be saved to your digicam roll, the place you may edit and share the recording. App ideas on the house display screen are new.
Jason Cipriani/CNET
For Pixel homeowners: App Suggestions exchange your app dock At some level after putting in Android 11, you may see a immediate asking you to allow app ideas on the house display screen. Essentially, the brand new app ideas will exchange the app dock in your telephone, leaving it as much as your telephone to swap apps out and in of the underside row — or dock — in your telephone, primarily based on which apps you utilize at sure instances of the day. The apps have a glowing border round them, letting you understand your telephone added them, and you may often see completely different ones while you return to your property display screen. You can long-press on any of the app icons to pin that suggestion to your property display screen. You may also block apps from exhibiting up as ideas if you don’t need one thing like Gmail exhibiting since you use a distinct electronic mail app. To entry App Suggestions and tailor the way it works for you, long-press on your property display screen and choose Home Settings after which Suggestions. There you may management ideas within the app drawer and on the house display screen or block apps from exhibiting up on the listing. Google made some vital adjustments to how Android handles privateness settings you must know, as nicely. And if you happen to’re in search of directions on find out how to set up Android 11, we’ve your again.