Yesterday Google released a preview of the next version of Android, under the code name «Android Q»Originally intended for developers.
Most of the major changes that will affect users are probably not yet available, although Google says that the new update will make some cool changes, such as improved privacy and security controls, as well as native support for flip phones.
Among the other highlights we can find some improvements in the sharing menu, a faster start of the application.
These are the changes that Android Q will have
The first beta version of Android Q is available for all Pixel devices, including the first generation Pixel and Pixel XL models.
A major change in Android Q is an additional privacy setting for access to a location, which will allow users to limit the distribution of this information to an application only when that application is in use, instead of relying only on a general switch to allow or not to share this information to all applications.
Android Q gives users more control over when apps can access the device's location.
When an Android Q application requests access to the location, the dialog box is displayed.
This dialog allows users to grant location access in two different extensions- in use (foreground only) or anytime (foreground and background).
To support the additional control that users have over an app's access to location information, Android Q introduces a new location authorization, ACCESS_BACKGROUND_LOCATION.
Unlike existing permits ACCESS_FINE_LOCATION y ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION, the new permission only affects an app's access to the location when running in the background.
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Android Q also offers better support for folding phones, which Google had already promised in November.
Android Q has better support to recover and suspend apps in the background, and App resizing improvements for split screen modes, That should come in handy when coming out First folding devices like the Galaxy Fold and Huawei Mate X. Later this year.
Another cool feature is the new Dashboard API, which will allow developers to give instant access to phone settingssuch as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and NFC, without having to send users to the settings application.
Permission changes
Google is also putting new limits on apps' access to content like photos, videos, and audio, as well as all files downloaded to devices.
To give users more control over their files and reduce file clutter, Android Q changes the way applications can access files on the device's external storage.
Android Q replaces the READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE and WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE permissions with more detailed, media-specific permissions, and applications that access their own files on an external storage device do not require specific permissions.
These changes affect the way your application saves and accesses files on external storage.
Isolated storage sandbox for private application files: Android Q assigns each application an isolated sandbox to an external storage device, such as / sdcard.
Sandbox files are not directly accessible by any other application in your application.
Shared collections: If your application creates files that are owned by the user and that you plan to keep, during uninstallation of the application, save it to a common media collection, also called shared collections
Shared collections include: photos and videos, music, and downloads.
The final version should be available by the end of the year. For now, we have a version in development that will include several new versions throughout the year.