Android 11 rolled out to Pixel, OnePlus & some other smartphones: How to download new Android update, features

Google has rolled out Android 11 to Pixel devices. The latest Android 11 has received a bunch of new features focusing on improving the user experience while ensuring better privacy standards. Google has also made the Android 11 preview update available for select Oppo, Realme, OnePlus and Xiaomi devices.

How to get the Android 11 update

Starting today, Android 11 will be available for download on eligible Google Pixel devices namely, Pixel 2, Pixel 3 series, Pixel 3A series, Pixel 4 series, Pixel 4A. 

The latest Android 11 update can be installed by going to your on-device Settings app >  Advanced > System update > Check for update. Google is rolling out the Android 11 update globally so if your eligible device has not received the update yet, we would recommend waiting and check again after a few hours.

OnePlus users can download Android 11 update on OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro by going to Settings > System System update.

Make sure you are connected to a stable Wi-Fi connection while downloading the update.

Android 11 features 

The new version of Android is host to a lot of new features with the focus primarily being on conversations, privacy, and media controls.

Google has made some changes in the notification tray for message notifications. For instance, Android 11 will move all of your conversations across multiple messaging apps to a dedicated space in the notification section. You can also mark a conversation as a priority, which will pin it to the top so that you do not miss out any key notification, even when ‘Do Not Disturb’ is enabled.

Android 11 is also bringing chat bubbles, something similar to Facebook Messenger. The feature pops out conversations, giving users one-tap access to open a full conversation, thus avoiding the need to switch back and forth between apps. 

The new Android 11 update also brings support for native screen-recording. You can record with sound from your mic, device or both.

Android 11 also introduces new media controls. Users can access and control their smart devices in one place by long pressing on the power button on their smartphones. The media control card will let users switch the device on which the audio or video content is playing on. Simply tap on the device name on select the device you want to switch to for playing audio or video.

The most important feature in terms of privacy on Android 11 is one-time permissions. The feature will allow users to give apps permission to access the smartphone’s microphone, camera, location, etc. to that one time. Android 11 update will also reset all permissions an app was previously granted if it has not been used in a long time.