Android Q Beta 2: Better privacy, chat bubbles, support for foldable phones

Android Q Beta 2 has a new design for showing notifications. The new beta version brings in chat bubbles, like Facebook Messenger. The feature was already available in beta 1 but could be used only after turning the flag on in developer settings.

With beta 2, the new design is live by default. The notifications work the same way as Messenger wherein tapping on the bubble opens the notification. Users can move them around the screen, and let them stay on the left or right, and reply to messages without opening the app. 

Privacy

The second beta version brings in a new privacy section in the Settings app. Under this section, users can check the permissions granted to each app. Google has limited the access to shared files on Android Q. Users can limit access to media with the help of new runtime permission.

“With Scoped Storage, apps can use their private sandbox without permission, but they need new permissions to access shared collections for photos, videos and audio. Apps using files in shared collections -- for example, photo and video galleries and pickers, media browsing, and document storage -- may behave differently under Scoped Storage”, read the blog post.

Support for foldable smartphone apps

Android Q will have better support for Android Q. As part of the new update, Android Q comes with onResume and onPause to notify apps when they are in focus. The company has also worked on resizeableActivity attribute so that developers can manage the way apps are displayed on foldable and large screens.

Location 

Google is focusing a lot on security and privacy in Android Q. In beta 2, the OS has tightened control over the access of location by apps. Post beta 2, users are prompted to choose between options for location access.

Previously, users could either give location access to the app always or not at all. Google has updated the location services section and added a third option which allows an app to access the location only when it is in use.