Android 11 DP 2 and DP 3: All Features and tweaks
This is the last developer preview for Android 11 after we will see 3 betas build for Android. If you want to try Android 11 then you must wait for the next beta build because that will be more stable than these developer previews. Now let’s discuss the features and improvements of Developer Preview 2 and Developer Preview 3.
New Features
- Face Unlock requires eyes open (DP 2)
- Mark Important A Conversation (DP 2)
- Notification History (DP 3)
- Split Screen Improvement (DP 3)
- Gestures Sensitivity (DP 3)
Earlier a meme was created that Face Unlock when someone’s sleeping using Android 10. Google might have seen that worked upon it and now we have a new option to check whether eyes are open or not in Android 11.
Now in Android 11, you can mark any conversation as important in the notification. By doing this, you will also get an icon (it will show a picture of the person if selected) of that conversation in the status bar whenever a new message comes.
In this new Android 11 update, you get added to notification options which are history button has been added at bottom of the notification. This function will help us see the previous notification that we have received or it might help the users see the notification that might have cleared accidentally. This feature was earlier available too but it shows all system logs.
Earlier whenever using split-screen, you have to open the first app than use a split-screen feature after that you have select the second app from the app drawer but now Android 11 shows already opened first whenever you want to select the second app. But, you can also access the app drawer by select the back button.
Now in Android 11, more options are added for gesture control whenever using full-screen navigation. As phones with curved screens are getting in a problem whenever doing something and accidentally using the back gesture whenever scrolling through the screen.
UI tweaks
- Notification UI (DP 2)
- Larger Notification Expand Button(DP 3)
- New Screen Recorder UI (DP 2)
- New wallpaper app UI with clock (DP 2)
- New App Switcher UI (DP 3)
- Screenshot New UI and animation (DP 3)
- New Tutorial for using bubbles conversation (DP 3)
- Hide all notification (Apps active in background) (DP 3)
- Media Volume UI changes (DP 3)
The notification bar of Android 11, has made some color changes to the notification. Transparency has been added to the notification titles.
Earlier, the notification expansion button was accessible but was too small which was not accessed easily. Now a new and larger Carrot button is added to the notification tab.
In the last Android 11 Developer Preview 1, we saw that the screen recorder was only accessible through the quick tiles and no UI was there but now in Developer Preview 2, a new UI has been added to toggle some options.
In Android 11 developer preview 2, Google adds a new UI of Wallpaper app along with when a clock customization option which was actually a good design but for some reason, it was removed from the Developer preview 3. Let’s see in the next first beta, that new UI will come back or not but I defiantly want that clock customization option.
New Android 11 preview 3 comes with new App Switcher UI which has bigger app view and two options Screenshot and Share. Screenshot option takes a Screenshot of the above app and gives an option to edit and share it with someone. But, the Share option is just like screenshot but the image is stored temporarily.
New faster Screenshot animation has been added to new developer preview 3. But, now the screenshot taken is not added to the notification but out disappear after some seconds.
Bubbles feature was added in the developer preview 1 but a new tutorial has been added to regarding how to easily access the bubbles option.
Now, you can remove all notifications from the notifications area. For example, if you are playing music than media controls notification can also be removed from the notification area but it will be grouped under “Apps active in background” Tab. If you want that notification back than you just have to click on the tab.
Now Media control title has changed to “Sound” which was earlier “Volume”.
Miscellaneous
- Faster Refresh Rate (DP 2)
- Hinge Angle Sensor Api (DP 2)
- 5G Stat API (DP 2)
Faster refresh rate trend is increasing day by day and apps that don’t need much higher refresh rate are using higher refresh rates which are leading to faster drainage of battery. So with this option, the developer can preset the best refresh for a particular app which might improve battery backup.
This API helps new folding phones to respond to various folding angle. Samsung, Motorola is using their tweaks right now to respond to folding angles. So, this might help the folding phones in their upcoming updates and improve user experience.
It helps the apps to check if a faster connection like 5g is available or not.




