Google has released developer previews of the next version of Android at the past two Google I/O events, but not this year. There won’t be a developer preview at I/O in May, because we’re getting the Android N developer preview right now. We don’t know what the “N” will stand for yet, but you can give the new OS a shot if you’ve got a recent Nexus device.
So, what’s in Android N? This is a fairly large update with a number of new features, but right at the top of the list is multi-window mode. Google has been working on this for a few years, and it’s finally here. You’ll be able to snap apps to the left and right halves of the screen to truly multitask on your Android device. On Android TVs, there will be a picture-in-picture mode so you can have an app floating on top of other content. Developers will have to add support for multi-window mode, but it’s just a few tweaks to the manifest. Android itself handles the rest.
Android’s notifications are getting an overhaul too, with a different layout bundle notifications form a single app under one item. You can expand the items in each bundle, which is more convenient than simply having a line that says “X new notifications” which is now things work now. Individual items in this list can be acted upon without affecting the others. Apps will also have the ability to trigger quick replies from notifications using a native Android API.
The last big headlining change is an improvement to Doze mode. Doze was added in Android 6.0 to finally fix Android’s battery life woes. Doze mode kicks in when a device is stationary and asleep to prevent apps from waking it up too often. In Android N, Doze mode can activate in some instances when the screen is off but the phone is moving. Maybe it’s in your pocket, for example.
This is a developer preview right now, so you’ll need to have an eligible Nexus device to test like the Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P, Nexus 6, Nexus 9, or Pixel C. Google plans to have an ongoing beta program with OTA updates this time, but the signups for that won’t be available until later today or tomorrow. The final version is expected to come to Nexus devices this summer.
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