Android Q Beta - All in details

[eBENdre]

All you want to know in one place about
Android Q

General info: https://android-developers.googleblog.com/2019/03/introducing-android-q-beta.html | https://www.google.com/android/beta
Opt In/ Opt Out your Pixel device(s): https://www.google.com/android/beta#devices Enable OTA Updates (You will get the beta updates like usual updates)
System images: https://developer.android.com/preview/download
Official Reddit forum from Google: https://www.reddit.com/r/android_beta/ for Bug reporting and solutions

If you manually flashed Android Q on your device by downloading the image from developer.android.com, you won’t receive updates automatically unless that device is also opted-in to the Android Beta Program for Pixel on the Opt In URL.
Using OPT out and returning to Pie the device will be facotry reseted:
You will not be able to unenroll and revert back to a lower public release version of Android without first wiping all locally saved data on your device. You may also encounter issues restoring a backup.
You will NOT receive separate monthly security updates while on a beta build.

Update working fine from Pie. Data and settings are remain.

Rooting: https://www.xda-developers.com/root-android-q-beta-google-pixel-pixel-2/
Magisk: https://forum.xda-developers.com/apps/magisk/dev-magisk-canary-channel-bleeding-edge-t3839337
Hide back Button: https://www.xda-developers.com/android-q-gestures-back-button/

System seems stable. Call, SMS, Network, Bluetooth, Audio working fine.

Problems / Bugs
- Laggy Camera on all Pixel devices. (I can confirm It is MUCH slower than Pie. First pic about 4-9 sec)
- Slow(er) HDR+ picture processing. New feature: Dynamic depth format for photos
- Google is deprecating the Android Beam API used to share files with NFC
- Now playing not working (For me)
- Edit button on screenshot notification NOT working
- No options to block numbers in dialer or anywhere else
- No info about the charging estimated time
- Built in Screen recording in broken: FIX: https://www.androidpolice.com/2019/...t-in-screen-recording-but-its-broken-for-now/
- Android Q's Dark Mode Breaks Google Photos

2019. March 15.: Live wallpapers with cloud updates are broken FC in every second reported by many users

- Not working apps: https://www.reddit.com/r/android_beta/wiki/index: Some banking apps will not work in this beta, but Google Pay will work!

General App Compatibility Issues
Google Apps
Android System Webview (Beta users should leave the program)
Files by Google

3rd Party
AirWatch Hub
Boxer
Chase
Citrix Secure Hub
Evernote
Fate Grand Order
Firefox (non-nightly builds)
Huntington Bank
LastPass (app loads, major functionality issues)
Lloyds Bank
LinkedIn
Plex
PokemonGo
Samsung Galaxy Wear App
Syncthong
TELLO
Trials Frontier
WeChat
ZMODO Security Cameras

Other Notable Issues with Apps
Android Messages - MMS photo quality degraded
Google Photos & Dark Mode (Cannot read any text, logos are hidden)
MapMyRun will not work in the background (Q Location Permission Changes)

Improvements:
- "Always on" redesigned: https://9to5google.com/2019/03/13/android-q-aod-music/ Lift to wake, and double tap now ignores Always on display and get you directly to lock screen (if any) (This is no improvement for me)
- Much faster finger print reading
- Much faster face recognition
- Play Music lock screen wallpaper redesigned (It is just broken for me)
- New guesture: https://9to5google.com/2019/03/13/android-q-improved-multitasking-gesture/

New Features:

○ System-wide Dark Mode:

Solution 1:
- Use the Battery Saver to Enable Dark Mode.

Solution 2:
- Use ADB to Enable Dark Mode in Android Q

adb shell settings put secure ui_night_mode 2

- Use ADB to Disable Dark Mode in Android Q

adb shell settings put secure ui_night_mode 1

- Use ADB to AUTO Dark Mode in Android Q

adb shell settings put secure ui_night_mode 0

Solution 3:
Before the update set the device theme to Dark in the developer options.
The option removed in Q so you will not be able to modify it after the update.

○ Device Theming:

In the end of the Developer Settings you can find the options:
- Color
- Font
- Icon Shape​

Only a few settings. You can play around​

○ Time to read

In Settings -> Accessibility You can set the notifications timeout​

○ Sharing Shortcuts

New sharing options and redisgned interface​

○ Wi-Fi sharing via QR Code

Android Q now allows you to share your current Wi-Fi connection simply via a QR code​

○ Feature Flags in developer options
https://www.reddit.com/r/android_beta/comments/b0xmio/feature_flags_hidden_options_and_what_they_do/
https://9to5google.com/2019/03/14/android-q-beta-1-feature-flags/

Desktop mode:
https://www.xda-developers.com/android-q-desktop-mode/

More from Google:

Foldables and innovative new screens
More privacy protections in Android Q
Giving users more control over location
Settings Panels
Improved peer-to-peer and internet connectivity
Wi-Fi performance mode
Camera, media, graphics

Dynamic depth format for photos
New audio and video codecs
Native MIDI API
ANGLE on Vulkan​

Neural Networks API 1.2
ART performance

More to come...

 

[PhoenixPath]

All you want to know in one place about
Android Q

Problems / Bugs
- Laggy Camera on all Pixel devices. (I can confirm It is MUCH slower than Pie. First pic about 4-9 sec)
- Slow(er) HDR+ picture processing. New feature: Dynamic depth format for photos
- Google is deprecating the Android Beam API used to share files with NFC
- Now playing not working (For me)
- Edit button on screenshot notification NOT working
- No options to block numbers in dialer or anywhere else
- No info about the charging estimated time
- Built in Screen recording in broken: FIX: https://www.androidpolice.com/2019/...t-in-screen-recording-but-its-broken-for-now/
- Android Q's Dark Mode Breaks Google Photos
.

Just to help out a bit, if possible:

Camera seems to be fine on my P2XL - though I have not enabled any HDR+ or raw settings.
Now Playing is working for me, grabbed the theme song off the show I was watching last night.
Markup "edit" button can be fixed. Clear data in markup, open photos and use markup from within that; you should get a permission request. (simply going into permissions on the markup app and enabling any/all may work as well, but is untested)
In dialer/recents, tap the number, and choose block from the drop down menu. I am in the beta for the Google phone app - so that may be part of it. Dirty flash may also affect this.
Clarification only: Photos is broken in dark-mode, but only in that all options dialogs/drop-downs are white text on white background. Other than that, you can still browse photos/albums, etc.

For clarity: My device is the Pixel 2 XL and Q was installed via factory image with full wipe (no dirty flash), and I did not restore from any backups.

 

[Bwyan Benton]

Camera is fine for me on 2xl. Nothing different. HDR+ works as normal so does raw DNG.

 

[eBENdre]

Camera is fine for me on 2xl. Nothing different. HDR+ works as normal so does raw DNG.

Thank you. I'm on dirty upgrade. I will reset my phone soon. I will test it again.

 

[kevtrysmoddin]

Thank you. I'm on dirty upgrade. I will reset my phone soon. I will test it again.

You should check 9to5 Google they have some more adb commands for stuff like the different clocks for aod and how to use swipe left to go back

 

[eBENdre]

You should check 9to5 Google they have some more adb commands for stuff like the different clocks for aod and how to use swipe left to go back

thanks, I will add more later. Swipe left already on the list btw

 

[ECrispy]

Much faster fingerprint?

It already feels almost instant in Pie, what can they improve?

 

[johnlgalt]

Problems / Bugs
- Now playing not working (For me)
- No info about the charging estimated time
- Built in Screen recording in broken: FIX: https://www.androidpolice.com/2019/...t-in-screen-recording-but-its-broken-for-now/
- Android Q's Dark Mode Breaks Google Photos

1. Now playing is working for me - just not displaying on the lock screen. I just got home form a birthday party, and every song the DJ played is in my NP history;
2. In addition to the charging time estimate, the estimate in the pull down notification area is completely off base compared to the estimated time left in Settings --> Battery;
3. My built in screen recording works for me, and has worked since I enabled it from the Features flags in Developer Options;
4. No issues with Google Photos with dark Mode. Caveat: I had dark mode enabled in Pie, and took the Q DP1 OTA over that Pie install;
5. I found that there is a microphone icon at the top left when selecting Panorama photo mode that I never saw before (was that introduced with Q DP1, or just a very recent Google Camera update?)
6. I've not noticed a discernible slowdown in the Camera app (and I always use HDR+ / Night sight for my photos), but I have noticed that when I try to view a picture / video, particularly like an MMS in Messages / Google Voice, the phone is extremely slow and laggy.

 

[Boskoel03]

@eBENdre just got xl 2 ,prerooted,one question,if i install Q 1 will it owerwrite twrp magisk also,will there be problems maybe? Thanks
For years used htc,this is new for me.

 

[Badger50]

@eBENdre just got xl 2 ,prerooted,one question,if i install Q 1 will it owerwrite twrp magisk also,will there be problems maybe? Thanks
For years used htc,this is new for me.

Yes, it will overwrite twrp and magisk.
There are always potential problems with any update to beta builds, however, many are running Q without issues. Best advice I can give is to familiarize yourself with fastboot commands, since you'll need to install twrp again, and read, read, and read again all of the information in the Q threads so you know what to do and expect :good:

 

[Boskoel03]

Yes, it will overwrite twrp and magisk.
There are always potential problems with any update to beta builds, however, many are running Q without issues. Best advice I can give is to familiarize yourself with fastboot commands, since you'll need to install twrp again, and read, read, and read again all of the information in the Q threads so you know what to do and expect :good:

Huge thanks mate,and there is problem for me,as keybord not working on laptop...

 

[johnlgalt]

You'll probably need access to a different computer - or else need to buy a cheap USB KB to use, because use of a separate computer / laptop is pretty much essential to get this working (root + Q, not to mention installing TWRP by using fastboot boot to boot TWRP, then installing TWRP from inside the booted TWRP).

 

[Boskoel03]

Yes, it will overwrite twrp and magisk.
There are always potential problems with any update to beta builds, however, many are running Q without issues. Best advice I can give is to familiarize yourself with fastboot commands, since you'll need to install twrp again, and read, read, and read again all of the information in the Q threads so you know what to do and expect :good:

Did it,through twrp,lost it off course,now one more question,will i be able to recive next build,like regular OTA,altough my bootloader is unlocked? Thanks once again....

 

[Badger50]

Did it,through twrp,lost it off course,now one more question,will i be able to recive next build,like regular OTA,altough my bootloader is unlocked? Thanks once again....

You should get the next update fine, provided your on stock recovery without root. I don't run betas personally, but my info comes from reading about others that do. As with anything android...YMMV :good::laugh:

 

[ashokabs]

Android Q Beta Experience

I've been on Android Q beta for almost 3 weeks now. It is used as a daily driver since I have only the one Pixel 2. I flashed the new image myself using TWRP rather than opt into the beta with Google. Other than a problem with now playing not always showing up on the screen and a slight delay when I go to the Favorites page in Phone app everything seems to work alright. I am getting roughly the same battery life as with Android Pie. Oh, and my banking app (ICICI Bank, India) is not working. It doesn't send an SMS to activate the app. I thought this might be as the phone number is shown as unknown. I understand that Vodafone in India does not show the phone number in the SIM information in Settings. I have activated dark mode and even photos and camera app work without a hitch. I have rooted with Magisk (Canary channel) and that is working without any problem.

 

[johnlgalt]

OTOH, I've also been on Q since the day it came out (my birthday, coincidentally - love being an Ides of March baby lol).

I've had some issues crop up here and there, but nothing really serious. I was on Pie, rooted, and used the uninstall routine inside of Magisk to de-root my Taimen before taking Q, and then rooted it again with the (then latest) canary build.

What I'm hoping is that the Magisk procedure to de-root the device, take the OTA, and then before rebooting, applying the patched boot.img to the new partition will work, the same as if you're rooted on Pie and get an OTA.

Time will tell.

 

[sidhg]

My notifications is coming like this only.. is this a bug?
or the clock is missing?

My device is not rooted. I'm not using any module or theme.

 

[johnlgalt]

Clock missing - have you rebooted?

 

[sidhg]

Clock missing - have you rebooted?

Yes I have. Atleast 2-3 times.

 

[johnlgalt]

Wonder if it is System UI Tuner related?

You could give this a shot and see if the System UI is set to hide the clock, though the last time I actually tried to hide the clock, it didn't leave that space there....

---------- Post added at 04:13 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:48 PM ----------

New warning posted on the Android Beta page https://www.google.com/android/beta#devices

Caution: The current release contains significant behavior changes that affect apps in particular. The latest updates around isolated storage may cause issues with apps that access photos, videos, media, or other files stored on your device, such as when browsing or sharing in social media apps.

I'm installing the update now, let's see just how differently this works on my Taimen.