Android 13 QPR2 Beta 1, what does the future hold for us?
Android 13 QPR2 Beta 1
Google has recently released Beta 1 of Android 13 QPR2 for compatible Pixel smartphones that are enrolled in the beta tester program. This version includes features that are not available at first glance but can be activated. The reason for this choice is not to make functions that are still immature from the point of view of development immediately available. Colleagues from 9to5Google, however, have activated some of these functions, let's see them together.
New animation for the Back gesture
Google's intentions were already to make changes to the gestures introduced on Android in 2019. In this beta version both the icon has been redesigned, which was previously simply an arrow and now an arrow inserted in a colored circle, and the animation which seems more fluid in movement and less "dry" than first, as you can see from the video below.Quick launch
The Pixel search bar receives a certainly useful improvement: using the Quick launch function, it will be possible to type the name of a installed app and open it dir ectly by tapping the enter key on the Gboard keyboard.Separate volume controls between ringtones and notifications
A much requested novelty has arrived for some time, namely that of separating the volume between ringtones and notifications and not necessarily maintaining the same volume level. In fact, in Android 13 QPR2 Beta 1, it is possible to view two different indicators in the volume section, one for notifications and one for ringtones.New graphics for the application bar
Android tablets and foldable devices in recent years have a dedicated application bar from which you can have quick access to some apps established by the user. In this new version there is an overview of how this bar will change, no longer persistent on the screen but recallable via a simple upward gesture. In addition, the Material You style with dynamic colors has been introduced.Mishaal Rahman on Twitter noted that the new taskbar may no longer be exclusive to tablets and foldables, but seems to work on smartphones as well ( sort of like an iPhone app bar). However, it may be a feature that will not be shipped in the final release of the software as Google removed some features in the past that were present in Android beta versions.
Google is testing a redesigned taskbar in Android 13 QPR2 Beta 1. They're calling this the "transient taskbar". pic.twitter.com/H0sTZHuSsz
— Mishaal Rahman (@MishaalRahman) December 13, 2022
Desktop mode on Android
Several Android smartphone manufacturers already have an interface for desktop mode, but on stock Android this function is absent. Steps forward seem to have been made with Android 13 QPR2 Beta 1, where we find something that comes close to this type of user experience.Entering desktop mode, the applications appear in a desktop window style with the possibility of drag them where you want. In the upper part of the window we find some commands (currently not working) which presumably allow us to resize the window, close it and place it side by side with another one.
