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Android P

Google is still months away from releasing Android P, but the programmer preview plan offers a taste of what the adjacent version has to offer correct now. Subsequently launching a second developer preview during the I/O conference in May, Google has but dropped the third preview build of Android P. You can try it correct at present on select devices, only don't wait substantial changes.

This is the tertiary developer preview, but the 2nd "beta." Yes, Google has a strange way of describing its preview program. The new preview has few user-facing changes. Although, the settings finally refer to the Bone as "Android 9" instead of Android P. Everyone expected that would be the version number, and then no surprises there. Google besides has updated emoji and some tweaks to permissions aimed at protecting user privacy.

The latest developer preview is perhaps most notable for how much hasn't inverse. At I/O, Google talked near multiple Android P features digital wellness and AI-powered battery optimization. Those features were not included in the preview that had simply launched that mean solar day. Notwithstanding, those features yet aren't in the 3rd preview, either. Google has at least smoothed over some of the rough edges from the last release, which was very buggy fifty-fifty for a developer preview.

With DP2, Google expanded availability of the preview to devices from companies like OnePlus, Essential, and more. The new preview will come up to all those phones somewhen, but for now information technology is but bachelor on the first and 2nd-generation Pixel phones. There are two ways to install the developer preview. If you have unlocked the bootloader on your phone, y'all tin can get the system images right now. These files require a computer running the Android dev tools and a USB cablevision to connect the phone.

Since the tertiary dev preview is besides part of the Android beta program, you can sign up your eligible device to receive the new version as an OTA update. You don't need to unlock the bootloader and manually flash the software this way, but the OTA update isn't rolling out quite yet. It should be live in the adjacent day or and so.

Google still has 1 more than programmer preview on the agenda before the final release. The fourth preview should be characteristic-complete, and so all that fancy stuff Google announced at I/O will exist live in that version. We may besides get some hints at what Google has in store for the next Pixel phones in that version.

Now read: 25 Android Tips to Make Your Phone More Useful