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Android 11 Features Wish List

By Victor Hristov

Published: Dec 30, 2019, 9:41 AM

20comments

Articles Android

Android 11 will probably be one of the biggest releases of 2020, and while Android is mostly a mature and well-rounded system, it still misses a few key features that could make it even better.

So what Android 11 features do we want to see the most? Some of them are things that we have noticed while using iPhones and that we missed when returning to an Android phone, others were features that we have wanted for a while.

Whatever the case, these are the 11 new features we hope Google includes in the Android 11 release. Read on!

#1: Emoji that don't look ugly AF!

Surely, there are bigger problems in the world than the way emojis look, but for those of us who spend a bunch of time texting every single day, this is about as annoying as it gets.

Emojis on Android look unacceptably ugly, deformed, and the situation is so bad that phone makers like Samsung and others have rushed to create their own emoji packs to fix the disastrous default Android emojis. We won't even mention the way emoji look on iPhones, or should we?

We don't know whether creating a truly good-looking set of emojis is such a daunting task, but it's high on our list of priorities for a better Android experience.

#2: Native Screen Recording

Maybe it's because Android devices range from the high-end $1,000 phones to dirt cheap devices that the team over at Google has found it hard to include a native screen recorder, but whatever the reason it's quite confusing that you have to download a third party app just to record a video of your screen. And yes, some of those apps don't work as good and don't record videos at a smooth frame rate, so there is not only a want, but an actual need for a proper, reliable native screen recorder.

#3: Google Assistant without the need to unlock your phone

Siri might be far less intelligent than the Google Assistant, but we still envy iPhone users who are able to simply hold the power key on their phone, speak to their phone and get that reminder or event saved. Easy as pie. Android phones for some reason insist that for every simple voice command you have to first unlock your phone, which is just unnecessary. Sure, there might be an occasion when you don't want some malicious actor speaking to your Google Assistant that knows your personal information, but this really should be a users' choice that you can turn on and off, not something that the system decides for you.

#4: Dark Mode Scheduling

Dark Mode is finally here on Android, but it's not properly implemented and you need to remember to turn it on and off every time. For the love of holy creatures, we don't understand why Google decided not to provide the sensible option to have Dark Mode automatically kick in after sunset and switch off at dawn. This really is the way Dark Mode should work, you should not have to turn it on or off manually every single time.

Speaking of Dark Mode, wouldn't it be nice if Google provided wallpapers that would adapt to dark mode? Google already has live wallpapers that are a piece of art, so it really should not be impossible to make these wallpapers adapt to the time of the day.

#5: AirDrop Alternative

Another long overdue feature is universal sharing that would use a combination of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for a direct connection between devices without the need for an intermediary app. Apple has had AirDrop for years now and it has proven a great way to share files between iPhones and Macs, but Google's supposed replacement named Android Beam that used NFC is being phased out.

Latest rumors actually agree that such a new feature that would allow you to easily share files between Android devices is in the works under the Fast Share name, so here is to hoping that it arrives with Android 11.

#6: A Comprehensive Native Health App

While there are various health apps on the Google Play Store, we just wish Google would provide a one-stop shop for all your health records and fitness needs. Apple has shown that a great and comprehensive Health application that included medical records and period tracking is possible, so the only thing Google has to do is copy it with a solution of its own, as Google Fit definitely does not cut it in its current state.

#7: Lock Apps Option

One common features across custom Android interfaces is the ability to lock applications on the home screen in a certain position to prevent them from accidentally being moved around. This might seem like quite the useless feature for some users, but if you have had a kid or an elderly person use an Android phone, you have likely witnessed how applications are scattered around in a random mess. The ability to lock apps to a certain position would certainly make life easier for those users.

#8: Native Battery Level for AirPods

Let's face it: AirPods are extremely popular and for a good reason, they are just so convenient and sound quite good.

Did you know you could use AirPods on Android phones too? They would work without any issues, but the one problem we have with them is that it's impossible to see how much battery you have left. You can download a third-party app for that and it does a decent job (not great), but how awesome would it be if Android would actually build a native tool that would show the battery on AirPods and make our life easier?

#9: System-wide Reachability

Another iOS inspired feature that seems to have never made it in a proper way on stock Android is Reachability, or simply put, a shortcut that would help you use a big phone with a single hand.

On iOS, for example, you can simple swipe on the bottom part of the screen and get your current window to slide halfway down the screen so you can easily reach the top part. Such a feature would be a welcome addition to the Android 11 experience.

What are the features that YOU want to see most in Android 11? Let us know in the comments below!

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Victor, a seasoned mobile technology expert, has spent over a decade at PhoneArena, exploring the depths of mobile photography and reviewing hundreds of smartphones across Android and iOS ecosystems. His passion for technology, coupled with his extensive knowledge of smartphone cameras and battery life, has positioned him as a leading voice in the mobile tech industry.