Android 11 Developer Preview2 includes Face Unlock feature demanded by Pixel 4 users

With Android 11 (or "R" if you will) Developer Preview2 released, we can get an idea of what new features might be found on the next new Android build. XDA's Max Weinbach disseminated a tweet today that discusses some of the goodies he found in the latest developer preview of Android 11. Keep in mind that there is always a chance that some or all of these new features won't make it to the final version of Android 11.

When it added a secured facial recognition to the Pixel 4 line, Google made a major mistake. By not including a toggle switch that requires that the user's eyes be open for Face Unlock to work, a bad actor could grab a Pixel 4 belonging to a sleeping owner and hold it up to the owner's face to unlock the device. Or a Pixel 4 owner could be knocked unconscious and the device held up to his or her face to be unlocked. But one of the new features found in Android 11 DP2 is a toggle switch that can be set to require that a user's eyes be open for Face Unlock to work. If any Pixel 4 users were concerned about this, it looks as though Android 11 should make them feel safer.

The second Android 11 Developer Preview also includes a new UI for recording the screen. The updated interface allows users to toggle on or off the microphone to record audio and also includes a toggle that can show where and when the user touched the screen during the recording. The UI also includes a quick alert about privacy while using this feature. The screen notes, "While recording, Android System can capture any sensitive information that's visible on your screen or played on your device. This includes passwords, payment info, photos, messages, and audio." Also included in the update is a Notification history and a toggle that will disable this feature, and a button that will allow an app to be viewed full screen.

The next Developer Preview is scheduled for next month. That will be followed by three Beta releases (in May, June, and July-August) that the public will be able to install on certain compatible Android devices. The final version of Android 11 should be released in September.