First Android 11 beta to be released on June 3rd

Google made some big announcements today including one involving the launch of the first Android 11 beta. This will take place during what Google is calling #Android11 The Beta Launch Show on June 3rd running from 11 am-12 noon EDT and it will likely stream live from Google's developer.android.com website. Not only will viewers see the keynote, a Q&A session will be streamed along with some information intended for Android developers.

In March, the coronavirus pandemic caused Google to cancel the annual Google I/O Developers Conference which was scheduled for May 12-14 at the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, California. At the time, Google said that it would look for an alternative method to stay in touch with its developer community. Just yesterday, Apple announced that it was hosting a virtual version of its WWDC Developers Conference starting on June 22nd after canceling the physical version of the event.

Google also released today the fourth and final version of the Android 11 Developer Preview. When the first Android 11 beta is launched on June 3rd, owners of Pixel 2, Pixel 3, Pixel 3a, and Pixel 4 series phones and other select handsets will be able to join the Android Developers Program and install the beta versions of the OS. However, these are usually buggy and even Google admits that there isn't any platform stability until the second beta version is released in July. The third and final beta will be released in August followed by the release of the final version of Android 11 in September.

Android 11 could contain a feature similar to Apple's AirDrop that will allow Android users near each other to share files. Other possibilities include erasing the 4GB limit on video files, no longer forcing users to reconnect to Bluetooth devices after activating Airplane mode, broadening the capabilities of apps designed to catch spam calls, and allowing users to give app developers a one-time permission to use certain features on their phone. Once the app is closed, permission will need to be granted again by the user.