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Google makes a minor eye-pleasing change to the Phone app for Android

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By Alan Friedman

Published: May 30, 2024, 10:54 PM

Google makes a minor eye-pleasing change to the Phone app for Android

Google is listening to Android users who want to see edge-to-edge apps even if we're talking about the Phone app. Up until now, the app included a black status bar at the top of the screen and depending on the color scheme you have your screen set on, the black bar on top just did not mesh well with the white screen. Even with the dark mode black screen, you could still see the darker status bar.

Version 128 of the Phone app includes the transparent status bar which really does make the white screen look much nicer. You might already have the new Phone app. My Pixel 6 Pro running the latest Beta version of Android 15 is running version 129 of the Phone app which means that the phone does have a transparent status bar. Obviously, you can tell whether your phone is running the updated version by looking for the status bar at the top of the Phone app. If it is black, no you do not have the updated version.

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Even though Google started rolling out the transparent status bar back in April, it was just mentioned on Reddit by some Android users yesterday (via 9to5Google). During Google I/O, developers were told that Edge to Edge was one of the features in Android 15, along with Predictive Back and Glance that will improve the user experience and quality of an Android app. Predictive Back shows Android users a glimpse of where they will end up when using the back gesture. Glance helps Android developers build responsive widgets for the screen using less code and taking less time.

If you're ready to roll the dice with your Pixel and want to join the unstable Android 15 beta program, click on this link and then tap the rectangle that says, "View your eligible devices." You'll see a picture of your Pixel model. Underneath it will be a place for you to tap on "Opt in." Follow the directions and soon you will receive the update. Go to Settings > System > Software updates to install the Android 15 beta.

Since it is a beta and is unstable, some of the features that you might need to run on your Pixel every day might not work at first. So keep that in mind before you decide to install the beta. And since leaving the beta before the final version of Android 15 arrives in October means wiping your device, make sure to download a backup before installing it.

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Alan, an ardent smartphone enthusiast and a veteran writer at PhoneArena since 2009, has witnessed and chronicled the transformative years of mobile technology. Owning iconic phones from the original iPhone to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, he has seen smartphones evolve into a global phenomenon. Beyond smartphones, Alan has covered the emergence of tablets, smartwatches, and smart speakers.

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