Android 11 Developer Preview vs Android 11 Beta: All you need to know

Google announced the first developer preview for Android 11 on February 19th, the next version of its mobile operating system. The release was for developers only so that they can develop apps and test them in the new system.

After successfully rolling out four Developer Previews, Google released the first beta in June 2020. Currently, the second beta is in circulation, and Google is expected to roll out a couple more. Only after successful beta testing will Google release the final build of Android 11 to eligible devices.

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July 08, 2020: A month after rolling bringing the first public beta to Pixel users, Google has released the second beta, focusing strictly on the features that worked and hashing out the few bugs that emerged. Although it looks like an unchanged system, there are some notable improvements regarding the media player, share sheet, and screen recorder.

June 10, 2020: After successfully completing the Developer Preview program, Google has rolled out the first beta. This almost stable public beta introduces a new improved media player and faster sharing using the Share Sheet. Beta 1 is reserved for only Pixel devices — Pixel 2 and above.

April 23, 2020: Google starts pushing the Android 11 Developer Preview 3, the last Developer Preview before the Mountain View giant rolls out the first Android 11 Beta in May. The latest build is available developers on the Pixel 2/XL, Pixel 3/XL, Pixel 3a/XL, and Pixel 4/XL devices. The releases includes a couple of developer-reported issues and changes related to app compatibility.

April 2, 2020: The Mountain View starts rolling out Android 11 Developer Preview 2.1, as a minor update over the Developer Preview 2 with fixes to general issues, Settings, and Wear OS apps to developers using the Pixel 2/XL, Pixel 3/XL, Pixel 3a/XL, and Pixel 4/XL devices. The preview comes.

March 18, 2020: A month after the Developer Preview 1, Google releases the Android 11 DP2. As usual, Developer Preview 2 is currently available for Pixel 2/XL, Pixel 3/XL, Pixel 3a/XL, and Pixel 4/XL. Google has clarified that users who are already on Developer preview 1 or 1.1 will receive this update over the air.

What is Android 11 Developer Preview

Android 11 Developer Preview 1 was the first version of Android 11 that Google released on February 19th. This year’s developer preview release is the earliest among any Android version released previously. Developer Previews will test new features, new API versions, and changes in the behavior of the system so that developers can identify compatibility issues in their apps and plan migration to the new platform.

As it revealed in its release notes, Google rolled out three more developer previews in the months of March and April. The last developer preview (April 23: Developer Preview 3) will focus on stability and performance so that developers can get their apps ready for beta users.

What is Android 11 beta

Android 11 beta is the version of Android that becomes available as an over-the-air update for early adopters who enrolled in the Android Beta program. With initial beta releases, Google wants developers to test the compatibility of their apps and gather feedback so as to start early testing with targeting Android 11. The first Android 11 beta was released in June 2020.

Google then released the second beta in July and is expected to roll out the third beta release in Q3 2020. With the second Android 11 beta, Google has introduced the Platform Stability milestone, meaning that the next version of the mobile OS has reached the final internal and external APIs. This will help developers plan their final testing and release. With beta 2, Google wants developers to finalize compatibility testing for apps, SDKs, and libraries.

As for the third beta, Google hasn’t revealed the exact month of release but we can expect it to arrive early in Q3 2020. Once that releases, the company wants developers to release the final compatible updates for apps, SDKs, and libraries and publish them on Google Play.