Android Q’s final beta has arrived with improved gesture controls

(Image credit: TechRadar)

We still don't know Android Q's full name, but the software is now on its final beta, specifically Beta 6, and according to Google the company is now “just a few weeks away” from the official Android Q release.

So what does Beta 6 get you? Not much to be honest that we haven’t seen in previous betas. But the focus seems to be on improvements to gesture navigation, with Google saying that there’s now a “200dp vertical app exclusion limit for the Back gesture”. In English that means that apps can prevent the back gesture from working, but only in certain parts of the screen.

In other words, it means app makers can stop the back gesture (which takes you back to a previous screen or the home screen) from interfering with their app, but can’t completely lock users out of being able to use the gesture.

The update also allows users to adjust the sensitivity of the back gesture. Beyond that, Android Q Beta 6 mostly has a number of bug fixes and optimizations.

If you’re using a Pixel device and already have Beta 5, you’ll automatically get Beta 6 soon, while if you have a Pixel device and want to enroll you can do so here. Other phones that are participating in the beta program, such as the LG G8 and Huawei Mate 20 Pro, should also be getting access to Beta 6 over the coming weeks.

This being a beta, and so close to the official release of Android Q, we wouldn’t particularly recommend jumping on board though if you’re not a developer or already enrolled.

As for that official release, in previous years it has happened in August, which lines up with Google’s comments above, so the wait – and the revelation of what the ‘Q’ stands for – should really almost be over.

Via AndroidCommunity

James is a freelance phones, tablets and wearables writer and sub-editor at TechRadar. He has a love for everything ‘smart’, from watches to lights, and can often be found arguing with AI assistants or drowning in the latest apps. James also contributes to 3G.co.uk, 4G.co.uk and 5G.co.uk and has written for T3, Digital Camera World, Clarity Media and others, with work on the web, in print and on TV.

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