Android P Public Beta -- Live!

[GSDer]

but question ... On incoming calls, does single click down volume rocker still mute the ringer or do I have to unlock the phone?

Yes, single click down on Volume rocker mutes the ringer while the phone is locked.

 

[I Can Be Your Hero]

Been using P beta since Google I/O. I really don't like how they've implemented the home button gesture. Seems half-thought and sloppily implemented.

So swiping up brings up the multi-tasker, swipe up again brings app drawer. Or (if and only if you're on the home screen already) you can loooong swipe up to pull up the app drawer. It feels clunky, doesn't seem to work that well and only possible on the home screen.

The back button works just as normal and going home is the same as before too. So all Google have done is created this weird hybrid tap and swipe combo that only works in some scenarios. I do like the horizontal task switcher, but I see no benefit by swiping up to get it. And it's much easier swiping up once from the home screen to get the app drawer rather than long swiping or double swiping. It feels like it's gone backwards.

Add to that, having these gestures haven't reduced the bottom navigation bar size. One of the benefits of the iPhone X going to gestures, is that everything is done right at the bottom of the screens and that screen real-estate is usable. No so with this Android P setup.

I think I'll just use the standard 3 button setup.

 

[bhatech]

Yeah agree, gestures are great if they are helping increase screen real estate. I love gestures but doesn't make sense that introducing gestures still takes up the same size as the three button navigation on the screen. I hope this is improved and it takes no screen real estate in future betas or when Android P is actually released.

 

[scorpiori]

I think I'll just use the standard 3 button setup.

That's what I did, after 3 days I gave the pill a shot..

 

[I Can Be Your Hero]

Yeah agree, gestures are great if they are helping increase screen real estate. I love gestures but doesn't make sense that introducing gestures still takes up the same size as the three button navigation on the screen. I hope this is improved and it takes no screen real estate in future betas or when Android P is actually released.

I guess this is still beta, and anything could change by the time P is officially released. Just right now, the implementation doesn't make much sense to me.

Either go with tap inputs or swipe gestures. Doing both kinda half-half in certain circumstances doesn't work well imo.

 

[dc52ltr]

Really good and seemingly stable beta however, if its not been already mentioned the Barclays banking app is NOT working in the UK, Lloyds bank app is fine.

 

[Kizzy Catwoman]

Really good and seemingly stable beta however, if its not been already mentioned the Barclays banking app is NOT working in the UK, Lloyds bank app is fine.

Just seen that for myself. Yes Lloyds worked but Barclays says that "oops something went wrong". Luckily I have my iPhone 6s as a backup.

 

[Joltcola1234]

Been using P beta since Google I/O. I really don't like how they've implemented the home button gesture. Seems half-thought and sloppily implemented.

So swiping up brings up the multi-tasker, swipe up again brings app drawer. Or (if and only if you're on the home screen already) you can loooong swipe up to pull up the app drawer. It feels clunky, doesn't seem to work that well and only possible on the home screen.

The back button works just as normal and going home is the same as before too. So all Google have done is created this weird hybrid tap and swipe combo that only works in some scenarios. I do like the horizontal task switcher, but I see no benefit by swiping up to get it. And it's much easier swiping up once from the home screen to get the app drawer rather than long swiping or double swiping. It feels like it's gone backwards.

Add to that, having these gestures haven't reduced the bottom navigation bar size. One of the benefits of the iPhone X going to gestures, is that everything is done right at the bottom of the screens and that screen real-estate is usable. No so with this Android P setup.

I think I'll just use the standard 3 button setup.

I love the new gestures. It's more fluid, getting to the app carousel feels easy, and being able to quickly switch between the last two apps you've used is incredibly useful for me. I mean, to each their own, but I would never even consider going back to the 3 buttons at this point. Also, Google has already said that further useability features are coming to P. One of the recent features mentioned Google's head of Android engineering is already using a newer version of P that's more user-friendly then the current Beta.

 

[I Can Be Your Hero]

I love the new gestures. It's more fluid, getting to the app carousel feels easy, and being able to quickly switch between the last two apps you've used is incredibly useful for me. I mean, to each their own, but I would never even consider going back to the 3 buttons at this point. Also, Google has already said that further useability features are coming to P. One of the recent features mentioned Google's head of Android engineering is already using a newer version of P that's more user-friendly then the current Beta.

I don't know, I'm not finding it any more fluid. I find it more janky and unintuitive.

I find tapping the square multi-task button once to pull up the app carousel is faster and easier than swiping up from the home button. And I can still cycle through the last two apps by double tapping the multi-task button, which I find easier and faster than swiping right from the home button. When I'm in an app, I can press the home button and swipe up to get the app drawer faster than the new method, which requires an even longer swipe up, or two swipes. I can't just flick up to get the app drawer anymore. I think David Ruddock from Android Police sums up my thoughts well: https://www.androidpolice.com/2018/05/09/android-ps-gesture-navigation-bad-google/

For those who have used an iPhone X for an extended period of time will know what good gestures are like and how that implementation is really quite good. Google's attempt is not very well thought out or executed well.

Again, it's still beta, so I hope this gets improved a whole lot.

 

[cbreze]

I'm noticing the notification dots are not showing when I first wake the phone in the morning. A reboot does not cause them to show either but just using the phone awhile and they show again for incoming stuff. Weird but no biggie.

 

[scorpiori]

Google, just get rid of the back button (by let us go back with swipe left) and get rid of the navigation strip (let the pill float damit!) And everything is going to be super!

 

[cbreze]

where is the "pill"? If it's a widget I'm not seeing or finding it

 

[Jeremiah Bonds]

My question is how did they make the phone even SMOOTHER?

 

[dc52ltr]

My question is how did they make the phone even SMOOTHER?

Got to agree, had P for about 5 hours now and seriously, it is deffo smoother, just a bit better than we had

 

[scorpiori]

My question is how did they make the phone even SMOOTHER?

And battery is a beast

 

[stang6790]

Has anyone used the ADP app? I use this to view my paycheck and benefits from work and need to know if it works or not. I want to try the beta but I have to have access to this app.

 

[Joltcola1234]

I don't know, I'm not finding it any more fluid. I find it more janky and unintuitive.

I find tapping the square multi-task button once to pull up the app carousel is faster and easier than swiping up from the home button. And I can still cycle through the last two apps by double tapping the multi-task button, which I find easier and faster than swiping right from the home button. When I'm in an app, I can press the home button and swipe up to get the app drawer faster than the new method, which requires an even longer swipe up, or two swipes. I can't just flick up to get the app drawer anymore. I think David Ruddock from Android Police sums up my thoughts well: https://www.androidpolice.com/2018/05/09/android-ps-gesture-navigation-bad-google/

For those who have used an iPhone X for an extended period of time will know what good gestures are like and how that implementation is really quite good. Google's attempt is not very well thought out or executed well.

Again, it's still beta, so I hope this gets improved a whole lot.

Like I said, to each their own, in like this much better then the 3 buttons though.

On a side note, my battery life has been exceptional since swapping to P. 5 hrs screen time and a day and a half since charging phone is currently at 44%.

 

[Jeremiah Bonds]

I was gonna ask if anyone had better battery.. Mine seems very similar

And battery is a beast

 

[Derek Wright]

unfortunately I had to factory reset and go back to Oreo. just picked up a versa and the Fitbit app kept crashing during setup. so my watch would've been useless until the public release in August or whatever.

 

[cbreze]

Anyone else having issues with Gboard not working sometimes? Seems hit/miss at times. Can't get the cursor to appear, usually closing out and restarting fixes it. Otherwise a very smooth experience over all. Expected qwerks so still ok with it.