What you need to know
- On June 5, 2019, Google started pushing Android Q Beta 4.
- The final APIs are here for developers.
- It includes the June 2019 security patch.
Following up on Android Q Beta 3 which was released last month during Google I/O, Beta 4 is now being pushed out.
As expected, Beta 4 is a relatively small update compared to the change between Beta 2 and Beta 3. The main difference this time around is that Android Q is now at API Level 29. In other words, developers can do their final compatibility tests for apps to make sure everything will work a-OK when the final build is released in August.
In regards to user-facing changes, it looks like Google is further refining how the new gesture navigation system works. As you can see in the GIF that Google shared on its blog post, the navigation bar at the bottom of the screen is now wider, making it easier to achieve the various gestures, and also disappears when you're on the home screen — further mimicking gestures on iOS.
What's interesting, however, is that these changes aren't actually present in Beta 4. Maybe this is something we'll see in Beta 5 or the final build? We'll let you know as we learn more.
Beta 4 includes the latest June 2019 security patch, and when you update, it'll change your phone's build number to QPP4.190502.018.
If you're already enrolled in the Android Q beta and have a phone running Beta 3, you'll receive an over-the-air update to download and install Beta 4. If you're not currently enrolled but want to go ahead and grab the new software, we've got instructions on how to do so.
