Usually Google launches the first public beta of a new Android version at its Google IO event in May, but this year the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has caused Google IO to be canceled, leaving the Android 11 beta release date unclear. Now though, we have a date for it.
Google has confirmed that the first public beta for Android 11 will launch on June 3. There will be a live-streamed launch show held at 11am ET / 8am PT / 4pm BST, or June 4 at 1am AEST, where the company claims there will be news, updates and announcements relating to connectivity, controls, safety, security, productivity, accessibility and more.
Then, if you’re feeling adventurous and have a compatible phone (such as the Pixel 4), you’ll be able to download the public beta and presumably try many of the announced features for yourself.
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The June 3 date makes the Android 11 beta launch roughly a month later than normal, but in the meantime Google has just released a fourth developer preview (one more than normal), though this one doesn’t appear to include any major new features.
Looking further ahead, the second Android 11 public beta is scheduled to land sometime in July, with this one set to be a more stable release. Then a final public beta will launch in August, with the finished Android 11 release probably launching in September or October, in time for the Google Pixel 5.
We don’t know a whole lot about Android 11 yet, but developer previews have revealed some features, such as new security options that allow you to grant permissions to apps ‘just this once’, improved memory read speeds, and tweaks to the notification bar, recent apps screen, and button sizes.
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