Google LLC today released Android 11 Beta 2, the latest test version of its mobile operating system, rolling out a number of new design tweaks and changes.

The release is notable because it has achieved what Google describes as “platform stability.” That means the apps, application programming interfaces and other main features should not change between now and the final release.

The milestone allows developers to work on Android 11 compatibility updates without having to worry about changes. According to Google’s Android 11 timeline, there is one more scheduled Android beta release between now and a third-quarter release of the OS, but that will not involve any significant changes.

Android 11 Beta 2 doesn’t include any radical changes from Beta 1 release in June, with design and user interface changes front and center. Leading the pack is a change to the new Android screen recording feature that made its debut in the Android 11 developer preview.

The app now has an icon in the quick setting menu along with a new option allowing users to switch the audio source of the recording, according to 9to5Google. It allows users to record audio from the microphone, internal device audio or both.

The app switcher in Android 11 has been cleaned up with a simpler layout, including a new icon for text selection. App pinning in the share menu has likewise been simplified with a pin icon next to the app that has been pinned, rather than the pinned app appearing at the top in the earlier Android 11 test versions.

The Android media player in the quick settings area is now enabled by default, whereas in previous Android 11 releases where the feature had to be enabled through a developer option.

The new media player in Quick Settings design is now enabled by default. pic.twitter.com/urpJZICr8p

— Mishaal Rahman (@MishaalRahman) July 8, 2020

For users of Android’s multitasking features, picture-in-picture mode has been improved in the new beta release including pinch-to-zoom functions that Droidlife describes as “a better way to resize picture-in-picture windows.”

Exactly when Google will launch Android 11 is open to speculation, but a video published by Google on YouTube that has since been deleted pegs the date as Sept. 8. Android Police reported that the date was featured on a slide in a video for the recent “Hey Google” Smart Smart Home Summit. The date makes sense, since Android 10 was launched Sept. 3 last year, but it’s not clear if the date is set in concrete.

Although Google would seem to be on track with Android 11, the development has faced delays from the COVID-19 pandemic, the first beta release coming two months later that originally scheduled. With ongoing issues in the U.S. as the virus continues to spread, further delays are not beyond the realm of possibility.

Photo: Google/Wikimedia Commons