Google is said to offer a first glimpse at Android O during the Google I/O conference, set to take place in May. Until then, new information about the upcoming OS version continues to surface online, the latest referring to changes regarding notifications.
Apparently, Google intends to bring lots of changes to notifications in Android O, including app icon badges for notifications. This would mean that each notification would carry the app icon, and users would be able to get a quick glance at how many notifications they have for any given app simply by looking at the home screen.
In addition, 9to5Google stated that Android O could come with a completely redesigned notification system, but that remains to be seen. Google might also include a picture-in-picture mode just like on Android TV.
Moreover, Google might be working on a smart text selection floating toolbar with Assistant integration. The feature would automatically copy relevant information from apps and surface it when needed. The “Copy Less” feature was mentioned in an earlier report, stating that it would include integration with Google Assistant.
Restricted background activities from apps and dynamically changing icons
Google might also bring the restricted background activities from apps feature to Android O. The tool is currently found in Chrome 57 and it allows users to reduce power consumption of background tabs, so that battery life would be optimized. The stricter throttling tool in Chrome 57 can result in 25% less power consumption.
Dynamically changing icons is another feature revealed in the report, a feature that is currently found in the Pixel Launcher for Google Pixel smartphones. Furthermore, Google may intend to bring lots of improvements to MediaRecorder API, which allows apps to capture audio and video in order to save data to persistent storage.
Moreover, improvements could also be brought to enterprise features and audio latency. Take this information with a grain of salt for now, and we’ll just have to wait and see what Google has in store for Android O. When it comes to the name of the upcoming version, some have hinted towards Android Oreo, but it’s simply too early to say for sure.
