Google has released Beta 6 of Android Q bringing the final beta release for developers, with the official release to consumers “just a few weeks away.”
Beta 6 includes the final API 29 SDK and updated build tools for Android Studio, plus all the features, system behaviours, and developer APIs that will be in the final release.
Based on tester feedback, Google has again updated the gestural navigation in Beta 6. The Back gesture now has a 200dp vertical app exclusion limit and a sensitivity preference setting. Custom launchers still use the three-button navigation by default — a post-launch update will let users switch to gestural navigation.
To get started, install your current app from Google Play onto a device or emulator running Beta 5, work through the user flows, and make sure it handles the Android Q behaviour changes.
If you find issues, fix them in the current app without changing your targeting level (migration guide, privacy checklist). When you’re done, update your app’s targetSdkVersion to ‘Q’.
If you plan to update your platform targeting to API 29, also make sure to test with scoped storage, location permission for wireless scans, and permission for fullscreen intents.
