Right on schedule, Google has released its second Android Q beta.
Android Q Beta 2 is now available for Pixel phones. To get it, you can manually flash a system image if you're comfortable with that sort of thing, or you can enroll in the Android Beta Program and get the update over the air. If you previously enrolled in the program for the first Android Q beta, you should get this update over the air.
As for what's new in Beta 2, Google says that it's added the latest bug fixes, optimizations, and API updates for Android Q along with the April 2019 security patches. Android Q Beta 2 also includes a foldables emulator that'll let you build your apps for foldable phones using an Android Virtual Device in Android Studio 3.5 in the canary release channel.
Google also shed some light on its new Bubbles feature in Android Q. The goal of Bubbles is to make it easier for you to multitask while moving throughout your phone. When the display is locked, Bubbles appear like a normal notification. When you're using your phone, though, they'll float on top of other app content and follow you wherever you go, letting you quickly expand them to access app functionality and collapse them when not in use.
We've seen features like Bubbles before, like with Facebook Messenger's Chat Heads, and they can be especially useful for messaging apps because they let you get quick access to your chats no matter what you're doing in your phone. They can be handy for other apps, too, like letting you quickly bring up a note or a translation.
Looking ahead, Android Q will get third and fourth beta releases in early May and June, respectively. Fifth and sixth betas will come later, and Google is aiming to launch Android Q to the public in Q3 2019.
