It’s been two years since the Android system received a major update on Chromebooks. While Android 9 Pie has made a slew of improvements, growth pains (like app scale) have made the experience quite frustrating. Google has since been working hard to solve its problems and rework the Android system with its ARCVM. The wait may finally be over, as a shiny new Android 11 version powered by ARCVM is slowly starting to turn on Chrome OS Beta.
Our testers had the chance to experiment with the updated Android 11 build on an HP Chromebook x360c and an Acer Chromebook 712. There are no noticeable performance regressions or improvements with the new Android build. Most of the differences are under the hood, but there are some important features that users face, that you need to know.
Dark theme
Dark mode has long been a popular feature request among Android and Chrome OS users. While there are many usability benefits to a light theme, the dark mode helps to reduce the tension of your eyes when looking at a screen late at night. With Chrome OS 89, there’s a new dark mode in developer settings that dims the lights for some Android apps.
Android 11 dark theme on Chrome OS.
We can immediately see the difference with a dark theme being applied. Android apps are transformed with a sleek black background color that matches well with the rest of the Chrome OS UI. The Android settings menu looks the most beautiful, with a dark title bar and a bright color of the teal. Notifications also use a dark theme, except those with an accompanying quick action. Some apps, like the Google Play Store, still use a light theme, but there is still work to be done.
Better app scale
It’s no secret that the Android app scale is the Achilles’ heel of implementing it on Chrome OS. DPI scaling has been a hot topic in the Chromebook community, especially after its settings were removed in Chrome OS 67. Google tried to restore it to a uniform scale in Chrome OS 86 and 87, but it was pulled due to a crippling error. Now Google is trying again with Android 11 – this time more successful, it seems.
Uniform Scale is making a comeback in Android 11.
The story has not changed since we last dealt with uniform scale in Android apps in October last year. The overall layout, font and interface are larger, making it more readable and less frustrating to use. You can also adjust the display scale in the developer options as desired. We tested Squid and Concepts with the updated Uniform Scale app and so far we have not experienced any issues.
Android 11 is undoubtedly an exciting update that finally addresses some of the usability issues on Chrome OS. So far, it appears that only Chromebooks based on the ‘Hatch’ baseboard receive the new Android update, so it may take a while before it reaches your device. We will keep an eye on the changes in its development and we will keep you posted as we hear more.
- Thank you:
- Hamzah Malik,
- Fene