Subj : Google to improve split-screen apps on mobile, but likely not bef
To   : All
From : TechnologyDaily
Date : Fri May 19 2023 22:45:04

Google to improve split-screen apps on mobile, but likely not before Android 
14

Date:
Fri, 19 May 2023 21:31:00 +0000

Description:
Google will finally add an option to save paired apps, but the feature may 
not arrive until the launch of Android 14.

FULL STORY
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Google will finally be updating the App Pairs feature for the native version 
of Android 14 , giving users a way to save certain split-screen apps on their 
phone. 

For those who need a refresher, App Pair is a multitasking tool allowing 
Android owners to open two apps, place them side-by-side, and interact with 
them at the same time. The annoying thing was you couldnt save them on Pixel 
hardware, so you had to redo the pairing every time you closed them. That is, 
until this latest leak, which was discovered by freelance tech journalist 
Mishaal Rahman who shared his findings on Twitter . 

He came across a launcher flag digging through the files of the second 
Android 14 beta that, when enabled, surfaces a new Save app pair option in 
the context menu of split-screened apps. Rahman states the selection doesnt 
work at the moment, but he does expect it to work as intended later down the 
line. Theres no indication in his findings whether or not the feature will be 
available with the launch of Android 14, however. 

Now you may be asking: doesnt this already exist on Android? Yes, it does. 
The problem was split-screen saving was never available on the base version 
of Android OS nor on Pixel. It's something usually added by third parties to 
their respective tech. Samsung, for example, gave users the ability to save 
app pairings from the get-go when it introduced its own rendition of App 
Pairs to Galaxy phones back in 2017 . Pixel devices, for whatever reason, 
have lagged behind. Improved multi-tasking 

Staying on this thread of Google playing catch up, industry leaker Nail 
Sadykov discovered another new multitasking feature in the latest Android 14 
beta. This time, the operating system will allow you to use system navigation 
while dragging and dropping items. So, youll be able to grab a photo from one 
app, open another, [then] drop it there without much hassle. It also works 
with text. Highlighting a string of words lets you move them to somewhere 
else, effectively eliminating the need for copying and pasting. 

Just like Rahmans findings, the improved drag and drop tool does exist on 
other smartphones from iOS to Oppo hardware. It's just that Google has been a 
little slow on the uptake. Hopefully, these quality-of-life updates will 
appear on the Pixel 8 . While theyre not the most game-changing additions, 
the small stuff does add up, and it can turn an okay device into something 
special. 

Speaking of the Pixel 8, a recent leak for the Pro model reveals it may be 
getting a thermometer of all things. Itll be next to the camera lenses on the 
rear. We're not sure what Google intends to do by adding a thermometer to 
Pixel, which seems a pretty random inclusion. 

Once youre done catching up on our coverage of Google's next flagship, be 
sure to check out TechRadars list of the best Pixel handsets for 2023 if 
youre looking to upgrade.



======================================================================
Link to news story:
https://www.techradar.com/news/google-to-improve-split-screen-apps-on-mobile-b
ut-likely-not-before-android-14


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