OCTOBER 2019 PCWorld 95them in Android 10. Instead of all-or-nothing
Stop Showing or Keep Showing buttons,
you’ll be able to silence notifications or tap
into a new simplified settings menu for more
granular options.
Speaking of silent notifications, you’ll
also be able to track them better in Android
- Inside the notification panel, you’ll find a
new grouping for silent notifications, so you
can quickly see what came through without
a buzz or beep. The per-app settings have
also been streamlined to make things easier
to understand and control.
The app settings are largely similar to
Android 9’s, but a couple of new features are
worth noting. In addition to the existing
Disable and Force Stop, you now have the
option to open an app from the App Info
screen. Also, the Notifications tab now shows
you an estimate of how many notifications the
app sends each week, so you can decide
whether you want to limit them.
NEW SHARING FUNCTIONS
The share sheet has been something of a
sore spot for previous Android releases, but
in version 10, Google has finally done
something about it. Getting to the share
sheet is the same, of course—tap the share
button or icon inside an app—but the feel
and functionality has completely changed.
For one, it’s a whole lot faster. Where the
previous menu took a second or two to load
the full list of app actions and shortcuts, in
Android 10 it’s practically instantaneous.
It’s much quicker to find a sharing
destination, too. The old version used app
and cache data to predict which app or
action you might want in a lengthy, disorderly
list. In Android 10, sharing is broken down
into logical panes: your frequent message
recipients, followed by four suggested apps
based on use, and finally an alphabetical list
of all possible app destinations. That makes it
much quicker to track down the app you want
when you aren’t texting.FOCUS MODE
Google introduced Digital Wellbeing in
Android 9 as a way to keep track of your
phone use, and it was certainly an eye-
opener. In Android 10, Google wants to
help us do something about it.
In addition to Wind Down and app
timers, Digital Wellbeing in Android 10 will
also have a new feature called Focus Mode.
As its name suggests, Focus Mode forces
you to keep your attention on work by
disabling distracting apps of your choice,
like Candy Crush or Twitter. Unlike app
timers, it’s an on or off thing, so you’ll need
to disable Focus Mode on your own when
you’re ready for a break. Thankfully, Google
has made it easy with a Quick Settings
shortcut that lets you flip it off with a tap.
Also new to Digital Wellbeing is the
inclusion of Family Link. The parental control
service was previously available via a