Android 11 reveal may be delayed but the new power button already leaked

By Chris Burns/June 1, 2020 10:57 am EST

Features of the next major version of Android have begun to leak courtesy of intrepid developers bent on access as soon as possible. Documentation of the features we're seeing today are public, but activating said features isn't quite so simple as a quick tap of a PDF. This new API and the feature's we're seeing here will be present in a future version of Android, hopefully very soon, but for now they're relatively hidden.

This feature in Android 11 works with a long-press of an Android device's power button. With said press, the user can access a new control center called "Quick controls." This feature can be activated (with a bit of fancy footwork) in Android 11 Developer Preview 2.

Inside Quick controls, a users will have access to an Emergency button (for 911, here in the USA), the power button, restart, and screenshot. More importantly, this Quick control menu has the ability to work with physical objects. The example given in the demo above is a smart light bulb.

You can see the official documentation of this system – in part – in Google's Android Service Controls which in turn connects to one massive list of device types with which Google expects developers will want to interact. Some of the stranger items here include: awning, pergola, stand mixer, mop, curtain, radiator, dishwasher, garage, and refrigerator.

Here's what Android 11's power menu will look like with home automation/IoT shortcuts (Controls API) AND quick wallet access showing.

(H/t @deletescape for the leaked doc that had this image)

For context: https://t.co/8RU3RrYoJP pic.twitter.com/VH6XxNF8q4

— Mishaal Rahman (@MishaalRahman) May 31, 2020

This is only one piece of the puzzle. Since the Android 11 Beta release event was delayed, we're sure to see more details roll out through secondary sources between now and the rescheduling of the event. That event will take place on the 3rd of June, 2020, per the Google assertion that "now is not the time to celebrate." Google has not commented on the possibility that the protests will continue through... Wednesday of this week...

If you're champing at the bit to see the newest version of Android, take a peek at the articles we've got about the Developer Preview of Android 11 below. The big differences are all in the menu, really.