- Date: April 2016
- Builds: TODO
+ Date: May 2016
+ Builds: NPD35K
Emulator support: x86 & ARM (32/64-bit)
- Google Play services: TODO
+ Google Play services: 8.4
+General advisories
+
+
+ This Developer Preview release is for app developers and other early
+ adopters and is available for daily use, development, or
+ compatibility testing. Please be aware of these general notes about the
+ release:
+
+
+
+ - This release may have various stability issues on
+ supported devices. Users may encounter system instability, such as kernel
+ panics and crashes.
+
+
+ - Some apps may not function as expected on the new
+ platform version. This includes Google’s apps as well as other apps. You can
+ let developers know about app compatibility issues using the N Developer Preview issue tracker.
+
+
+ - Developer Preview 3 is Compatibility Test Suite (CTS)
+ approved on these devices: Nexus 5X, Nexus 6, Nexus 6P, and Pixel
+ C. Apps that depend on CTS approved builds should
+ work normally on these devices (Android Pay for example).
+
+
+ - Developer Preview 3 is available on all supported
+ devices: Nexus 5X, Nexus 6, Nexus 6P, Nexus 9, Nexus Player, Pixel
+ C, General Mobile 4G (Android One), as well as Sony Xperia Z3 (D6603 and
+ D6653 models).
+
+
+
+
+
New in DP3
+VR Mode for Android
-API changes
+
+ Android N adds platform support and optimizations for a new VR Mode to let
+ developers build high quality mobile VR experiences for users. There are a
+ number of performance enhancements, including access to an exclusive CPU core
+ for VR apps. Within your apps, you can take advantage of intelligent
+ head-tracking, and stereo notifications that work for VR. Most importantly,
+ Android N provides for very low latency graphics.
+
+
+
+ For more information, see the Google VR SDK for Android.
+
+
+Sustained performance mode
+
+
+ Android N includes optional support for sustained
+ performance mode, enabling OEMs to provide hints on device performance
+ capabilities for long running applications. App developers can then use these
+ hints to tune applications for a predictable, consistent level of device
+ performance over long periods of time. App developers can try out this new
+ API in the developer preview on Nexus 6P devices only.
+
+
+Multiprocess WebView
+
+
+ Starting with version 51 in Android N, WebView will run web content in a
+ separate sandboxed process when the developer option "Multiprocess WebView"
+ is enabled. The WebView team is looking for feedback on compatibility and
+ runtime performance in N before enabling multiprocess WebView in a future
+ version of Android. In this version, regressions in startup time, total
+ memory usage and software rendering performance are expected.
+
+
+
+ If you find unexpected issues in multiprocess mode we’d like to hear about
+ them. Please get in touch with the WebView team by
+ filing a bug.
+
+
+Keyboard Shortcuts helper
+
+
+ Android N lets users press Meta+/ to trigger a Keyboard
+ Shortcuts screen that displays all shortcuts available both from the
+ system and from the app in focus. Developers can add their own shortcuts or
+ trigger the Shortcuts screen from their apps. See Keyboard
+ Shortcuts helper for details.
+
+
+FrameMetrics API
+
+
+ DP3 introduces a new FrameMetrics API
+ that allows an app to monitor its UI rendering performance by exposing a
+ streaming pubsub API to transfer frame timing info for the application’s
+ current window. FrameMetricsListener can be used to measure
+ interaction-level UI performance in production with higher granularity and
+ without the need for a USB connection.
+
+
+Feature and API changes
- - Number-blocking
- - If an unauthorized user attempts to block or unblock a number, the operation
- now fails with {@link java.lang.SecurityException}. (Previously, the
- operation threw {@link java.lang.UnsupportedOperationException}.)
+ -
+ Launcher Shortcuts and the Launcher Shortcuts API
+
- - Quick
- Settings Tile API
- - The system now uses the activity's metadata to decide on the tile mode.
+
-
+ We’ve decided to defer this feature to a future release of Android. We plan
+ to remove the Launcher Shortcuts APIs (ShortcutManager and others) from the
+ public Android N API starting in the next developer preview.
+
+
+ -
+ WebView Javascript run before page load
+
+
+ -
+ Starting with apps targeting Android N, the Javascript context is reset
+ when a new page is loaded. Currently, the context is carried over for the
+ first page loaded in a new {@link android.webkit.WebView} instance.
+ Developers looking to inject Javascript into the {@link
+ android.webkit.WebView} should execute the script after the page has
+ started to load.
+
+
+ -
+ WebView Geolocation on insecure origins
+
+
+ -
+ Starting with apps targeting Android N, the geolocation API will only be
+ allowed on secure origins (over HTTPS.) This policy is designed to protect
+ users' private information when they're using an insecure connection.
+
+
+ -
+ Data Saver
+
+
+ -
+ Starting in Developer Preview 3, apps can use use an intent to display a
+ system dialog that lets the user directly add the app to the Data Saver
+ exemption whitelist. See the Data Saver
+ documentation for details.
+
+
+ -
+ Number-blocking
+
+
+ -
+ If an unauthorized user attempts to block or unblock a number, the
+ operation now fails with {@link java.lang.SecurityException}. (Previously,
+ the operation threw {@link java.lang.UnsupportedOperationException}.)
+
+
+ -
+ Quick Settings Tile
+ API
+
+
+ -
+ The system now uses the activity's metadata to decide on the tile mode.
(Previously, tile mode was determined by the return value of
TileService.onTileAdded().) For more information, see
- TileService.META_DATA_ACTIVE_TILE in the downloadable
- API Reference.
+ TileService.META_DATA_ACTIVE_TILE in the downloadable API Reference.
-Fixes for issues reported by developers
+Fixes for issues reported by developers
A number of issues reported by developers have been fixed, including:
- - TODO
+ - Bluetooth Audio playback interrupted after 1 song (bug 206889)
+
+
+ - Pixel C Consistently Crashes (bug 206962)
+
+
+ - Clock and Toast notification issues (bug 203094)
+
+
+ - Pixel C reboots when connected to MacBook Pro via USB C Cable (bug
+ 205432)
+
+
+ - Calandar offset by one day (bug 203002)
+
+
+ - TelephonyManager.getAllCellInfo returning invalid data (bug 203022)
+
+
+ - Nexus 6p, Bluetooth keeps disconnecting (bug 208062)
+
-General advisories
-
-
- This Developer Preview release is for app developers only
- and is designed for use in compatibility testing and early development only.
- Please be aware of these general notes about the release:
-
-
-
+For the full list of fixed issues, see the
+issue tracker.
Known Issues
-TODO
+Accessibility
+
+ - Unable to listen to TTS output when pitch is set near maximum level.
+
+
+ - Accessibility features and settings may be disrupted with the user adds a
+ Work profile, including magnification gesture and setting. Accessibility
+ state is restored when the user next touches the associated settings.
+
+
+
+Camera
+
+
+ - The Camera app has exhibited instability; it may crash in various
+ circumstances, such as when launched in multi-window mode.
+
+
+ - Pressing the shutter continuously in panorama mode may cause the Camera
+ app to crash.
+
+
+
+Audio
+
+ - A platform audio player issue prevents some apps from functioning
+ normally. For example, Skype and other apps are affected by this issue.
+
+
+
+Connectivity
+
+
+
+ - When a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) peripheral role device advertises a
+ service and a BLE central role device connects, the peripheral role device
+ disconnects very quickly.
+
+
+ - Wi-Fi connection may be dropped when the screen is off.
+
+
+ - RFCOMM connections are unstable and may result in data corruption and
+ dangling connections.
+
+
+ - The active network state ({@link android.net.NetworkInfo#getState
+ NetworkInfo.getState()} and {@link android.net.NetworkInfo#getDetailedState
+ NetworkInfo.getDetailedState()}) might return incorrect values during some
+ restricted background scenarios.
+
+
+
+
+
+ Launcher
+
+
+
+ - The default launcher’s All Apps tray may become unresponsive after
+ cycling screen off / screen on. Returning to the homescreen and relaunching
+ the All Apps tray may resolve this issue.
+
+
+
+
+ Keyboard
+
+
+
+ - When updating a device running Android 6.0 or earlier to the N Developer
+ Preview, Google Keyboard does not preserve preferences data such as recent
+ emoji and sound settings.
+
+
+ - Google Indic Managed Keyboard may be unstable.
+
+
+ - When entering text in a password field, the user can select Russian as
+ the input language but the keyboard remains in English. This prevents the
+ user from entering Russian-language passwords.
+
+
+
+
+ Locale and languages
+
+
+
+ - When using a right-to-left (RTL) locale, the system may unexpectedly
+ switch to left-to-right (LTR) presentation after restarting the device.
+
+
+
+Media
+
+
+ - Media playback be be unreliable on Nexus 9 and Nexus Player, including
+ issues playing HD video.
+
+
+
+
+ Multi-window mode
+
+
+
+ - Device may freeze when changing orientation in multi-window mode.
+
+
+ - Several apps currently have issues with multi-window mode:
+
+ - The system UI may crash when docking Settings > Display >
+ Screen brightness to multi-window.
+
+
+ - The Camera app may crash when launched in multi-window mode.
+
+
+ - YouTube may crash when launched into multi-window mode. To fix the
+ issue, you can clear the YouTube app’s data at Storage > Apps >
+ YouTube.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Google Play services
+
+
+
+ - Apps using Google Cast through Google Play services may be unstable when
+ the user selects a system locale that uses letters and numbers outside of the
+ ASCII range.
+
+
+
+
+ Work and enterprise
+
+
+
+ - The Device Policy app may crash when the user unlocks the device with the
+ "device policy status" screen pinned.
+
+
+ - After setting up a work profile with file-based encryption enabled and
+ then turning off Work, users must unlock primary profile screen lock to once
+ again access Work apps.
+
+
+ - Cannot open work apps after reboot in file-based-encryption with work
+ mode off.
+
+
+ - Device reboots when removing the security pattern lock and opening work
+ app/personal app in the multi-window.
+
+
+ - Setting DISALLOW_VPN_CONFIG is causing the consent dialog to appear in
+ always-on-vpn set by Device Policy Client.
+
+
+ - Traffic is not locked down until VPN is connected in always-on-vpn mode.
+
+
+
+
+ External storage
+
+
+
+ - Apps may become unstable when the user moves them from internal storage
+ to adoptable external storage (this can include SD card or devices attached
+ over USB).
+
+
+
+
+ Screen zoom and multiple APKs in Google Play
+
+
+
+ - On devices running Android N, Google Play services 9.0.83 incorrectly reports
+ the current screen density rather than the stable screen density. When screen
+ zoom is enabled on these devices, this can cause Google Play to select a
+ version of a multi-APK app that’s designed for smaller screens. This issue is
+ fixed in the next version of Google Play services and will be included in a
+ later Developer Preview release.
+
+
+ - On devices running Android N, Google Play services 9.0.83 currently reports
+ Vulkan support but not Vulkan version. This can cause Google Play to select a
+ version of a multi-APK app that’s designed for lower Vulkan support on
+ devices with higher version support. Currently, the Google Play Store does
+ not accept uploads of Apps which use Vulkan version targeting. This support
+ will be added to the Google Play Store in the future and fixed in the next
+ version of Google Play services (to be included in a later Developer Preview
+ release) any N devices using the version of Google Play services 9.0.83 will
+ continue to receive versions of Apps targeting basic Vulkan support.
+
+
+
+Notifications
+
+
+ - MessagingStyle does not show notifications with "null" (self) sender.
+
+
+
+
+
Developer Preview 2