These new features are headed to your Google Pixel in 2024

Here’s the crux of the article in video form:

A few hours ago, Google started rolling out the Android 14 QPR2 Beta 1 update, marking the end of the QPR1 beta builds. The enhancements and features of the QPR1 builds are expected to go live with the December 2023 feature drop. But with the release of the QPR2 Beta, we now have more exciting features and improvements to look forward to in 2024. These new features seen in the QPR2 Beta 1 update will hit Pixel units on the stable channel in March 2024.

Before mentioning the features you can expect to see on your Google Pixel device with the March 2024 feature drop, you must know that these are by no means the only new features you’ll get. The Android 14 QPR2 Beta 1 update is fresh out of the bake, so it’s possible that Google adds new features and improvements down the line. So let’s check out some of the upcoming new additions to Android 14, first spotted by Mishaal Rahman.

Recording your screen will now become even more convenient thanks to the option to only record a single app. At present, you only have the option to record the entire screen and hope you don’t accidentally reveal sensitive content by switching over to another app. But Android 14 QPR2 Beta 1 has introduced an option that lets you pick one app that you wish to record. You’ll get the option to pick an app when you hit the screen recording button. The recorded video will only show the contents of that app, not even the status bar or the navigation bar. Pretty neat if you ask me.

Yet another great addition is the ability to screencast a single app. Much like the option to record the screen of a single app, you’ll be able to cast the contents of the selected app solely. Again, this is a good feature to have if you’re conscious about casting your entire screen in front of the family. Even if not, it’s a welcomed addition as it too gets rid of the navigation bar and status bar distractions.

The lack of a search bar in the taskbar drawer for foldable devices and tablets is one major drawback. But that won’t be missing for long. The QPR2 Beta 1 update has added a search bar to the taskbar drawer. This makes it convenient to quickly search for and launch apps. Apart from the search function, the taskbar icon has also been overhauled.

At present, you have to rely on third-party tools to hide apps you don’t want to be seen by others on your phone. However, it appears that the March 2024 feature drop will help you get rid of those those third-party tools. There’s a new ‘Private Space’ settings that lets you create a new ‘Private’ profile on the device. So the likely explanation here is that the function will let you create a hidden profile on the device to hide apps and files you don’t want to be seen on the main profile. This function isn’t working fully yet.

Pixel owners have been looking for ways to hide the At a Glance widget from the home screen for a long time. And it seems Google has finally heard their wishes. Hidden in the Android 14 QPR2 Beta 1 update is a toggle that lets you hide the At a Glance widget from the homescreen. The toggle isn’t yet working by default. Instead, Mishaal Rahman confirmed they had to manually activate it first to get it to work.

While the March 2024 update is still a few months away, it’s good to see that Google has already added a bunch of new features. Of course, some of these features are only available after some manual tweaks, but it’s likely that we’ll get to see them activated by default in the upcoming builds. It’s also worth noting that there’s always a possibility that Google may decide to scrap a feature entirely with the stable release. Nevertheless, for a complete deep dive into everything new, check out Mishaal Rahman’s thread on X.