Google Assistant to get new animation, gesture hint in Android Q Beta 5 [Video]

Ben Schoon | Jul 8 2019 - 6:22 am PT

Another Pixel owner has apparently gotten their hands on the next beta for Android Q. With this latest build, we’re getting a quick look at how Google has optimized Assistant on Android Q, specifically with a new animation and hint for the gesture to activate it.

A Redditor revealed just yesterday (via XDA) that they were testing out Android Q Beta 5 on their Pixel device as part of a carrier testing program. There’s nothing to show the version itself, but screenshots from that user show off things we’ve already seen such as the back sensitivity slider.

What’s most interesting from this latest reveal, though, are the improvements to Google Assistant. In this Android Q release, Google Assistant firstly gets a new hint when Fully Gestural Navigation is active. This comes in the form of two curved lines in the bottom corners of the display. This hint helps make it a little more obvious that a swipe from these corners can trigger the Assistant, as seen in the video below.

Beyond that, there’s a slick new animation when opening Google Assistant on this latest Android Q build. Instead of just popping up, Google’s signature colors quickly slide from both corners of the display and come together as the Assistant pops up. It’s a really nice touch that makes the gesture seem a lot more fluid. I’d also wager that this would look great with the transparent design we saw in testing recently.

Finally, this Redditor also spotted some other assorted changes in Android Q Beta 5. That includes a rotation button that is slightly relocated to avoid covering the navigation bar at all and “general jankiness” improvements to the gesture navigation. Hopefully, we’ll see Google drop Beta 5 in the next few days.