Google is attempting to rein in the out-of-control app storage situation with “Scoped Storage.” Scoped Storage was introduced in Android 10 but has since been changed several times since its debut because of how dramatically it affects storage access for many Android applications. Google is enforcing Scoped Storage for apps that target API level 30, which is the latest API level coinciding with Android 11.

Rather than try to explain Scoped Storage all over again, here’s a graphic from Google’s “All things privacy in Android 11” talk that summarizes how Scoped Storage will affect storage access for apps in Android 11.

One of the more interesting changes to storage access that has flown under the radar thus far is the introduction of a new “trashing” mechanism. This feature is detailed in Google’s “Storage access with Android 11” video. In essence, apps using the MediaStore API can trash a file instead of deleting it in order to give the user a chance to recover the file later. Google likens this feature to the Recycle Bin on PCs except Android’s recycle bin is hidden by default. Google states that apps with edit access to trashed files or that request user consent can display items from the recycle bin, though. Items that are trashed are automatically deleted by Android after 30 days.

Android 11 is also requiring that apps get consent from a user before modifying media files that the app doesn’t own. Another new feature that has been added is “favorites,” which allows media apps to add a “favorite” file status to designated media items so that other media apps will know that the user views these items as important. For instance, if the user stars an item in a gallery app, then other media apps can see that this item has been favorited.

Although Google’s talk doesn’t show an example of the MediaStore’s new trash concept, the API has been available since the first Android 11 Developer Preview. Developer Yuriy Mysochenko published an article on Medium back in February that goes over this new API, and he demonstrated the API in a sample app as shown below:

In this demo, the app asked the user if they wanted to move a photo to trash which would temporarily delete the photo from the gallery. After 7 days, the photo would be permanently deleted from storage. Googler Roxanna Aliabadi mentions that the OS stores trashed items for 30 days, so the 7-day storage limit was likely increased since the first Developer Preview.

Developers interested in implementing this API can check out the documentation right now on the Android Developers website. Media apps can create a PendingIntent called createTrashRequest to prompt the user to trash an item, which then adds the flag IS_TRASHED indicating that a media item has been trashed. Trashed items are retained by the OS until DATE_EXPIRES, after which they are permanently deleted from storage. Media apps querying the MediaStore must explicitly query for trashed items using QUERY_ARG_MATCH_TRASHED as trashed items are filtered away from operations by default.

You should listen to this full talk on Scoped Storage if your app deals with storage access:

Story Timeline:

Xiaomi Mi 10, Mi 10 Pro, POCO F2 Pro to get Android 11 Beta with MIUI soon

Don’t install Android 11 Beta if you use Google Pay

WhatsApp tests multi-device access, searching by date, better storage usage tools, ShareChat video service, and much more

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Even though WhatsApp has received several new features over the last couple of months, the instant messenger still isn’t as feature-rich as some of the other popular messengers out there. It lacks quite a few useful features, like the ability to use the messenger on multiple devices at the same time. Granted that you can use WhatsApp on your smartphone and desktop simultaneously, but you’re limited to just those two devices with no option to add a third or a fourth device. Earlier this year in March, we learned that WhatsApp was preparing to add multi-device support to the app. The messenger has now started testing the feature, and it might soon be released on the beta channel.

Google has released the first Android 11 Beta, enabling not just developers but also curious users to try their hands at the upcoming version of Android. Clearly, the first Android 11 Beta is far from the final release candidate build, but it is much more stable as a daily driver than the previous Developer Preview builds. Although the beta build is currently limited to Google’s own lineup of Pixel devices, many other manufacturers are likely to follow in the footsteps and release Android 11 betas for their devices – just like OPPO announced the Android 11 Beta for the Find X2 and the Find X2 Pro flagship smartphones. Now, Xiaomi has confirmed that the Xiaomi Mi 10, Mi 10 Pro and the POCO F2 Pro will also be getting Android 11 Beta builds.

Curiously, the announcement for the Mi 10 series comes from the official Twitter handle of MIUI – Xiaomi’s custom Android skin – instead of Xiaomi’s own handle. This makes it more than evident that the upcoming beta release for the Mi 10 series will run with MIUI on top. Similarly, OPPO had also confirmed that the Android 11 Beta for the Find X2 series will come with the company’s custom Android skin i.e. Color OS on top.