Android O Developer Preview 3: Update Adds Gboard Incognito Mode and Design Changes

By Janna Dela Cruz, Christian Post Contributor Monday, June 12, 2017

The third preview version of the Android O is the most revealing yet, confirming that the next-generation operating system will indeed be Android 8.0.

While it was already considered a given seeing that it will follow Android Nougat, which is also Android 7.0, Google did not formally refer to Android O as Android 8.0 until Developer Preview 3.

As developers delve deeper into the latest form of the OS, they discover more and more tweaks that Google made, both subtle and noticeable, in the Android O Developer Preview 3.

Get Our Latest News for FREE

Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know.

Subscribe

The biggest has to be the addition of an Incognito Mode for Gboard, which should no longer make use of browsing data and preferences that help the software provide text suggestions to users.

This means that the data from the regular usage, which influences the suggestions given in the Incognito Mode, will no longer be pulled in the new version of the Gboard in Android O Developer Preview 3.

According to Android Headlines, the Android O Developer Preview 3 introduces a slightly revamped version of the keyboard when they access the Chrome Incognito tab. The feature is automated, so there is no manual on and off toggle for it.

The Incognito Mode should welcome users with Google's all-too familiar Incognito icon, which is sitting under the actual keys that are visible in both the dark and light versions of Gboard.

Ars Technica also pointed out how the Android O Developer Preview 3 also introduces new media notifications whose color will be based on the album art used on the song being played, which means that the background should match the artwork, making for a seamless design flow.

The Clock app also gets a new blue icon. Users will also be welcomed with a darker theme when they launched the application as Google gets rid of the purple color scheme with Android O Developer Preview 3.

Last but not the least, the Android O Developer Preview 3 also adds a new teardrop shape icon for devices using the Pixel Launcher.