Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Mobile
  3. News

Android will finally get a faster sharing menu, but it might take a while

Christian de Looper
By

Android has gotten a whole lot better over the past few years, but there is one aspect of the operating system that has slowed down. That’s the sharing menu, and the reason it has slowed down is that Google has added a bunch of extra features and options in the menu. While those changes have been helpful, there is a trade-off to that helpfulness.

Thankfully, however, it looks like Google is working on fixing the slow sharing menu. The company’s VP of engineering for Android, Dave Burke, has confirmed on Twitter that Google is actively working on a fix, in response to a complaint about how slow the menu is.

Recommended Videos

Apparently, while it would be easy to assume that fixing the sharing menu isn’t as much of a priority as it should be, that assumption wouldn’t be true. Instead, fixing it is a priority — it’s just that fixing the slow menu is no small task, which is why it might take longer than some want.

Related

So when should we expect to see the redesigned sharing menu? Well, while it’s possible that it could be released in an incremental update to Android, it’s much more likely that it’ll show up in Android Q, which will most likely be launched at Google I/O 2019. Google I/O usually takes place in late May or early June. It probably won’t be until September or October, however, that the new operating system is released to the public. In other words, if you’re holding out for a new sharing menu and don’t want to use beta versions of Android, then you will probably need to wait 10 months to get the new sharing menu.

Of course, if you are willing to install a beta version of Android Q, you’ll be able to try the software before everyone else. Recently, a Google engineer hinted that Android Q developer previews may be available on more devices than ever before Android Q is released to consumers. In other words, the developer previews may be available on Pixel devices, as well as devices from third-parties. Usually, deployment of a new version of Android requires more involvement from manufacturers, so we’ll have to wait and see just how many devices get the Android Q beta.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Christian de Looper
Christian de Looper
Contributor
Christian’s interest in technology began as a child in Australia, when he stumbled upon a computer at a garage sale that he…
Here’s what Android phones might have looked like without the iPhone
Render of Google G1 (aka Dream) supplied by Android co-founder Rich Miner.

Have you ever wondered what kind of phones we would have today if Apple didn't introduce the iPhone to the world? Thanks to some new info from Android co-founder Rich Minder, we sort of have an answer to that.

Miner wrote a Twitter thread Monday evening calling out an error made in an article published by Business Insider. He said that in 2005, Google and Android — the latter of whom was acquired by the former company at the time — were concerned about Microsoft dominating mobile phones the same way it dominated PCs with the launch of Windows Mobile. In response, Android pitched Sooner and Dream, two phones that would act as "small computers in your pocket, broadening access and enriching their services with location."

Read more
Google’s Android monopoly finds its biggest challenge, and Apple might be next
Apps screen on the Google Pixel 7.

The Competition Commission of India slapped Google with two hefty fines over anti-competitive strategies that have allowed it to dominate the mobile ecosystem in India. Totaling over $250 million, the penalties reprimand Google for forcing smartphone makers to avoid Android forks, prefer Google’s web search service, and pre-install popular cash cows like YouTube on phones.

Google was also disciplined for forcing its own billing system on developers that allowed the giant to take up to a 30% share of all in-app purchases for applications listed on the app store. Google is not really a stranger to titanic penalties; The EU handed Google a record-breaking fine of approximately $5 billion in 2018 for abusing its dominant market position — a penalty that was upheld in September this year following Google’s appeal.

Read more
Google Chrome is getting the Android tablet update you’ve been waiting for
Google Chrome app on s8 screen.

Google today announced the release of its redesign for the Chrome app on Android tablets. After long being neglected on the big screen, especially in comparison to Apple's or Samsung's browsers, Google says it'll be rebuilding the browser to help you get work done faster with a tablet or other large-screened device.

These updates can be broken down into design and functionality improvements, and we'll be kicking things off with the redesign. The first change adds a new side-by-side design when using Chrome paired with another app. This comes with an auto-scroll back feature so you can swipe between tabs, hiding the close buttons when your tabs are too small to prevent mis-taps — plus the inclusion of a restore feature.

Read more