In Android 13, users will be able to open split-screen apps with just a “drag and drop” gesture on top of a notification. The big news was revealed by journalist Mishaal Rahman, the feature provides even more convenience to continue conversations in messengers and take advantage of the potential of larger displays. To those unaware, this feature is available with some slight differences from other custom skinned versions of Android. Now, Google is integrating it into the Android core. So, even Android OEMs may benefit from this native feature in the future.
Notifications will easily enter multi-window mode with Android 13
However, it is worth noting that the feature is still experimental. As per the reporter, the feature is somewhat “shaky”. During the demo, Rahman shows a notification coming from a Telegram conversation. He basically taps on the ballon that appears at the top of the screen and drags it to the bottom, opening the app in split-screen with Chrome.
In Android 13 DP2, you can now long press a notification and drag it to enter split-screen mode.
This was actually added to Android 12L and was hidden behind a feature flag: https://t.co/M7Cre8ZEon
It's still pretty buggy, though. pic.twitter.com/9qY0zMcwm2
— Mishaal Rahman (@MishaalRahman) March 17, 2022
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According to Mr. Mishaal Rahman, this particular feature is not new to Google’s Android. In fact, the feature is present in Android 12L hidden as an experimental feature. In addition to that, custom distributions such as MIUI (Xiaomi) and One UI (Samsung) offer similar features. However, not exactly what Google is doing. MIUI, for example, converts a notification into a small floating window. Google, instead, is trying to push forward the use of the multi-screen feature. At the current state, the feature needs more polishments.
It still needs more polishment just like Android 13 as a whole
However, it’s natural to see Android 13 with bugs at this point. Currently, the new version is running with a Developer Preview 2 label. However, Google can launch the first open beta at any point from now. The official reveal will actually happen at the Google I/O conference in May. During the keynote, the company will likely present all the features coming with Android 13.
The new feature shows Google’s recent commitment to making multitasking more powerful in Android. Apparently, the company’s master plan is to bring Android to PCs and large-sized devices. The search giant noticed that there is a demand for tablets back in the last year. It presented Android 12L with many features for tablets and foldable devices. In fact, the company may launch a foldable Pixel smartphone in the future. It will probably benefit from the new multitasking features on Android 13. There will also be improvements for security and privacy. The new update may see its official form coming along with the Google Pixel 7 series.
