Key Takeaways
- Android 15 QPR1 will stop screen recordings from third-party apps when the phone is locked.
- In Android 14, third-party screen recording apps can continue to capture the screen even when the device is locked.
- Android 15 QPR1 also has new status bar chips that will make ending screen recordings or casting sessions much easier than before.
Android 15 is right around the corner, with October 15 being pitched as the likely rollout date for Pixel smartphones. At the same time, Google is also working on Android 15 QPR1, which should reach Pixel devices with the December 2024 Feature Drop. We’ve already caught a glimpse of what Android 15 QPR1 has to offer thanks to betas 1 and 2, with the latter just arriving a few weeks ago. Within Android 15 QPR1 Beta 2, we’ve spotted a new keyboard accessibility feature in development, while there will also be improved notifications management designed for people who use multiple phones. We can now add another handy feature to the list, one that pertains to screen recording.
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In a report for Android Authority, Android expert Mishaal Rahman mentions that Google recently updated the Android 15 QPR1 Beta 2 release notes to reflect a key change to how third-party screen recording apps function. Beginning with QPR1, third-party screen recording apps will automatically stop recording when the lock button is pressed.
In Android 14, screen recording sessions from third-party apps will continue even if you press the power button, and Android 15 QPR1 finally changes that behavior as part of Google’s efforts to separate third-party screen recording apps from the built-in option. This is a nice little privacy inclusion for screen recordings, though Android 15 QPR1 also has another crucial screen recording-related feature that makes this power button workaround somewhat redundant.
New status bar chips offer an even easier way to end screen recordings
As Rahman wrote for Android Authority last month, Android 15 QPR1 Beta 2 also adds status bar chips for screen recordings and screen casting. On top of mentioning the duration of the screen recording or casting, these chips can also be tapped to stop the session. So while these two screen recording features would likely have made sense separately, the fact that they’re going to arrive together means users are only likely to use either one and not both.
Still, it’s good to have a screen recording stop when you accidentally hit the power button rather than capturing everything on the screen. Android already lets you capture a particular app’s contents rather than the entire screen with app screen sharing, which was rolled out in March with Android 14 QPR2, though it’s been in development since Android 13 QPR1 Beta 1.
Rahman notes that while this updated screen recording functionality will be included with Android 15 QPR1 for Pixel phones, most other devices may have to wait until next year’s Android 16 release. But on the bright side, reports suggest Android 16 is running ahead of schedule, so there may not be much waiting to do.
