iOS 13 vs Android 10 Q: getting closer and closer

Dark Mode

iOS 13 (Julius)

Apple introduced it to the Mac with macOS Mojave, but until now iOS only had a rudimentary way to change it: in accessibility options. This feels odd, especially with some apps.

With iOS 13 comes a system-wide Dark Mode, as offered by Android Q. It can be activated in the system settings or through Control Center. This way, the entire system uses dark colors, including applications (at least those that support dark mode). It is very likely that at least the big applications will do so before the September release.

Android Q (Luca)

Google showed us its dark mode during Google I/O, ready to act in Android Q. However, many applications from the big G already included this function in the application's own settings, including YouTube. Now, however, Dark Mode will be introduced at the system level, allowing users to switch between light and dark themes in all applications.

For now (with its Beta 3 release) development seems to be heading in the right direction. Unfortunately, like many other design changes made to Android in recent years, it cannot be adopted by third-party developers. Let's hope history doesn't repeat itself this time around…

Privacy and Notices

iOS 13 (Julius)

Android Q focuses on new settings for protecting your own data. But many of these new features have been in iOS for a long time. In iOS 12, for example, you can adjust whether an app is allowed to access your own location while in use, or whether it’s never allowed to do so.

With some apps, such as Apple Maps or Google Maps, there is also the option to constantly access location data. Even if the app is running in the background.

You can also ask individual apps whether they can access contacts or the camera. Most apps ask for the rights they need to run right away, but sometimes it's not necessary to grant them all. It's great that you now have similar control on Android.

Android Q (Luca)

Android has also followed suit with another feature that has been in iOS for years and that, frankly, I don't do very well with. In Android Q, you can no longer remove notifications by swiping from right to left, but only from left to right. In the first case, you'll be presented with a menu where you can choose how often and how you want to receive these notifications. A bit like the iOS notification context menu.

But what Google has also done is implement quick actions directly into notifications. If you receive, for example, a notification that contains a link, you will be prompted to open that link directly below the notification; if you receive an address, you will be offered maps, and so on.

Gestures

iOS 13 (Julius)

When it comes to gesture control, iOS has been very powerful for a long time. You can navigate to the right with one finger. What was really stupid was the way to undo a gesture. Until iOS 12, the device had to be shaken.

This may have been fun in the past, but it's now much easier to solve with a three-finger back gesture. Unfortunately, it's only available on the iPad, which is added to other gestures, like the four-finger swipe, to enter the tablet's multitasking view.

Android Q (Luca)

The gesture navigation system was introduced by Google in Android 9.0 Pie to replace the navigation bar. Unfortunately, it was not a very well-received change by users, also because it does not eliminate the need to reserve a part of the screen for the navigation bar.

With Android 10 Q there is a new gesture system that is practically identical to iOS for home and multitasking. The back button has been implemented with a side gesture that I'm sure will cause a lot of problems with all the so-called hamburger menus (those that are open swiping your finger on the left side of the screen to understand us) and that will drive developers crazy. Of course, not immediately, when Android Q hits at least a handful of smartphones next year……

Of course, the new features of iOS 13 and Android Q don't end there. We'll keep you updated on all the new features soon!