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.
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.
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.
