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Developer preview (DP3) for Android 12, the next major update for Android devices, is here. While many are still waiting for their Android 11 update but that has passed the point.
Android is the most active smartphone app in the world. Naturally, many are excited about the latest features of Android 12.
In this article, we will talk about the best features of Android 12, release date Android 12, Android 12 supported devices, what Android 12 will be called, and much more.
The code name for Android 12
For those who want the name Android 12 - we hate to break it, but Android 12 will be called Android 12. That's because Google has stopped giving dessert names for Android versions starting in 2019. For the past two years, it has been Android 10, Android 11, and now Android 12.
However, last year we learned that Google is responding to desert names in the latest versions of Android. For example, Android 11 (R) is internally referred to as “Velvet Red Cake.” According to the leak of Android 12, the next Android version of Android S will be known internally as "Snow Cone."
Release date for Android 12
Based on the Android 12 street map, Google plans to release three Android Developer Previews in February, March and April. Currently, Android 12 Developer Preview 3 has outpaced many Pixel devices.
Then in May, we can expect the first beta of Android 12. Google plans to release three Android 12 betas in June, July and two in August.
Finally, Google will release a stable version of Android 12 in September. Naturally, Pixel devices will be the first to get it. But from there, other Android devices will gradually begin to get the Android 12 update in Q4 of 2021, most of them coming in 2022.
10 Great Features for Android
Here are the best features of Android 12 based on the pre-developer preview of Android 12. We will update this article when Android 12 DP2 comes out.
1. Changes to UI
One thing you will immediately see in Android 12 is the new rounded corners in menus, pop-up panels and other UI items.
You will see this in the latest apps menu; while swiping into the App Drawer; in the pop-up menu by long pressing on the home screen, etc. Even the volume panel has been adjusted and includes a ****** slide with round edges.
Other than that, there are a few UI tweaks here and there such as a screenshot preview that can be moved left or right, all apps now show a splash screen for a split second after launch, and more.
Home screen
Coming to the Android 12 home screen; options in the popup menu are split. There is an updated widget menu with a search bar and custom widget recommendations.
Google added two new grid options, 4X4 layout and 4X5 layout to Pixel launch settings.
Settings
One of the major new features of Android 12 is the interface changes in the Android settings. All icons and titles are too large. The search bar has been redesigned; now with rounded corners and profile picture moved out of the search box.
Also, the large battery on the battery settings page is replaced by a new progress bar that tells you the juice time limit left on the device. The same progress bar has arrived on the storage settings page.
2. Notification Shade with Media Player UI
Unlike Android 11, which has added a great new feature called "Conversations" to the notifications panel, Android 12 seems to be focusing on design changes.
The notification shade is now more transparent, and there seems to be more space between the notification sections. The toggles in the Quick Settings panel now show the status of on / off. Another major change we see is the addition of integrated notification counts and a new clock icon in the notifications that open the snooze menu.
If you long press on a notification, there is also a new "Automatic" option (currently on the job) that will allow Android to decide for itself whether the notification should ring or vibrate.
Coming to Media Player: Lots with great play controls and includes album art. Also, there is now a small icon to identify which audio device is playing music. Opening it opens a new pop-up where you can easily pair a new Bluetooth device.
Additionally, there is a new Media settings page where you can choose which apps can have the media player in Quick Settings for a long time. To access it, you can long-press the media player and tap Settings or go to Android Settings> Audio & Vibration> Media
3. One-hand mode
The new one-handed mode inside is one of the best features of Android 12. The Android 12 feature scales down the screen, so it allows users to easily use the device with one hand. As can be seen in the screenshots, changing the feature also expands some settings.
But unlike one-handed mode in some Android-based UI where the screen is tilted upwards and horizontally, in Android 12, the screen scales downwards.
One hand mode on Android 12 will surely be useful for smartphones with large screens.
4. Investigate Screenshots
After years of delays, Google finally installed the Scrolling Screenshot feature on Android 12. A screenshot where the device captures a standard screenshot, drops down and takes another, stitches the two, and produces a longer screenshot.
As of now, this feature is buggy and automatically disabled in Android 12 Developer Preview 1. However, we hope it will be one of the great features of Android 12.
5. Picture-in-picture
As rumors are spread, Android 12 puts enhancements in image-picture mode, such as resizing and double-clicking the floating window to make it full size.
Similar to PiP on iOS 14, Android 12 also adds functionality to hide the photo-image window on the side of the screen.
6. Use Screenshot Markup To Edit All Images
Google now allows users to edit all images in the Markup tool in contrast to just screenshots. You can draw, add text and stickers using this new feature of Android 12.
You can edit photos taken from the phone's camera, transferred from other devices and those stored from third-party apps in the screenshot tagging tool.
7. Hide Punch Hole on Pixel devices
The big hole boxer camera on the top left is a descriptive feature of the new Pixel devices. However, if you are annoyed with it, you can hide it using the new Android 12 setting.
In the latest update, you can hide the punch hole in your Pixel 4a, 4a 5G or Pixel 5 in developer settings.
If enabled, you will now see a black bar on the status bar, by successfully hiding the punch hole. This is different from the Pixel 3XL, where hiding the note pushes the status line down.
8. Conversation widget
Google has added a Chat section to the notifications panel on Android 11, enabling users to never miss a message or update from friends or family.
In addition, the chat widget is another great feature of Android 12. The new widget enables users to view recent messages, missed calls, and personal status information.
Chat widget can be added to the widgets menu. Once you have installed it, select the conversation you would like to see its widget on the home screen. From now on, the feature is only available to select users.
9. Reduce Bright Colors
The new accessibility feature introduced on Android 12 is a way to reduce bright colors. As the name suggests, it takes down the colors that appear on your Android screen and the screen brightness.
Lower bright color settings can also be changed to open the quick settings menu or in the accessibility settings.
10. Double-tap (Pixel only)
Double Tap is a new Android 12 feature that works similar to Back Tap on iOS 14 - you can double tap on the back of the device to perform quick actions like wake up Google Assistant, open notification center, open something app or setting, etc.
The double touch feature first appeared in the previous version of Android 11, but was left out of the final release. Even now this conversion seems ineffective.
More features of Android 12 based on previous Android 12 leaks
11. New privacy features
Google has added toggles to disable silent cameras and microphones in Android 12 privacy settings.
Similar to how to disable location access, you will be able to limit all applications at the same time accessing the camera and microphone. This feature first appeared on the Android 12. leak As Android 12 DP 3 is already out, the chances of this feature making Android 12 are slim.
12. Pairs for the app
With Android 12, Google can bring a new split screen feature called app pairs. When you create a split screen, these two apps will now be displayed as two in the latest menu.
"Once paired, you should be able to easily switch to one different app and then switch back to the bank you created," writes 9to5Google.
13.Rotate face defaults (Pixel only) (imagined)
9to5Google reports that Pixel devices can get a new face-to-face feature based on Android 12. With this, the device will use a front-facing camera to detect head position and rotate the screen accordingly.
Currently, Android devices use sensors on the device and rotate the screen to match the position of the device. However, it is completely remote, and users are often forced to lock in rotation. Hopefully, the face-based option for Android 12 will solve this problem.
Game mode
Google is expected to launch game mode on Android 12. It is called the "GameManager" app, which is described as a "game-related management service."
There isn't much information about the Android 12 feature yet, so we'll leave it to your imagination.
When will my device get Android 12?
Every time there is a new version of Android in the city, this question stays on everyone's mind. And as always, the answer lies in your smartphone manufacturer. OEMs like the OnePlus are known for releasing new Android updates quickly, while manufacturers like Xiaomi and Samsung are known to take a lot of time.
After all, if your smartphone vendor is none other than Google, that is, if you own a Google Pixel device - you will no doubt be the first person to get Android 12.
As of now, Android 12 Developer Preview 3 is out of the devices below -
- Pixel 5
- Pixel 4a 5G
- Pixel 4a
- Pixel 4
- Pixel 4 XL
- Pixel 3a
- Pixel 3a XL
- Pixel 3
- Pixel 3 XL
How to install Android 12 Developer preview?
From now on, the first developer preview of Android 12 is officially available on Google Pixel 3, Pixel 3 XL, Pixel 3a, Pixel 3a XL, Pixel 4, Pixel 4 XL, Pixel 4a, Pixel 4a 5G, or Pixel 5.
If you are the owner of one supported Android 12 DP3 device, you can install Android 12 by following this guide.
As the name suggests, a developer preview is intended for developers. While available for casual users, the design is unstable and comes with a number of problems. That being said, the joy and excitement of getting the latest version of Android first is worth the risks.
So this was all about the latest Android update - Android 12. Do you like these new features of Android 12? Let us know in the comments below.
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