Everything You Need to Know About Android 12

 Android 12, the latest version of Google’s flagship operating system, is now available for all compatible Pixel phones, beginning with the Google Pixel 3. It comes standard with the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro.

When will Android 12 be released?

Google launched Android 12 for the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) on October 4, with a consumer version for all Pixel devices, including the Pixel 3, 3a, 4, 4a, 5, and 5a, following shortly after on October 19. 

It’s also worth mentioning that the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3a will not receive Android 12L (more on that below), but the Pixel 4 and newer will.

It is unknown when the update will be available for other phones. ColorOS 12, Oppo’s Android 12-based operating system, revealed, that beta testing began on October 11. One UI 4 is already in beta testing for Samsung customers. Neither has a set release date, but any time between December and January seems probable based on previous timeframes. Several other manufacturers, including Vivo, Asus, and Xiaomi, have also begun testing Android 12 versions. You can find out when your phone will get Android 12 by reading our summary of the release timetable.

What new features does Android 12 include?

What Android 12 is will differ depending on the phone you own. Google promotes its Material You redesign for its Pixel phones, while Samsung and Oppo use lighter variations of the same core concept on their operating systems. What is consistent is that there are privacy enhancements here and there, with new toggles to turn off your microphone and camera when needed, a privacy dashboard to monitor which applications seek which permissions, and a slew of under-the-hood tweaks to make your phone better overall.

Here is a breakdown of the new features available in Android 12:

Revamping the design

The most noticeable change in Android 12 is redesigning the user interface. Buttons are more prominent and bolder, everything has broad and rounded corners, and Google isn’t as worried about taking up more display area. Android 12 appears to be more concerned with space management than packing additional features into it.

Everything functions similarly, but the Settings menu items, Quick Settings panel, sliders, and so on are considerably bigger, bolder, and more colorful. These larger icons appear to apply to almost every element of Android 12. Even the lock screen has been updated – when there aren’t any alerts, the clock takes up the bulk of the screen, and even when there are, it’s large enough to view at a look.

In Android 12, there are minor changes to animations and motion. For example, when you press the power button, a spirit appears that illuminates the display from the controller itself. Another animation appears when you connect to your charger. It’s a lively, graphically appealing take on a mobile operating system.

Material You

Along with the design upgrade, Google has included new theming choices called “Material You,” which effectively take color scheme cues from your wallpaper. These include fundamental colors and what Google refers to as “complementary” hues. The theming is essentially systemwide, and third-party developers may integrate their apps into it for a more cohesive appearance.

For example, if you choose green wallpaper, you may anticipate your phone to be tinted with green hues. If you have green or yellow wallpaper, you may choose the theming system’s color to complement your phone. As a result, Google has removed various customization choices from Pixel’s version of Android. Previously, users could modify the font or icon shapes. However, this is no longer the case due to the new theming system.

Material You also works in applications, with Google upgrading apps such as the Clock, Camera, and Calculator with a Material You look ahead of Android 12.

Material You may be the essential component of Android 12, but you won’t see it outside of Google Pixels for the most part. Although Samsung and Oppo have their own wallpaper-based color choices, 

they only cover the system interface and their applications, leaving Google apps with a material blue tinge. Google has said unequivocally that the look would initially be confined to Pixels, with others speculating based on code changes that Material With Android 12L, it will find its way into Android.

Google has reorganized several components of Android as part of the all-new design refresh, and the notification shade, as is customary on Android, receives one of the most significant changes. Quick Settings, for example, are becoming more accessible. 

On the initial swipe of the notification shade, you’ll be able to activate four of your most-used Quick Settings in the form of reasonably large rectangular buttons. Then, swipe one more to view all of your Quick Settings.

This new Quick Settings tab will also include Android’s Power Menu. That means you’ll be able to access your smart home controls and Google Pay wallet from the Quick Settings menu while holding down the power button will instead activate Google Assistant.

Google has put shortcuts to the home controls and Google Pay wallet on each side of the lock screen in Android 12’s Release Candidate. You may now reach either of these without having to swipe down on the notification center.

Google is also introducing a new Internet Panel for controlling your connectivity. Google claims it would also make it easier for customers to fix problems and move between providers, whether on Wi-Fi or mobile data.

In the same vein, new lock screen shortcuts make it easier to access Device Controls and the Quick Access Wallet.