Android 12 updates – After many rumors, Google has finally unveiled Android 12, the new version of its mobile operating system, which will arrive soon for smartphones and tablets from various manufacturers. The announcement was made during the Google I/O event, where the company showed the main changes and features that we can expect.
According to Google, Android 12 was built on the foundation of previous versions , bringing news mainly in the interface, which will be more customizable than ever.
Check out below all about Android 12, the new version of Google’s operating system, including the new Material You look, all-new security and privacy features, availability of Beta versions and release date for major Android smartphones and devices from the market.
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Table of Contents
Material You: get to know the new look of Android 12
Android 12’s novelties start with the look of the interface. Google claims that this release brings the biggest operating system design change to mobile since 2014, seeking to significantly improve the way users interact with their devices.
The new interface is called Material You, being an evolution of the Material concept, developed a few years ago by Google. The main highlight is the use of color extraction technology: it reads the chosen wallpaper palette and applies the dominant and complementary hues to the interface, from menus to text highlights. All of this is done automatically, integrating hardware and software resources.
It is worth noting that special care is taken to keep the information legible on the screen, even with the use of color extraction. Visually impaired people will have specific options to further improve issues such as contrast and readability, demonstrating Google’s concern for accessibility.
Another big change is in the Quick Settings Menu. It now has larger buttons that make it easier to access options such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, flashlight, flight mode and dark mode. The user can customize each of these options to make the phone exactly the way you like it.
By the way, speaking in the Settings Menu, there are now shortcuts to the Google Payments and Google Home functions, which have gained more integration with third-party apps inside Android 12.
See a preview of the new look of Android 12 and Material You:
New effects, less processing, more battery
Right after turning on your smartphone screen , you will see a series of changes. The buttons are more colorful and rounded, in order to facilitate navigation through the different menus. Each action has a unique animation that provides more feedback on your taps.
The Unlock Pin itself will have a dash effect, which increases visual accuracy when drawing shapes. Buttons like the volume start to pulse when they are activated by your touch.
When you open an app, it will expand to exactly where the icon was on the screen. This elastic effect is also applied when the user reaches the end of a page with the scroll. Instead of seeing the screen simply freeze, you’ll now notice everything stretching, like jelly. It’s an interesting idea to show that there’s nothing left to show.
Despite being prettier (and livelier) than ever, the developers on the Android team guarantee that it won’t weigh more on your smartphone . On the contrary: Google claims to have achieved a reduction of up to 22% in processor (CPU) usage during tasks such as window and package management.
The use of high performance cores (known as Big) has also been reduced by 15%, something that will certainly result in more performance and battery life for your smartphone.
Notifications and Google Assistant
The changes to the notifications are mostly visual, following the Material You aesthetic. Items are now grouped more cohesively, featuring a larger button to expand the notification preview content. When you don’t need a warning, you’ll clearly see which item is selected, thanks to new animations.
Talking a little about Google Assistant, many people complained about how difficult it is to activate the feature from the gesture used in Android 11. Often the touch detection fails on the edges of smartphones, leaving some people frustrated.
Therefore, from Android 12 onwards, it will be possible to activate the Assistant by holding the on/off (power) button of the smartphone. Activation will be contextual, taking into account applications, time and location. The goal is to provide more useful suggestions for you to interact with the tool.
New widgets on your smartphone screen
Thinking about personalization, Google implemented the color extraction feature to Android 12 Widgets. This means that they will change depending on where they are placed, like chameleons. The user can also adjust shapes, sizes and many other details, something that brings more life to the mobile operating system interface.
An interesting detail is that Widgets now interact with other elements. On the lock screen, for example, when removing notifications you will see the clock expanding to take up all the space. This seems to be a general design rule for Android 12.
To facilitate the exchange of messages, another new feature of Android 12 is the Conversation widget. It can be added anywhere on your home screen and maintains a fixed point so you can quickly exchange messages with your contacts.
The feature works seamlessly into the operating system, allowing replies to text messages, WhatsApp, Slack and many other applications. By default the conversation widget is created in 2×2 size, but you can adjust it to other formats. The larger the widget tile, the more conversation information is displayed, including notifications, date, and the number of unread messages.
Privacy and security in the crosshairs of Google
Android 12 will have new features aimed at privacy and transparency. The Privacy Dashboard brings together in a single screen all the information about the permissions given to apps, about which apps are using your data and also how often they do so. You will be able to quickly revoke these permissions.
Google has also added new indicators in the right corner of the system status bar. They will show you when your camera and microphone are being used by some app. You’ll be able to block apps’ access to the camera and microphone through new commands available in the Quick Access Menu.
Android 12 users will be able to choose which apps have access to location and accurate mode and the new coarse location mode. According to Google, this function is useful for those who want more privacy when using functions such as the weather forecast, since an exact coordinate of your position is not necessary.
More protection for your personal data
Another very recurrent concern of users is with the inappropriate sending of data to online servers, when we use personal assistants and voice commands. With Android 12’s new Android Private Compute Core, Google ensures that all audio processing and language recognition will take place on your smartphone, in isolation from your internet connection.
The company also claims that the technology involved in processing this data will be open source, so that everyone can inspect the security of operations.
Changing passwords without a headache
In addition to what was announced during the I/O event, Google promised to make available a number of other security-related news, scheduled for release in 2021. One of the most interesting is Google Chrome’s one-touch password change tool .
Upon detecting a compromised password (a target for data leaks) among your logs, the browser will show the “Change Password” button. When you tap on it, you’ll activate Google Assistant, which will automatically navigate to the site, performing the entire password change process in seconds, without you having to do anything else.
The technology behind this is Duplex and is already being used in other Google Assistant operations, such as the purchase of movie tickets and check-in on flights from some countries.
Remote Control? Car keys?
Android 12 promises to bring more convenience to everyday life, thanks to the new remote control feature built into the operating system. This will make it possible to control channels, enter passwords through the smartphone’s virtual keyboard, search and even use your credentials saved in Chrome to log into the main streaming services.
The Android 12 smartphone remote control technology will be compatible with devices equipped with the Android TV OS operating system.
Automakers and Google have also been working together to turn cell phones into car keys. Soon, your smartphone will be able to unlock and even start the engine… All this without you having to take the device out of your pocket. Would this idea work here in America?
What is the release date for Android 12?
According to the schedule released at the I/O event, the release of the final version of Android 12 is scheduled for September 2021. However, this date refers only to availability for Google’s own smartphones.
As each manufacturer modifies the operating system with its own interfaces and features, the update may take a few more months to be released for other phones available on the market.
How to Download Android 12 Beta
If you’re the type of person who likes to try out the latest news, the good news is that Google has already released the trial version of Android 12 for many phone models. For Google Pixel line devices, the most suitable update method is using the Android Flash Tool tool .
It is also possible to download the Android 12 image and install it manually on these devices or on Android emulators for PCs. For devices of other brands, it is ideal to consult the manufacturer’s website directly for further installation instructions. Check below for which devices the Beta version of Android 12 is now available:
Android 12 Beta for Google smartphones
- Pixel 5
- Pixel 4a
- Pixel 4a (5G)
- Pixel 4
- Pixel 3a
- Pixel 3a XL
- Pixel 3
- Pixel 3 XL
Android 12 Beta for third-party smartphones
- ASUS Zenfone 8
- OnePlus 9
- OnePlus 9 Pro
- OPPO Find X3 Pro
- Realme GT 5G
- Sharp AQUOS sense 5G SH-M17
- TCL 20 Pro 5G
- Tecno Spot CAMON 17
- Vivo iQOO 7Legend
- Xiaomi Mi 11
- Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra
- Xiaomi Mi 11i
- Xiaomi Mi 11X Pro
- ZTE Axon 30 Ultra 5G
As we saw above, the beta version for other manufacturers may still take a few months to be available, due to the customizations made by each brand on Android. You can access the Developers/Android 12 page at this link .
More Android 12 news on the way
In addition to the Android 12 news we’ve shown so far, Google is still planning other updates by the end of 2021. As examples, it cited the possibility of bookmarking conversations in the messaging app, contextual emojis, and more integration between third-party apps and commands by voice. All of this will be made available through updates via the Google Play Store.
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