People are eagerly waiting for the Android 12 update especially since the release of a plethora of promising rumors and leaks. Most of what we know has been leaked but some of the information is gathered from the public source code which appeared before the Developer Preview. In light of the upcoming release, we have gathered every detail we could find regarding the Android 12 update and compiled them for you in this article.
The Desert Name
Since 2009, a trend can be observed in the naming of each software update. Every major release ever since has been named after a dessert that starts with a successive letter of the alphabet. In 2009 it was Cupcake then Donut then Froyo then Gingerbread and so on. However, this was not the case with Android 10, it seems that publicly Google had abandoned the practice of naming its software updates after deserts but internally the tradition still carried on. Hence Android 11 was “Red Velvet Cake” and Android 12 is reported as “Snow Cone”.
Design Mockups
The leaked mockups reveal a comprehensive design, it is worth noting that the actual design could be quite different since the mockups are just providing a visual aid to the leaks. The following images are not screenshots but render from artists of what the design could be.
Themes
After looking at the mockups, it can be observed that Google is going in a different direction with the themes. You can’t find the usually black and white colorways instead a primary color described as “Sand” can be observed. This change in color schemes could be due to an in-depth theming system that is set to debut. This feature will allow you to customize your theme by choosing from a selected number of primary colors.
Material NEXT
The following sets of features are referred to as, “Material NEXT”. It was reported by XDA that there will be various smaller tweaks to the overall interface including notification cards with much rounder corners, new shapes and spacing for quick settings tiles, and more. There may be more features that are under the Material NEXT tag or this could simply point towards the updates to the use of Material Design by Android’s built-in apps and UI.
New Widgets
The release of Android 12 could bring, “Conversations Widgets”, which will appear on the home screen. These widgets seem to display missed calls or messages by someone who you haven’t talked to in your while. There are no further details on its functionality but this feature aligns with Google’s aim which is making users more involved in the operating systems.
One-handed mode
This feature is directly aimed at those owners who use a foldable device or taller devices. Android 12 will be introducing a native one-handed mode that will decrease your phone’s screen vertically. This will make it easier to use the device with one hand, however, only the height will decrease not the width.
Privacy developments
It seems Google is ready to follow Apple’s stance on privacy, with Android 12 there might be a variety of movements to aid in privacy protection. Reportedly, a feature is in development that will allow users to know if an app is using or has used your camera or microphone recently. Additionally, it has been leaked that Android 12’s Settings app will get a revamped Privacy page where you can outright disable your phone’s camera, microphone, and location sensors.
Scrolling Screenshots
This feature is neither a rumor nor a leak, Google confirmed in 2019 that it was working on Scrolling Screenshots. Basically, your phone takes a screenshot, scrolls down, takes another, and stitches the two (or more) together.
Picture-in-picture upgrades
When Android 11 was introduced users could resize their floating picture-in-picture window by simply grabbing onto the corner and dragging. According to recent reports, users will now be able to resize with precision or double-tapped to quickly jump to maximum size. There might even be a way for users to “hide” the window so they can see more of their currently active app.
App Pairs
App Pairs is another feature that is being introduced due to the usage of foldable phones. This is a split-screen that allows users to operate two different tasks as one in recent apps view hence you will be able to switch from a pair of apps to another single app.
Game Mode
This feature will be a massive hit among gamers. There is a rumor that Android 12 may introduce a “game mode” option. As of now, it is called, “GameManager”, which is listed as a “service to manage game-related features.” No specific details have been released hence we are pretty much in the dark about this one.
Brightness Control
Android 12 will bring a “Reduce Brightness” tile in the quick settings. This seems to be an accessibility feature aimed at those with visual impairments.
Apps Hibernation
Premium flagship phones rarely have a storage issue but not everyone can afford the pricey devices with massive storage. To save storage space, Android 12 could introduce a way for apps to be “hibernated” when they aren’t being actively used. Again, the details on this are a bit vague.
Third-party app store
Last year Google assured Android app developers that it was considering their feedbacks and would make it easier to use a third-party app store. This is one of the features that Goggle has been hush-hush about but it is a fair compromise between Google and developers. This will also protect the user’s from malicious malware.
What’s next?
There is no definite release date by Google as of now but it is expected sooner rather than later. This set of features indicate that Google is trying to make its operating system more user-friendly. It is allowing the user to customize and personalize their devices. Additionally, it seems Google agrees with Apple’s privacy policies, to limit data sharing, which have been the center of controversy ever since its announcement. Many details reading these features are unknown and most of them are just sheer speculation. We’ll have to wait for the build and see how accurate our guesses were based upon the leaks.
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Robert Haba is the founder and editor-in-chief of Droid Tools. A lifelong gadget enthusiast with over a decade following the Android ecosystem, he built this publication to cut through the noise and give readers honest, real-world coverage of the tech they actually use.
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