Android 12 Update

Android 12 Update Tracker: Everything We Know So Far

Google has launched the beta version of Android 12, and the Pixel devices are the first to snatch it as anticipated. It arrives with many amazing features that we, as a user, really wanted a lot. They were working on Android 12 through the Developer Preview program. With the latest build, we see the biggest design change: a new color extraction-based theme engine, powerful privacy features, a redesigned notifications panel, app hibernation, quicker access to Google Assistant, and more.

Android 12 Update Tracker

May 19: The Android 12 Beta program includes 12 OEMs this year. Android 12 Beta program eligible phones include Pixel 3, Pixel 3 XL, Pixel 3a, Pixel 3a XL, Pixel 4, Pixel 4 XL, Pixel 4a, Pixel 4a 5G, Pixel 5, Mi 11, Mi 11 Ultra, Mi 11X Pro, Mi 11i, OnePlus 9, OnePlus 9 Pro, ZenFone 8, Find X3 Pro, Realme GT, AQUOS R6, CAMON 17, TCL 20 Pro, iQOO 7 Legend, ZTE Axon 30 Ultra, and Nokia X20.

What is Android 12?

Android 12 is the twelfth major version of the Android operating system. The Android 12 is out now as a successor to the Android 11, and this time around, there is a big change in design and customizations. Over the last few iterations of Android, we only witnessed some changes in the user interface. And finally, with the Android 12 now, we are finally getting a design overall in terms of UI. Google has also emphasized the privacy and security of the Android platform as with every passing year, the threat to the privacy of smartphone users grows. Among the changes that we will witness with Android 12, there are some notable ones.

Android 12 logo

Here is the list of Android 12 features

  • The Material You design
  • Wallpaper based theme
  • Revamped widgets
  • New privacy dashboard
  • New system animations
  • Redesigned notifications
  • Digital car key
  • Approximate location permission
  • Camera and Microphone access indicator
  • App Hibernation
  • Quickly trigger Google Assistant
  • Android TV integration

Yes, this is a beta version, and when the stable version is released, we might see some other features, too. But let’s take a look at the most noteworthy addition of features and changes in Android 12. Comment down below and let us know which feature interests you most.

The Material you design:

The first thing you will notice with Android 12 is the design overhaul. Google itself is calling it the “biggest design change in Android’s history,” and for good reasons. The Material You design brings some welcome changes that use many colors and bold new design elements to offer a new look. We will see more changes and additions in Material You with the release of the next beta versions.

Wallpaper based theme:

We previously had color options for the smartphone’s themes. Any color we pick in Settings becomes the default theme color, and we see it across the notification shade, volume control, and more. But with Android 12, we will have the feature of wallpaper-based theme color extraction. Android 12 will automatically pick out the dominant colors from the wallpaper and use that color for the notification shade, lock screen, widgets, volume controls, and more.

Revamped widgets:

Widgets are not left out of the design overhaul of Android 12. Android 12 will bring in widgets with round edges and flat icons. The Widget API will have a new powerful integration allowing users to set up widgets with dynamic controls like checkboxes, radio buttons, and switches. It will also use the new wallpaper-based theme aspect and set the color accordingly. And Google is also launching a conversation widget that users can use to communicate with their friends and family.

New privacy dashboard:

We will also see the inclusion of a privacy dashboard that will give us a detailed overview of the permission access and settings of the different Apps installed on the device. When you get to this dashboard, you can tap on a particular permission, showing all the apps that have used the permission in the last 24 hours. If you wish to revoke permission from a particular Android app, you can do that right from the privacy dashboard.

New system animations:

With changes to the UI and theme, Google also brings in new system animations with Android 12. So, we will see new motions and system animations while loading up apps and swiping throughout the smartphone’s UI. By introducing changes to the animations, Google is claiming a 22% reduction of CPU time for system services. And they are also claiming a 15% decline in usage for the big and power-hungry CPU cores.

Redesigned notifications:

One of the notable changes with Material You is the new Notification shade, Quick Settings panel, and the power menu. Pulling on the notification shade will now show up multiple notifications from the same app to reduce clutter. Furthermore, the Quick Settings panel in Android 12 will show smart home controls and Google Pay tiles for seamless interaction with smart home devices. The rest of the control icons are also shaped as rectangular tiles, giving this panel a new, refreshed look.

Digital car key:

Android 12 also brings in support for Digital car keys. You will now be able to unlock your car just by getting close to it. Your smartphone will automatically detect the car and unlock it. You don’t even need to take it out of your pocket. You can even share this key with your friends and family if you want them to use your car temporarily. This wireless authentication is based on Ultra-Wideband technology, which for now is available in only Pixel and Samsung devices, and it will work only for selected BMW vehicles.

Approximate location permission:

Apps have been guilty of tracking the location information of a smartphone user in the past. So Google is now including the feature of approximate location that will allow apps that require location permission only to get information about an approximate location. Not every app requires your exact location for its functionality. Yes, there are food service and taxi service applications that do require your exact location, and you choose the option of sharing your exact location only with those applications.

Camera and Microphone access indicator:

Every time an application uses the microphone or the camera on your smartphone, you will see an indicator for it in the status bar. It is similar to what we get in iOS 14. So, you don’t need to worry about any application accessing any of these sensors without you knowing about it. Additionally, we also have the inclusion of two tiles in the quick settings panel. One can tap on these tiles to completely disable access to the camera and microphone sensors and prevent any app from using them.

App Hibernation:

We don’t use every application that we install on our smartphones. So now, with Android 12, Google is introducing App hibernation that will automatically hibernate unused apps to save on the phone’s storage and resources. When you launch this hibernated app on your smartphone, it will load back from hibernation, and you can use it normally again.

Quickly trigger Google Assistant:

Even if your smartphone does not have a dedicated button for your Google Assistant, Android 12 will now allow you to use your power button as a quick access button for the Google Assistant. Simply long pressing the power button will open up Google Assistant now.

Android TV Integration:

This is a welcome feature for people who own Android Smart TVs. Users can use their smartphones as remotes for their TVs as Google is integrating the Android TV remote with the OS itself. They can use their smartphone’s microphone to give out instructions to their TV to play a show or movie and even enter text using the smartphone’s keyboard to open up specific content in the smart TV.

Android 12 Release Date

ANDROID 12 BUILDSRELEASE TIMELINE
Developer Preview 1February 2021
Developer Preview 2March 2021
Developer Preview 3April 2021
Beta 1May 2021
Beta 2 and 3June-July 2021
Beta 4 and 5August 2021
Stable BuildOctober 4, 2021

Google unveiled its first Android 12 beta build in May 2021. Now, the company has released the Beta 2/3/4 build, which brings a privacy dashboard, microphone, and video toggles and indicators, a Clipboard read Notification, and a Revamped Wi-Fi UX experience. The final Beta (build 5) was released in August 2021. Now, Android 12 has reached the ‘Platform Stability’ stage through the Android 12 Beta stage. The stable Android 12 build is expected to be released on October 4, 2021. Initially, the stable version will be rolled out to Google’s Pixel phones. Later, other OEMs like OnePlus, Samsung, Xiaomi, Oppo, and Realme will join the Search Giant to offer Android 12 for their handsets.

android 12 phones

List of Phones Eligible for Android 12 Update (Unofficial)

  • Google Pixel 3
  • Google Pixel 3 XL
  • Google Pixel 3a
  • Google Pixel 3a XL
  • Google Pixel 4
  • Google Pixel 4 XL
  • Google Pixel 4a (5G)
  • Google Pixel 5
  • Xiaomi Mi 11
  • Mi Mix 4
  • Xiaomi Mi 11i
  • Xiaomi Mi 11X
  • Xiaomi Mi 11X Pro
  • Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra
  • Xiaomi Mi 11 Pro
  • Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 5G/4G
  • Xiaomi Mi 10S
  • Xiaomi Mi 10T
  • Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro
  • Xiaomi Mi 10T Lite
  • Xiaomi Mi 10
  • Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro
  • Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra
  • Xiaomi Mi Note 10
  • Xiaomi Mi Note 10 Pro
  • Redmi Note 9 Pro
  • Redmi Note 9 Pro Max
  • Redmi Note 9 5G
  • Redmi Note 9 Pro 5G
  • Redmi Note 10
  • Redmi Note 10 Pro
  • Redmi Note 10 Pro Max
  • Redmi Note 10 5G
  • Redmi Note 10 Pro 5G
  • Redmi Note 10S
  • Redmi K30 Pro 5G
  • Redmi K30 5G
  • Redmi K30S
  • Redmi 10
  • Redmi 10 Prime
  • Redmi K40
  • Redmi K40 Pro
  • Redmi K40 Pro+
  • Redmi K40 Gaming
  • Redmi Note 10T
  • Poco X2
  • Poco X3 NFC
  • Poco X3
  • Poco X3 GT
  • Poco X3 Pro
  • Poco F2 Pro
  • Poco M2 Pro
  • Poco M3 Pro 5G
  • Poco M3
  • Poco F3 GT
  • Poco F3
  • Realme 6 Pro
  • Realme 7
  • Realme 8 Pro
  • Realme 8 5G
  • Realme 8 4G
  • Realme 7i
  • Realme 7 Pro
  • Realme X50
  • Realme X50 Pro
  • Realme Narzo 20 Pro
  • Realme Nazro 30 4G/5G
  • Realme Narzo 30 Pro 5G
  • Realme X7 Max
  • Realme GT
  • Realme GT Neo
  • Realme C25
  • Realme V11
  • Realme V13
  • Realme X7
  • Realme X7 Pro
  • Realme X3
  • Realme X3 Super Zoom
  • Realme Q3/ Q3i/ Q3 Pro 5G
  • Realme 8s 5G/ 8i
  • Realme GT Master/ Master Explorer
  • Asus ROG Phone 3
  • Asus Zenfone 7
  • Asus Zenfone 7 Pro
  • Asus Zenfone 8
  • Asus Zenfone 8 Flip
  • Asus ROG Phone 5 Pro
  • Asus ROG Phone 5
  • Asus ROG Phone 5 Ultimate
  • Asus ROG Phone 5s
  • Asus ROG Phone 5s Pro
  • Samsung Galaxy M32 5G/ 4G
  • Samsung Galaxy A52s 5G
  • Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G
  • Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G
  • Samsung Galaxy M21 2021
  • Samsung Galaxy A03s
  • Samsung Galaxy F22
  • Samsung Galaxy F41
  • Samsung Galaxy F62
  • Samsung Galaxy S21
  • Samsung Galaxy S21+
  • Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra
  • Samsung Galaxy M31
  • Samsung Galaxy M31 Prime
  • Samsung Galaxy S20 FE
  • Samsung Galaxy A42
  • Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2
  • Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5G
  • Samsung Galaxy S20
  • Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus
  • Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra
  • Samsung Galaxy Note 20
  • Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra
  • Samsung Galaxy A51
  • Samsung Galaxy A71
  • Samsung Galaxy M51
  • Samsung Galaxy A22 5G/4G
  • Samsung Galaxy F52 5G
  • Samsung Galaxy M42 5G
  • Samsung Galaxy M12
  • Samsung Galaxy F12
  • Samsung Galaxy M62
  • Samsung Galaxy F62
  • Samsung Galaxy A32 5G/4G
  • OnePlus 8T
  • OnePlus 8
  • OnePlus 8 Pro
  • OnePlus Nord
  • OnePlus Nord 2
  • OnePlus Nord N10 5G
  • OnePlus Nord N100
  • OnePlus Nord N200
  • OnePlus 7T Pro 5G McLaren
  • OnePlus 7T Pro
  • OnePlus 7T
  • OnePlus 7 Pro
  • OnePlus 7 Pro 5G
  • OnePlus 7
  • OnePlus Nord CE 5G
  • OnePlus 9
  • OnePlus 9R
  • OnePlus 9 Pro
  • Nokia 3.4
  • Nokia XR 20
  • Nokia 2.4
  • Nokia 8.3 5G
  • Nokia 8 V 5G UW
  • Nokia 5.3
  • Nokia 5.4
  • Nokia X20/ X10
  • Nokia G20/ G10
  • Nokia C20/ C10
  • Vivo X70 Pro
  • Vivo X70 Pro+
  • Vivo X70
  • iQOO 8
  • iQOO 8 Pro
  • Vivo S10
  • Vivo S10 Pro
  • Vivo X60s
  • Vivo iQOO 3 4G
  • Vivo iQOO 3 5G
  • Vivo NEX 3S 5G
  • Vivo X60 Pro+ 5G
  • Vivo X60 Pro 5G
  • Vivo X60 5G
  • Vivo iQOO Z1
  • Vivo iQOO U1x
  • Vivo V20
  • Vivo V20 Pro
  • Vivo V20 SE
  • Vivo iQOO 5 Pro 5G
  • Vivo iQOO 5 5G
  • Vivo X51
  • Vivo X50 Pro+
  • Vivo X50 Pro
  • Vivo X50
  • Vivo X50 Lite
  • Vivo Z6 5G
  • Vivo Y70t
  • Vivo iQOO Neo5 Lite
  • Vivo V21 5G/ 4G
  • Vivo V21e
  • Vivo iQOO 7
  • Vivo X60t
  • Vivo iQOO Z3
  • Vivo S9/S9e
  • Vivo S7t
  • Vivo iQOO U3x
  • Vivo iQOO Neo5
  • Vivo Y72 5G
  • Oppo Reno 6/ 6 Pro/ 6 Pro+/ 6 Z
  • Oppo K9
  • Oppo A53s 5G
  • Oppo A95 5G
  • Oppo A94 5G
  • Oppo F19/ F19 Pro/ F19 Pro+
  • Oppo A74 5G
  • Oppo Find X3/ X3 Pro/ X3 Lite/ X3 Neo
  • Oppo A55 5G
  • Oppo A54 5G
  • Oppo Reno5 5G
  • Oppo Reno 5F
  • Oppo Reno5 Lite
  • Oppo Reno5 Pro+ 5G
  • Oppo A53 5G
  • Oppo Reno5 Pro 5G
  • Oppo Reno4 F
  • Oppo A73
  • Oppo A93
  • Oppo Reno4 Z 5G
  • Oppo Reno4 Lite
  • Oppo Reno4 SE
  • Oppo F17 Pro
  • Oppo F17
  • Oppo Reno4
  • Oppo A72 5G
  • Oppo Ace2
  • Oppo Find X2 Pro
  • Oppo Find X2
  • Oppo Find X2 Neo
  • Oppo Find X2 Lite
  • Oppo K7 5G
  • Oppo A92
  • Oppo A92s
  • Oppo Reno3 Pro 5G
  • Oppo Reno3 5G
  • Oppo Reno3 Youth
  • Moto G50 5G
  • Motorola Edge 2021
  • Motorola Edge 20
  • Motorola Edge 20 Pro
  • Motorola Edge 20 Lite
  • Motorola Edge 20 Fusion
  • Moto G60s
  • Motorola Moto G Stylus 5G
  • Moto G 5G
  • Moto G30
  • Moto Edge S
  • Motorola Razr 5G
  • Motorola Moto G9 Plus
  • Motorola One 5G UW
  • Motorola One 5G
  • Motorola Moto G9 Play
  • Motorola Moto G9 (India)
  • Motorola Moto G 5G Plus
  • Motorola One Fusion
  • Motorola One Fusion+
  • Motorola Edge+
  • Motorola Edge
  • Moto G20
  • Moto G60
  • Moto G40 Fusion
  • Moto G100
  • Moto G50
  • Moto G10 Power
  • Moto G10

About Akash Jyoti Das

Being a tech aficionado, Akash is highly fanatic about smartphones from a very young age. He is always aware of the latest happenings in the tech industry. In his free time, he loves playing PC games and flashing custom ROMs. Email: [email protected]

2 comments

  1. my phone is tecno spark 8pro update android 12 please

  2. Oppof15 Android 12 please update

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