Android 12 is the latest version of Google’s operating system for smartphones and tablets. It introduces a new design language called Material You, which adapts to your personal preferences and style. It also brings new features and improvements that make your device more responsive, secure, and private. In this article, we will explore some of the most notable changes and enhancements in Android 12.
Material You: A Boundary-Pushing Redesign
One of the biggest changes in Android 12 is the new design language called Material You. It rethinks the entire user interface, from shapes, light, and motion, to customizable system colors that can be adapted to match you.
One of the key features of Material You is color extraction. This feature automatically extracts the colors from your wallpaper and uses them to theme your entire OS. You can see how it looks in the screenshot below. The color changes take place all over the OS, including the notifications, settings, widgets, and even select apps. You can also override the color extraction and choose a color if you want to.
Another feature of Material You is responsive motion. This feature makes the UI feel alive with every tap, swipe, and scroll—responding quickly and expressively with smooth motion and animations. Android 12 delivers improved system performance so your device can work in perfect harmony with you.
Material You also puts a larger emphasis on widgets than many previous versions of Android. The widget selector has been completely overhauled for easier scrolling and viewing. Additionally, widgets have a few new APIs to improve performance, work with Material You theming, and even new widgets in Android 12 natively. For example, there is a new conversation widget that puts the conversations with the people you care about front-and-center on your home screen so you never miss a chat from your loved ones.
New Features: More Control and Convenience
Android 12 also ships with some new features that enhance your control and convenience. Here are some of them:
– Privacy Dashboard: This feature gives you a clear overview of how apps access your personal data, such as your location, microphone, and camera. You can see how often apps access these permissions and revoke them if you want to.
– Mic & Camera Indicators and Toggles: This feature lets you see when an app is using your microphone or camera thanks to a new indicator in your phone’s status bar. And if you don’t want any apps to access your microphone or camera, you can completely disable those sensors using two new toggles in quick settings.
– Approximate Location Permissions: This feature lets you keep your precise location private while still allowing apps to access your approximate location for tasks like weather or local news.
– Scrolling Screenshots: This feature lets you capture more of what’s on your screen by scrolling down and stitching multiple screenshots together.
– Easier Wi-Fi Sharing: This feature lets you share your Wi-Fi password with nearby devices using a QR code or Nearby Share.
Is Android 12 Better Than 11?
Android 12 is a major upgrade from Android 11 in terms of design, performance, security, and privacy. It offers a more personal, expressive, and dynamic user experience that adapts to your preferences and style. It also gives you more control over how apps access your personal data and sensors. And it makes your device more responsive, smooth, and convenient with new features and improvements.
If you have a compatible device, you can install Android 12 by enrolling in the beta program or waiting for the official release. You can also check out our update tracker for more info on when your phone might receive its update.
Android 12 is one of Google’s biggest efforts in years. It introduces many new features that pave the way for future versions of Android. It’s definitely worth trying out if you want to transform your smartphone experience.
Sources:
– https://www.android.com/android-12/
– https://www.androidauthority.com/android-12-features-1195735/
– https://developer.android.com/about/versions/12/summary
Dil Bole Oberoi
