Andrew Hoyle/CNET
Android 12, Google’s newest cell working machine, arrived past due ultimate 12 months. Even though it seems that an identical in some ways to Android 11, it provides a couple of giant new options and function fixes to assist your telephone run as easily as it may.
The replace first got here to Google’s Pixel telephones, together with the brand new Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Professional, and has since began to roll out to different Android telephones. (Here is when you’ll be expecting the instrument to return on your software.) Rumor has it Samsung’s new flagship lineup, the Galaxy S22, S22 Plus and S22 Extremely may even send with the up to date working machine.
Even though now not each and every Android telephone has joined the celebration but, there are a variety of recent options that may give Android 11 customers a explanation why (or two, or 3) to improve. And In case you are nonetheless ready on Google’s new OS to make its approach on your software, you’ll obtain and set up the Android 12 developer preview now. However needless to say, you most likely would possibly not need to check out out the developer preview in your number one software. It most likely has some insects.
Listed here are 3 of the most important new options we now have observed in Android 12 up to now, in comparison to Android 11.
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Android 12 Beta hands-on
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Privacy features for apps
Google is adding several new privacy features to apps to give you more transparency and control. You can now see when an app is using your microphone or camera through an indicator on your phone’s status bar. You’re also given the option to completely disable any and all apps’ access to your microphone or camera in Quick Settings. Android 12 also lets you keep your exact location private by giving you an option to give apps your approximate location instead.
According to an Android Developers blog post, one Android 12 update gives you more information about how cookies can be used across sites, while another changes how apps export information to prevent them from accidentally exporting activities, services and receivers.
It’s worth noting that these policies are less strict than those previously seen in Apple’s iOS 14 software releases, which include new app “nutrition labels” that tell people what personal data their apps are collecting, and a change in iOS 14.5 that requires developers to ask people for permission to gather data and track them across apps and websites. (And here are even more privacy features included in Apple’s iOS 15 update.)
Revamped notifications
With Android 12, Google is changing up the design of notifications to make them more modern and functional. When you tap on a notification, it will take you directly to the app or action you want to take, instead of going through an intermediary service to start that action. This should make everything run faster, according to the Android Developers blog post.
Android 12 also gets a new button that lets you snooze unimportant notifications, and choose how long to do so. You can also turn on adaptive notifications ranking to let Android rearrange your notifications based on how you work with different apps, and reset the ranking if you don’t like it.
New one-handed mode
Android 12 also includes a few design changes that make it easier to operate Android phones with one hand and your thumb. XDA Developers noted that the updated settings UI moves the Search bar to the bottom of the display for easier one-handed access. It also uncovered a new feature called “silky home” that makes the entire interface more suitable for one-handed use.
For more, check out everything to know about Android 12, and the best Android phones you can buy.
