Cory Gunther
Alongside the all-new Pixel 6, today, Google officially released Android 12 for the Pixel 3 and above. Following the first public beta back in May and months of developer previews, the software is rolling out now for existing capable devices.
Keep in mind that this is the official launch of Android 12 for Pixel phones. Those with other devices from Samsung, OnePlus, Sony, and others from the beta will need to wait for each manufacturer to release their version of Android 12. Either way, here’s what you need to know.
What’s New in Android 12?
The most significant change in Android 12 is the new Material You design and customization engine. Google explains it as a tweak that “seeks to create designs that are personal for every style, accessible for every need, alive and adaptive for every screen.” For example, as you change the background wallpaper, Android 12 can automatically adjust the entire software experience to match it and match the colors. Then, that’s all customizable by you, too.
Android 12 delivers a slew of new features, including privacy and security upgrades, along with a significant visual overhaul. There’s a new privacy dashboard that shows what’s accessing your device, along with camera and microphone indicators in the notification bar and much more.
Android 12 brings improved performance, better privacy controls, enhanced features, and improvements throughout. Here’s a quick list of what you can expect when the update hits your phone:
- Material You Design
- Redesigned Widgets
- Notifications Interface Update
- Stretch Overscroll and smoother scrolling
- App launch splash screens
- One-handed mode
- Faster, more efficient system performance
- Optimized foreground services
- More responsive notifications
- Performance classes
- Faster machine learning
- Privacy dashboard
- Approximate locations
- Microphone and camera indicators for privacy
- Nearby device permissions
- Rich content submission
- Rounded screen corners
- AVIF image support
- Compatible media transcoding
- Easier blurs, color filters, and effects
- Enhanced haptics
- New camera effects and sensor capabilities
- Android 12 for games
- and more
Again, this is just a shortlist of the many changes in Android 12 hitting phones today, and you can read more here.
Android 12 Pixel Release
As we said above, the official Android 12 update is rolling out as of today. You can manually check for updates or wait for the over-the-air software update if you have a Pixel 3, Pixel 3 XL, Pixel 3a, Pixel 3a XL, Pixel 4, Pixel 4 XL, Pixel 4a, Pixel 4a 5G, Pixel 5, and Pixel 5a.
Head to settings and click the “check for update” button, or wait for the OTA. Those already enjoying the Android 12 beta will get a minor update to this stable, official release.
In closing, remember that Android 12 hit Google’s AOSP project earlier this month. This means other manufacturers like Samsung can continue the beta and hopefully start rolling out the update to its users soon. We’re expecting Samsung to begin in late November or December and look for other manufacturers to make announcements any day now.
In the meantime, those with a Pixel 3 or newer can enjoy Google’s latest software experience starting today.
Source: Google Blog
