Google releases Android 12 beta: Here are the highlights

Google has taken the wraps off of its first beta of Android 12, the next generation of the company’s mobile OS, highlighting several new features.

Google highlighted the features during its I/O developer conference on 18 May.

Android 12 builds on Android 11 with new customisation and privacy options.

The OS also promises improved efficiency and performance on supported devices.

“Android 12 builds on everything you love about Android, and focuses on building a deeply personal phone that adapts to you, developing an operating system that is secure by default and private by design, and making all your devices work better together,” Sameer Samat, VP of Product Management for Android & Google Pay, said in a statement.

What’s new in Google Android 12?

Google’s Android 12 features one of the biggest design changes since the OS first launched in 2008.

Users can completely personalise their phone’s User Interface (UI) with different colour palettes and redesigned widgets. The UI’s colour can be customised to match your phone’s wallpaper.

Features in the UI that can be customised include the notification shade, lock screen, volume controls, and several other widgets.

Google published a video on YouTube showcasing the redesigned UI on Android 12:

Google has also improved the efficiency of Android 12. It said devices are faster and more responsive as CPU time needed for essential system services are decreased by 22%.

It also decreased the use of big cores by the system server by up to 15%.

Meanwhile, the notification shade now includes include Google Pay and Home Controls. You can still customise the shade to your liking, though.

Privacy dashboard

A new major feature is the Privacy Dashboard. Located in the device settings, the dashboard provides a central overview and breakdown of what data and equipment the apps on your device are accessing. This includes location data and your device’s camera and microphone.

The dashboard also lets you revoke permissions for specific apps.

In addition, Google will also give users the option to limit the location data given to apps.

Instead of providing your precise location, your device will only give an approximate one.

Google will make the new features available as it rolls out Android 12.

Currently, the OS is only available as a beta version on certain mobile devices for now.

Feature image: Google

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