Mobile devices started to dominate our lives even before the pandemic hit. But with the virus-induced restrictions in the physical world, mobile devices have become much more than just fancy gadgets. Early in the pandemic, we used our mobile devices for just about everything — from buying groceries to attending Zoom meetings and more.
With such a massive surge in global mobile usages, the growth Android app development market is not surprising at all. However, the forthcoming Android 12, seemingly, has the potential to surprise you. That’s what we will discuss in this blog post. Android 12 is expected to release later this year. And you couldn’t wait to explore all the previews and leaks about the upcoming version. Let’s dive right in.
Android 12 Developer Previews & Leaks
As of this writing, Google has released three previews of Android 12. In February 2021, the tech giant unveiled the first. These previews are crucial to Android app development projects in terms of updated capabilities. However, Google usually doesn’t showcase all the features in previews. That’s why Android buffs like us are always on the lookout for more.
If the leaks spotted by XDA Developers are to believe, Android 12 will introduce features never seen before on the platform. XDA saw an unstable version. But it offers enough meat to guess some of the new Android 12 features. So, let’s try to deduce what these features would mean for your Android app development project.
What’s New in Android 12?
Android 12 is likely to unveil an array of new features, along with making some significant improvements to existing functionalities. From better display features to providing apps a more seamless ecosystem, Android 12 looks promising in important ways. Here’s how.
App Pairs Improvements
We heard about Google making improvements in the split-screen multitasking features even before announcing Android 12. In the first two Android 12 previews, Google has shown new “App Pairs” features. It enables users to open two apps at once. App Pairs could help create new capabilities like the ability to swap apps’ positions by double-tapping the center.
Split Screen Changes
With Android 12, Google has changed the “split-screen” button to “pin to top.” It enables users to switch to a multi-window layout where apps occupy one-fourth of the top of the screen until you tap on another app in the recent apps’ overview. It causes both apps to both apps to split evenly on the screen. The “pin to top” could also be part of some broader functionality enhancement that we might see in Android 12. We’re not yet sure though.
New Way to Launch Google Assistant
The use of voice-based services is increasing substantially. Google Assistant has seen a dramatic surge in usages over the past year or so. Now Android is introducing a new way to launch Google Assistant on your device. After updating to Android 12, users can just hold the power button for a few seconds and activate the voice assistant. It significantly increases the convenience of using Google Assistant.
Changes in the widget picker & connectivity settings
Google introduced changes in the widget picker in the Android 12 developer preview 2. The updated widget picker will be more compact and collapse by default. With a new search bar, users can now scroll and find the app they want to select for a widget.
Additionally, Android 12 brings a host of changes related to internet connectivity, per the leak XDA Developers spotted. Wi-Fi will now just be called “Internet.” However, you can find out what kind of wireless connectivity you’re using (Wi-Fi 5, Wi-Fi 6, etc.) under network details.
Wrapping up
Android developers and app users alike are excited about Android 12. With developer previews and leaks we’re already getting a sense of groundbreaking Android features. If you’re a developer, these new features mean more power to your Android app development projects. If you’re a business owner, it means more ways to attract customers and prospects. You could hire Android app developers to incorporate the new features. If you’re just an Android enthusiast, the new version is likely to propel your mobile device experiences.
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