Google released this Thursday (18) the developer preview of Android 12, and it’s already possible to get a sneak peek at some of the features expected for the next version of the operating system. Some features had already been spotted by a specialized leak and rumor sites, while others were confirmed with the official release of the new Android.
Check out the list below for seven features that should be released in the next update. It is worth noting that some of them, so far, are rumors and may be deleted, improved, or modified until the official release of Android 12.
1. New Interface
The Android 12 developer preview confirmed a general change in the interface of the new operating system. The notification bar and the home screen have gained a revamped design and new highlights. Besides, features such as Always On Display – which lets you check notifications or the time even when the screen is turned off – and the lock screen are also expected to get a facelift.
According to a screenshot released by XDA Developers, the quick settings panel is quite different and has fewer options in the home bar. As the site recalls, Android 11 had already reduced the number of options in the quick settings, which became even smaller with Android 12. Features such as grouping notifications into separate “Conversations” and “Notifications” folders have been retained.
The OS update should also bring new widgets to customize the device, and features such as “Auto Rotate,” the Picture-in-Picture display system, floating notification bubbles, and accessibility options for visually impaired users should be improved.
2. Share Wi-Fi Passwords
Android 10 brought the ability to share Wi-Fi passwords from QR Codes, ensuring speed when it comes to passing on the secret code to close contacts and friends. Android 12 should improve the functionality by allowing you to send the QR code with the Wi-Fi password via Nearby Share – a feature similar to Apple’s AirDrop.
This will make it possible to pass on the Wi-Fi password to friends even more securely and quickly, especially since Nearby Share requires no direct contact with the user. The method leaves the secret characters protected and makes it even easier to share the code with multiple people since there is no need to scan the QR Code.
3. One-handed Mode
A feature that leaked days ago and has not yet been spotted in the Android 12 developer preview is the one-handed mode. The feature allows you to reduce the size of the smartphone’s display when using it with one hand, which could improve usability as your thumb could glide across the screen more fluidly. The new feature, if it arrives in the stable version of the system, will be particularly useful for owners of phones with very large screens.
4. Game Mode
Another rumor theorizes that the update will implement something like a “gaming mode”. It’s not yet clear how the feature is supposed to work, but the XDA Developers site speculates that the function can control other cell phone features, such as adjusting screen brightness during games or entering “Do Not Disturb” mode while accessing a game on the smartphone, for example.
5. Privacy Functions
New privacy features are expected for Android 12. Recently, Google even disclosed that the company’s operating system could gain an anti-tracking feature similar to Apple’s App Tracking Transparency. The update should also bring another feature very similar to one already available on the iPhone (iOS), which indicates when an app is using the device’s camera and microphone.
The new Android feature should assign camera and microphone icons to the notification bar whenever an app accesses this information. By clicking on the status with the icons, it will be possible to see which apps are currently using the device’s camera and microphone, as well as which have accessed the features recently. Another privacy feature identified in the developer version allows you to disable the phone’s camera, microphone, and location from the device settings.
6. Customization of Themes
Among the rumors is a new feature that should allow greater customization of the phone from themes. According to information from XDA Developers, Android 12 may bring the ability to modify the default colors of the system. It is believed that the feature could also modify the panel colors and suggest new color options when adding wallpapers as a background screen on the phone, which would replace the default white or black for the light and dark themes.
There is also the possibility of customizing icons for apps that support the tool. However, as the site warns, it is possible that the customization may not reach the end-user of the operating system, since the apps themselves usually modify and set their default Android colors.
7. Hibernate Apps
The possibility of hibernating apps is a rumored feature that draws attention in Android 12. The feature may allow little-used apps to go into a hibernation mode and remain “dormant”, without taking up so much of the device’s memory. According to information from the XDA Developers website, the feature could automatically free up storage space on the phone, as it should erase the cache memory saved by apps.
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