Android 12 is undoubtedly the most anticipated Android operating system (OS) to date. It is not too difficult to see why it gained its popularity. Despite all the excitement though, it will be a few months before we see Android 12 coming to Android smartphones in full force, especially smartphones that comes with manufacturer skins like Samsung.
If you cannot wait to try out the new interface though, you can always go ahead and work with the Beta version of Android 12. If you have a device that supports Android 12 Beta as well, you are in luck because Android 12 Beta 2 has just been released. On Android 12 Beta 2, you are also one step closer to working with the full Android 12 that is supposed to come in August 2021 or so. But what is new on the second Beta version of Android 12?
Privacy Dashboard
Google talked about the Privacy Dashboard in their Google I/O 2021 keynote. Privacy is more important than ever in today’s world. Manufacturers and developers alike are putting more emphasis on privacy as well than ever. They are also giving more control and power ever to their users.
This Privacy Dashboard is one of them. It gives you more control and visibility over what hardware are being used by different apps and what access different apps have on your device. The dashboard can also help you understand the way and why apps need access to certain things on your device.
Mic and Camera Indicators
Smartphones are terrible at telling you that certain things on your smartphone is being used for something. While the Privacy Dashboard does add a little more control and transparency, it is also important to know when something is being accessed or used. It is especially true when it is your mic or camera that are being used. With the new indicators, users can easily and quickly find out which apps are accessing either the camera, or the microphone, or both in real-time. You can also easily and quickly bar the access of mic and camera in that case.
Mic and Camera Toggles
To completely block off any access to your Microphones and Cameras was virtually impossible on a modern smartphone before this. With Android 12, you now can. That feature is now available to play with in Android 12 Beta. You do have to go through some checks to see if your device supports the function or not. Once you turn off access to the mic and camera though, no apps can access both functions at all.
Clipboard Read Notification
Clipboards is naturally something we put out of our mind. It is the list or a collection of texts or things we copied from websites, notes, documents, and anything as such. Android 12 Beta now notifies you if the clipboard is being used in a particular app. A toast will appear at the bottom of the screen each time a clipboard item on another app is being accessed or read by the app you are currently using.
Simpler Connectivity Options
The networking page and access has been completely redesigned on Android 12. One of the primary focus on Android 12 is its intuitiveness. They completely overhauled the network connection screen to do just that. You can now switch between their network providers and WiFi easily and quickly. The new Internet Panel also allow users to quickly troubleshoot network connectivity issues.
Android 12
Android 12 was announced, and its first Beta launched at Google I/O 2021. The new platform is expected to fully release by August 2021 onward and partnering manufacturers will release their own versions of Android 12 soon after. Google’s Android 12 also features one of the platform’s largest visual overhaul in its history. The platform now features something they call Material You in their design language. The UI is designed around more personalisation and more intuitiveness than ever. Find out more about Android 12 on our release write-up here, or you can also visit their website for more information on Android 12 Beta 2. At the same time, you can visit the Android 12 Beta devices page to find out if you have a compatible device.