Android 12, Google’s new smartphone OS is finally available. It has been deployed in the various compatible devices since the end of February. The editor preview presents a wide range of tools that will certainly allow developers to offer even more services. However, as we can imagine, access to certain features will only be possible through the use of the Android Debug Bridge (ADB).
Android 12 vs Android 11: What Are the Differences?
Before detailing the new features, discover a comparison of the two OS in the video below.
However, the list of new features presented below is not exhaustive. Several of them are not yet operational or have bugs.
Functions to improve the user experience
Google has put special emphasis on improving accessibility in Android version 12. Indeed, the OS now allows you to take advantage of a magnification window on all or part of the screen. The user can therefore zoom in on a particular area and move the window, regardless of the section of the OS open on the screen.
In addition, the double tap functionality available in preview on Android 11 has been extended to the latest version of the OS. This feature allows the user to take a screenshot, pause media, or open the Google Assistant. However, it is only available on the Pixel 5, although it does not yet work for the Pixel 5. moment.
A feature long awaited by fans is also appearing on Android 12: one-handed mode . This accessibility feature allows users of “large” devices to reach the navigation buttons at the top of the screen. The system then works by moving the entire interface of the device down. This allows easier use of the device with one hand.
The scrolling screenshot completes the list of the most anticipated accessibility features on the OS. This option, which took a long time to arrive on the main version of Android, offers the possibility of capturing an image that exceeds the standard display window. The final rendering is then an assembly into a single transparent image. However, it seems that some corrections still need to be made to the tool.
Functions for improving visual rendering
One of the most significant changes Google has made concerns the redesign of the lock screen. You can now see the clock on two lines (hours and minutes). The date notification is now positioned above that of the weather forecast. The whole is then aligned either on the same row or on the same column depending on whether or not there are other notifications.
Android 12 features a new wallpaper-based automated theme system . This system called “monet” should allow users to refresh the visual theme of their smartphone without having to manually adjust the colors by going to the settings of the device.
The new OS also offers the ability to tone down bright colors by activating a toggle button. The tool, available in accessibility options, allows the user to adjust the screen brightness. It does this by setting a percentage or dimming value between 0 and 100%.
Finally, and this is a little surprising from Google, it is now possible to adjust the AMOLED black theme to a shade of gray blue or dark gray. Small flat, the modifications the user makes do not affect all the menus. This reduces and annihilates the advantages of the dark theme (battery saving, eye fatigue).
