Android 12
2021 Android mobile operating system
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- 2 chapters
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Through Google, Machine learning and Sandbox (computer security)
As of June 2026, 9.83% of Android devices run Android 12, making it the fifth-most widely used version of Android.
History
Android 12 (internally codenamed Snow Cone) was announced in an Android blog posted on February 18, 2021. A developer preview was released immediately, with two additional ones planned the following two months. After that, four monthly beta releases were planned, beginning in May, the last one of them reaching platform stability in August, with general availability coming shortly after that.
The second developer preview was released on March 17, 2021, followed by a third preview on April 21. The first beta build was then released on May 18, 2021. It was followed by beta 2 on June 9, which got a bug-fix update to 2.1 on June 23. The third beta was released on July 14, getting a bug-fix update to 3.1 on July 26. Beta 4 was released on August 11, 2021. A fifth beta, not planned in the original roadmap, was released on September 8, 2021. Android 12's stable version was released on the Android Open Source Project on October 4 before getting its public over-the-air rollout on October 19, coinciding with the launch event for the Pixel 6.
Android 12.1/12L
In October 2021, Google announced Android 12L, an interim release of Android 12 including improvements specific for foldable phones, tablets, desktop-sized screens and Chromebooks, and modifications to the user interface to tailor it to larger screens. It was planned to launch in early 2022. Developer Preview 1 of Android 12L was released in October 2021, followed by Beta 1 in December 2021, Beta 2 in January 2022, and Beta 3 in February 2022. The stable version of Android 12L was released for devices with large screens on March 29, 2022, along with the redesigned Chrome logo and icon. It was released as "Android 12.1" for Pixel smartphones on the same date beside the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro.
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Features
User interface
Android 12 introduces a major refresh to the operating system's Material Design language, branded as "Material You", which features larger buttons, increased use of animation, and a new style for home screen widgets. A feature, internally codenamed "monet", allows the operating system to automatically generate a wallpaper color theme (basic color theme for Android 12.1/12L) for system menus and supported apps using the colors of the user's wallpaper.
The smart home and Wallet areas added to the power menu in Android 11 have been moved to the notification shade, and Google Assistant is now activated by holding the power button. Android 12 features native support for taking scrolling screenshots.
The screen magnifier feature now supports partial magnification via a floating window and can also be configured to follow text input.
A splash screen is automatically generated for every installed app, which app developers can customise. The Core Splashscreen Jetpack library backports this functionality for older Android versions.
On Android 12.1/12L, the quick buttons were moved to the bottom–right corner of the screen. Also, it brought many changes to the lock screen clock. It moved from left of the screen horizontally to the center of the screen, stacked.
Platform
Performance improvements have been made to system services, including the window and package managers. The Android Runtime has been added to Project Mainline, allowing it to be serviced via Play Store.
Android 12 adds support for spatial audio and MPEG-H 3D Audio, and supports transcoding HEVC video for backwards compatibility with apps that do not support it. A new API known as HapticGenerator allows the OS to generate haptic feedback from audio on compatible devices.
A "rich content insertion" API eases the ability to transfer formatted text and media between apps, such as via the clipboard. Third-party app stores now can update apps without constantly asking the user for permission.
Privacy
OS-level machine learning functions are sandboxed within the "Android Private Compute Core", which is expressly prohibited from accessing networks.
Apps requesting location data can now be restricted to having access only to "approximate" location data rather than "precise". Controls to prevent apps from using the camera and microphone system-wide have been added to the quick settings toggles. An indicator will also be displayed on-screen if they are active.