It could be part of the game mode we heard about
This year’s Android 12 update becomes Google’s largest version in years, judging by all the new features we’re finding. Earlier today, the XDA-recognized developer and friend of the website Quinny899 gave us our first look at the hidden conversation widget of Android 12, but this is not the only feature he has activated. Thanks to reverse engineering, he managed to make Google’s hidden Gaming Dashboard feature work. It is currently extremely barefoot and has only a floating toolbar with two non-functional buttons, but this is our first look at another Android 12 feature that has not yet been released.
As you can see in the screenshot below, two icons are highlighted at the top of the screen: a record icon and a control icon.
Android 12’s hidden, evolving game bar. Credits: Kieron Quinn / Quinny899.
According to the code for Gaming Dashboard found in SystemUI of Android 12, the record button simply starts a screen capture session. This is useful when you want to record your screen without interrupting the game by dragging down the Quick Settings panel. As for the button with the controller icon, we do not know what it will do because it does not work and there is no clear functionality attached to it in the code.
The Gaming Dashboard classes are part of the com.google.android.systemui namespace rather than com.android.systemuiindicating that this feature may be Pixel-exclusive. However, many OEMs have all their own Gaming Mode features, and there is nothing to this version that is currently noticeable. Before the first preview for developers dropped, we learned that Google is working on a game mode for Android 12. We do not know if this new Gaming Dashboard and the Game Mode we heard about are the same, or if the first one simple is a feature built on top of the new GameManager service. We’ll probably learn more from subsequent previews of Android 12 developers.