Google released Android 12 Developer Preview 2 before the release of the software this fall. Although we’ve already given a general overview of what’s officially included in the latest developer preview, we’ll take a closer look at the release now and cover several other features that Google has not announced.
New dark theme
Google launched a system-wide dark theme in Android 10 that gave Pixel owners a true black look. The first Android 12 Developer Preview introduced a dark gray shade for the dark theme, and in Developer Preview 2 Google did the same made it an even lighter shade of gray.
When you see the different themes side by side, the contrast is strong. However, the gray dark theme should still give users a look that is easy on the eyes and still saves some battery life.
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- Android 11’s dark theme
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- Android 12 DP2’s dark theme
One-handed mode
As devices get bigger, it becomes more difficult to use with one hand. Google is addressing it in Android 12 with a one-handed mode that will make the use of one hand much easier.
In the Pixel Settings menu under Gestures, there is a one-handed mode option that slides the screen down so you can get to the top more easily; it’s similar to Apple’s Reachability feature in iOS. Once activated, you can activate the One-handed mode by swiping down to the bottom of the screen near where the navigation bar is.
The feature provides a switch that exits the One-handed mode when you switch programs, and there are also four different time-out options: never, 4 seconds, 8 seconds, and 12 seconds.
New notification-down gesture
In the first Android 12 developer preview, we noticed a new gesture called ‘swipe for notifications’. With this gesture, you can swipe down at the bottom of the screen to pull down the notification bar. Many launches – including Google’s own Pixel Launcher – allow you to swipe anywhere on the home screen to pull down the notification screen. However, if this gesture is enabled in Settings> System> Gestures> Notifications swipe, you can drag down the notification screen while on any screen.
I found another gesture – swipe down for notifications. Do you know how the Pixel Launcher can wipe you on the home screen to pull off the notification screen? Yes, it does – but in any app. pic.twitter.com/VpmRESJkkM
– Mishaal Rahman (@MishaalRahman) 19 February 2021
Because the notification swing is activated in the same way as the one-handed mode, it does not become compatible with each other. If you enable one of them, the other one is disabled. If you also have a Pixel phone with a fingerprint scanner on the back, it seems that this gesture will not work, because Google expects you to use the existing “swipe fingerprint for notifications” gesture that achieves the same.
New widget selector
One of the first changes we noticed in Android 12 DP2 was a new widget selector in the Pixel Launcher. Just like before, with a long press on the home screen, you can easily select the widget of your choice. The new look is a bit more compact and however, folds in the different options for easier browsing.
Unbridge Programs for Specific Notification Listeners
In Android 12 Developer Preview 2, you now have the option to “disconnect” apps from listeners for notifications. It’s confusingly worded, but we think it means you will be able to choose which apps can intercept a notification listening service. Notification listeners, for those who do not know, are services that can read your notifications as they are posted. This is how the Wear OS app, for example, can read your notifications and sync with your smartwatch.
Smart calls
Android 12 Developer Preview 2 has added a Smart Forwarding feature, which we found long ago in AOSP. This feature allows you to divert calls between two SIMs available on your device. This feature can be useful if one SIM is unreachable but the other is not.
Turn the screen darker
As we explained earlier, Android 12 adds a “Reduce Brightness” feature (now called “Reduce Brightness” in DP2). Now in DP2, this feature, as well as other preferences related to contrast, size and theme, have been merged into a new settings tab “Rotate screen darker”. You can find this page under Settings> Accessibility> Text & Display.
Lock screen adjusts to PIN and pattern locks
Android 12 Developer Preview 2 introduces some subtle changes to the look of the PIN and pattern lock. The changes are not as dramatic as the changes seen in the leak of the lock screen lock that we showed you for the first time last month, but they are part of the changes we described in our article on the overall Material “NEXT” changes.
In both the PIN and pattern view, the “Emergency call” button now surrounds a rounded bubble that matches the system accent theme. In the pattern version, the line that your finger follows when you enter the pattern is now much thicker than before.
Media player now matches the accent color
Depending on the theme you set for your device, the media player now follows the system accent color. As a reminder, a media player in Android 11 has been added to the notification panel.
There are a few other changes included in the second developer preview, including several hidden ones. If you want to read in it, we have an article that contains all the hidden features we have found so far in Android 12 DP2.