the next version of Google's operating system. The first developer preview for Android 12 was released back in February, and with it began the official Android 12 timeline. Google will launch a total of three previews between March and April, the first public beta will be available in May, and the final release of Android 12 is scheduled for sometime in Q3. It's a long road with plenty of stops along the way, but the end gets closer with each day that es.
Developer Preview 1 debuted last month with plenty to talk about, with some of its most noteworthy features being redesigned notifications, a new screenshot interface, and the ability to use Google's Nearby Share feature with Wi-Fi. There was also a new 'Silky Home' UI found to be hidden behind a feature flag, offering an early glimpse at a radical new look for Android as it's known. With Developer Preview 2 that's now available, there's even more to talk about.
Kicking things off with one of the biggest changes exactly how it's done in iOS. The interface moves further down the screen for better reachability, s can set a timeout timer to have it automatically turn off after a certain point, and that's about all there is to it. As spotted by 9to5Google, also new are a few improvements to how picture-in-picture works. Once again taking cues from iOS, Android 12 DP2 adds pinch-to-zoom for making a PiP window larger or smaller, double-tapping on it switches between the current and maximum size, and the PiP player can be hidden off the screen by moving it to the far left or right.
Android 12 DP2 Also Has A Bunch Of Smaller Updates
Those are the two biggest -facing changes that have been discovered so far in Developer Preview 2, but for people that pay really close attention to all the changes Google makes, there are a few other things worth talking about. The widget list in the Pixel Launcher now has a new design, further suggesting that widgets will have a big role to play in future versions of Android 12. Google has also made its dark theme lighter, made small visual tweaks to the PIN and pattern lock screen pages, and there are hints of a new search bar for the Pixel Launcher that could replace the Google Search widget that currently exists.
There's still a long way to go before Android 12 is ready for the masses, but even so, it is exciting to see everything Google is tinkering with leading up to its release. DP1 and DP2 have both had a lot going on with them, and as Google gets closer to releasing the first public beta in May, the changes and updates and only going to become even more apparent. Before that happens, however, there is a final Developer Preview 3 coming in April to look forward to.
Source: Google, 9to5Google