Android 12 is one of the most significant redesigns we've seen in years, but not every change has been for the better. Google added a new sparkle effect to taps in Beta 1, but users found it confusing enough to be mistaken for a bug. After promising to dial down the sparkles in future revisions — and not really changing much in last month's Beta 2 — Google has finally returned most of the ripples to normal in its latest update.
Tapping around menus in Beta 3 initially left us convinced the sparkles were gone for good. Both tiles in quick settings and in various menus seemed to lack the effect altogether, opting instead for a standard gradient ripple.
An apparent lack of sparkling.
After poking around for a while, we were able to finally spot some leftover sparkles. The effect applies to the settings shortcut accessible from the bottom of quick settings, though it's fast enough that it's hard to see without looking for it.
Look close. Closer. There it is.
With how little of the animation is left, it seems like it could be on its way out entirely, either in Beta 4 or in the final stable version. We can't speak for every Android user, but it doesn't seem like too many will be broken up over this loss.