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Today is another milestone in the development of Android 13 with the release of the second developer preview. Yes, it seems like we just had an Android release, but that was the unusual mid-season bump to 12L. Android 13 is the big update for 2022, and Google is adding even more privacy functionality. The new DP adds a Quick Settings shortcut to your privacy controls and security settings.
Android 13 DP2 is out now, giving Pixels another glimpse at upcoming changes
The latest version of Android 13 is here for early adopters
The second and presumably last Android 13 Developer Preview release is now rolling out, following the promised monthly cadence for these early releases. Google has highlighted a handful of changes in this release, like the new notification permission, better text wrapping and line heights for some languages, and Bluetooth LE Audio support. We've spotted plenty of changes on our own, including a new media player, fresh branding for Do Not Disturb, and a ton of color choices for Material You. Phones already on Android 13 DP1 should be getting an OTA update to the new release soon, and images are now available for manual installation for the Pixel 4 and later.
Android 13 is in the wild, although it's a long way from finished, and you need a Pixel phone to try it. Still, it's a new version of Android with changes big and small. A change to the Quick Tap gesture is on the small side, but it'll be useful nonetheless. In Android 13, Quick Tap can toggle the flashlight.
Android 13 allows app developers to promote their own Quick Settings tiles
A great tool for discovering new features or a future source of spam?
Google introduced the Quick Settings panel to Android almost a decade ago with the release of 4.2 Jelly Bean, and there have been many evolutions over the years since. Despite opening the API to custom tiles in Android 7.0 Nougat, app developers have had a hard time getting users to add third-party tiles to the Quick Settings panel. With Android 13, Google is looking to streamline the experience so users have a chance to discover new tiles and get more use from their apps.
Android 13's first developer preview is out today, and plenty of the earliest changes we're seeing are building on top of the legacy of last year's upgrade. It's also provided us with confirmation on Google's dessert-themed name for the build, and — spoiler alert — it's a delicious choice.
Android 13 DP1 introduces Quick Toggle tiles for QR code reader, one-handed mode
The notification shade gets busier
Lots of people like pulling down the notification shade in Android and tapping on Quick Toggles turn certain features on and off in quick succession — think flashlight, for example. In Android 13 Developer Preview 1, we've got two new toggles: one for a QR scanner and the other for the new one-handed mode introduced in Android 12.
Google reveals Android 13 developer previews and a bunch of new features that aren't live yet
And Android 12L isn't even in stable yet
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Hot on the heels of Android 12L Beta 3, Google has just announced our very first glimpse at Android 13. The first developer preview of this upcoming release is now available for intrepid, currently-supported Pixel-owners, but expect plenty of rough edges and issues if you take the plunge — and plenty of new features, according to Google. Highlights include a new photo picker, a new prompt for adding custom quick settings tiles, an expansion of Material You-themed app icons to support all apps, the per-app language settings we leaked before, and plenty of developer-facing goodies. Unfortunately for armchair Android enthusiasts, many of these changes aren't actually live yet.
Now's your chance to try out the Android 12L preview on actual hardware
But do you have a chance at buying it right now?
Android 12L is the first meaningful attempt by Google since the highly-criticized Honeycomb in 2011 to adapt the operating system to large-format screens including those on tablets and foldable devices. The developer preview went out in emulation on Android Studio back in October and, now, has just landed on its first real piece of hardware. No, it's not a Pixel.
The Android 12L developer preview is official, and it's all about tablets and foldables
Pixel Fold when?
Android 12 just went stable when Google introduced the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro, but the company is already releasing the next developer preview for the new OS. As we suspected, it's a small bumped up version, and it has just publicly been announced as "Android 12L" during the annual Android Developer Summit. The update is focused on optimizations for tablets and foldables, and it will go stable in early 2022.
Android 12 could automatically clear up the garbage your unused apps leave behind
Since your manufacturer oh-so-wisely decided to stop supporting microSD cards
Back in January we heard tell of a new and interesting feature coming in Android 12: "app hibernation," which would automatically place long-unused apps into optimized storage, thus freeing up storage on your phone. The feature hasn't been spotted in any of the Android 12 developer preview builds thus far, but apparently it's just around the corner. References to the feature have already been spotted in AOSP code, and now they're showing up in leaked builds of Android 12.
Google Lens translate feature spotted in Android 12 recents screen
We've been expecting this for what seems like forever
As far back as July 2019, we saw evidence that Google was preparing an easy-to-access translate feature in the recents/overview screen. This was finally announced by Google as part of December's Pixel Feature Drop, along with a similar feature for screenshots, but it's not appeared since. It now looks like it's finally showing up, although only in the latest Android 12 developer preview.
Google's one-handed mode is live in Android 12 DP2 (video)
Just a swipe down, and you can reach the top of the screen
Google launched the first Android 12 preview a few weeks back, but many of the most interesting features were hidden behind flags. With a little tinkering, it was possible to unlock Google's new One-handed mode, but there's no modding required in the just-released DP2. Just head into the gesture settings and flip on One-handed mode to get started.
Android 12: Release date, previews, betas, and everything you need to know
All your questions answered
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The first Android 12 developer preview is here. As usual, we've dived into all the changes present in this latest release — so far, anyway. But there are still plenty of other questions you might have, like: Should I install Android 12 now? What's the difference between the "previews" and the "betas?" When will Android 12 land? And how many updates will it get before it is released? Here are your answers.
Tapping notifications will open apps instantaneously on Android 12
Google apps are among the worst offenders and will need to be updated ahead of the stable release
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You know these notifications you tap and then nothing happens until a minute or two have passed? Twitter used to be guilty of this, but there are still tons of apps out there that exhibit this behavior. Google is looking to make this a thing of the past on Android 12, forbidding apps from using so-called notification trampolines. That should effectively banish slowly loading notifications, and the change is already having an effect on apps on Android 12 today — and we learned that Google apps are among the worst offenders.
The first Android TV 12 developer preview is here but you probably won't be able to run it
Only available on Google's ADT-3 dev kit for now
If you thought the Android phone market was fragmented and many phones were outdated, take a look at the Android TV landscape and be shocked. Many devices are still running outdated versions, and Android 11 has barely reached any TV so far. But Google is already going full steam ahead with Android TV 12 — the company has released the developer preview in tandem with the mobile version of the OS.
The first Android 12 Developer Preview could land sometime soon if a recent app update is any indicator. The Android Beta Feedback app, which has been bundled with the Android preview and beta releases since Android 10 Q, just got an update at the Play Store. With last year's Beta program long over, there's probably only one reason Google would be pushing an update for the app: Android 12 is coming soon.
Android 11 DP4 out now for OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro, downloads available
OxygenOS 11's strange new look is alive and well
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- The official OnePlus Forums post for the update is now up, and it includes all the download links you'll need for various versions of the OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro.
We got our first taste of OxygenOS 11's new interface via Android 11 Developer Preview 3 for the OnePlus 8 lineup earlier this month. Despite OnePlus's claim that DP3 would be the final developer preview, Android 11 DP4 has just been pushed for the OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro, adding a number of minor tweaks.
Google has already released several Developer Previews of Android 11 for smartphones, but there has been no news on the update for smart TVs and streaming boxes. That changes today, as the first Android 11 Developer Preview for Android TV is now available — but only for one device.
Facebook Messenger now uses Android 11’s Bubbles API for floating chat heads
Only the app’s beta version has so far made the jump
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With Chat Heads, Facebook Messenger found a nifty way to let you juggle multiple conversations without having to jump back and forth between apps. Since their introduction in 2013 (yep, those bubbles are that old), Facebook has so far relied on a custom overlay solution. But with the latest beta, Messenger is switching to Android 11’s native Bubbles API, though not a whole lot is going to change for end-users.
Android 11 Developer Preview 2 gets a new bugfix update
The OTA fixes issues with Wear OS and animations
Google is handling the Android 11 Developer Previews a bit differently than it did with previous Android betas. Each major Preview so far has been accompanied by at least one bugfix update, and now another minor OTA is rolling out.