A few days ago, Google released the second Android 12L beta and not only celebrated the mountain festival in beta mode with it, but also brought some new functions to the operating system for large displays. Some innovations are very interesting and could also come in the form of Android 12 or Android 13. We show you what has changed.
With Android 12L, Google has created a new operating system that, as an offshoot of Android 12, is aimed at devices with large displays. This includes foldable, tablets and Chromebooks. The differentiation from Android 12 seems clear, but it remains to be seen how it will differ from Android 13, which is also currently in development. Android 13 is also making big strides and could be released any day.
Here you will find the most important innovations in the second Android 12L beta. If you want, you can already download and use the operating system in this quite stable version on the Pixel smartphones. All information is in the linked article.
Link to the calendar in the widget
The at a Glance widget has just received a major update, and with Android 12L the next improvement or comeback is just around the corner: Tapping on the date now leads back to the calendar instead of to the weather forecast as before. The widget is now divided into two action areas that open either the weather or the calendar.
Turn picture-in-picture videos into split-screen
A small improvement that makes the split-screen even easier to use: If a video is played as picture-in-picture and there is another app in the background, a shortcut to create a split-screen appears. You can see the icon in the top left of the video, which in my opinion is rather unfortunate due to the similarity with the pause button. Mainly because the split screen on the smartphone is arranged vertically and not horizontally.
Rounded corners for app pairs
If an app pair is created and displayed together in a split-screen, the corners are now rounded. This creates a nicer look and a clearer distinction between the two applications. That would probably also make it possible to do without the dividing line between the apps in the future.
New Google Assistant graphic
The Google Assistant has migrated several times in recent years: from the home button to the power button, then with a special area in the quick settings and now this can again be found optionally on the home button. Because this was apparently also a bit confusing for the users, there is now a graphic (right screenshot) in the settings that clarifies the action somewhat.
Exit airplane mode from internet settings
Internet settings can inform that airplane mode is activated. With Android 12L it will be possible to exit this mode directly from this view. There’s a new button for that at the bottom. Saves another step and is therefore very practical.
The optional two-line clock on the lock screen
The clock display on the lock screen has changed with Android 12L and is sometimes gigantic. If you don’t want that, you can specify in the settings whether the clock should be displayed in multiple lines or in the usual classic form.