This article is reproduced from the IT House. News from IT House on March 18. Foreign media 9to5 Google reported that today Google has given priority to pushing Android 12 Developer Preview 2 (DP2) for Pixel phones. Following the DP1.1 patch released earlier this month, DP2 provides developers with many new features for them to use in their applications.
Like the first version, DP2 is still in the "priority window" for developers to test the upcoming Android 12 API and submit feedback.
The new features are as follows:
The dark theme on Pixel becomes lighter and brighter
On the Pixel, it uses a true black theme to feast the eyes of AMOLED enthusiasts. Now, in the second preview version of Android 12, Google makes the dark theme lighter and brighter than in the first preview version.
With the release of this latest version, the theme changes from dark, jet black to light gray. Google claims that compared to white, even the gray theme can save power on OLED displays, so it is reasonable to think that light gray will reduce battery consumption.
One-handed mode is online and seems to be fully usable
In the "gestures" section of the Pixel settings menu, Android 12 DP2 adds a "single-handed mode" option, which is triggered by swiping down at the bottom of the display. This gesture is turned off by default on the Pixel 3 XL test device, and its working principle is very similar to Reachability in iOS.
With this update, the function gets a complete menu with three options. First, switch on/off to actually enable the function. There is also a second lever to automatically turn off the one-handed mode when switching between apps. Finally, there is an option to exit the one-handed mode after a set time. You can choose 4 seconds, 8 seconds or 12 seconds, or turn off the timer completely.
WiFi sharing is now in bright theme mode
Google has added a convenient feature for quickly sharing WiFi passwords in Android 10, and in Android 12, this feature is changing. In Android 12 DP2, the WiFi sharing UI interface is always in bright mode.
The WiFi sharing interface introduced in the Android system will display a QR code as well as the network name (SSID) and password. This screen is hidden behind the PIN code or fingerprint of the device to ensure security.
Google now forces this user interface to always be in bright mode. This is a small adjustment, definitely to make the camera easier to read QR, but it brings annoying side effects. When your device is set to dark mode, the plain text password and network name become invisible. But this is easily solved by switching back to bright mode, and Google will almost certainly fix this problem in time.
Redesigned widget list, lock screen PIN code and pattern input adjustment
Google has made some subtle adjustments to the PIN code entry on your lock screen. The dividing line between the number you entered and the number pad no longer exists, and the enter key stops using the blue button. However, the "emergency call" pill did take this shade and is now filled more prominently. Another small change here is to see that the line of the pattern lock becomes thicker.
In addition to the light and dark themes on Pixel devices, there is the Widgets list. The page now hides the rotating band and does not show which widgets are available in the app until you expand it, making it more compact. In other words, the application icon is much larger and contains an appropriate count.
Only one carousel can be deployed at a time. The redesign of widgets in Android 12 provides a cleaner approach and is less unacceptable. Compared with the leaked content last month, the turntable has not been redesigned, and the original UI elements are still used. This situation may change in the future.
The picture-in-picture revision brings new gestures and hiding
When exiting the media application that is playing the video, Android 12 DP2 will immediately switch to the picture-in-picture mode, instead of waiting for the animation to slide back to the homepage to complete. Google said, "This makes the transition smoother and improves perception performance." The picture-in-picture window can now also be temporarily hidden/shelved by dragging it to the left/right edge of the screen".
A single click will only display the controls instead of expanding them all, while a double click will switch between the current and maximum PIP size, instead of entering the full screen. The window can also be resized by pinching to zoom.
The following is a video demonstration:
The media player user interface now uses system accent colors
Google is changing the media player UI accent color to match your system theme, not any content playback.
Although it may not be a huge change at first glance, it will change the saliency of certain parts of your device. The changes will be most prominent on your lock screen. Android 12 DP1 actually adjusted some layouts, but this is just a color change of the media player UI, and all the same functions are retained.
When you select the key color of the system theme in the "Style and Wallpaper" section, the color you choose will be used for any quick setting switch, setting page, and now the key color will be applied to the media recovery UI and the lock screen media player.
Previously, almost every part of the media player on your Pixel would be directly based on the color of the current content. For example, if the cover design of an album is maroon/red, there will be an accent player to imitate the main color. As you can see from the screenshot below, album art or video content is now easier to see when green is used. Every color in the style and wallpaper section can also be used normally.
New device Pixel Launcher search bar is under development
Google Assistant is now the focus of any type of search on Android, especially on Pixel. However, Google seems to be preparing to make device search easier on your launcher, and a new bar may debut in Android 12.
Local device search can be performed on the Android launcher through the Assistant search bar, but this is not a solution focused on this. Although you may search for an application specifically on your device, you will also get Google search results.
In Android 12, Google is preparing a new device search bar to replace the Assistant/Google search bar. As shown in the figure below, after activating on Pixel Launcher, this new option does not have any Google logo. When used, it just searches the content on the device directly. Unfortunately, this is not a function for the general public and cannot be used normally at present.
As you can see, there is a settings menu where users can switch on and off different search result sources. Possible results include applications, application shortcuts, settings, contacts, widgets, and Play Store. There is also a codename for "nasa", but it is still unclear what it is.
"Game Dashboard" will add quick access to recording, YouTube streaming and other functions
Google is developing a "Game Dashboard" for Android 12 - perhaps exclusive to Pixel phones - which adds useful controls and information, such as a frame per second counter, simple capture options, and YouTube streaming shortcuts.
The Android 12 game dashboard quick settings seems to be for gamers to easily access screenshots and recording options, a do not disturb switch, and a frame per second option. Different from others, this frame-per-second switch is not a function provided by general third-party apps on Android, but a function commonly used by hardcore gamers, especially PCs.
At the same time, the two large squares in the game dashboard seem to be to facilitate the use of functions that players may want or need. The box on the left is currently blank, and the box on the right provides quick access to live streaming your mobile game to YouTube. Currently, clicking on this option in the Android 12 game dashboard just opens the YouTube application directly and enters to create a new mobile live broadcast.
One thing to note is that the code for this Android 12 game dashboard is archived under "com.google.android.systemui" instead of the usual "com.android.systemui". We think this may indicate that this is for Google Exclusive to Pixel phones.
The contact space widget is formed to remind you to chat with relatives and friends
In the leaked mockup, the more interesting feature that Android 12 will launch is "People Space", which can put your friends and family on the home screen. With the release of Android 12 DP2, this People Space widget has begun to take shape.
In the early mock images, the "People Space" widget was advertised as a "conversation". It puts your loved one in a prominent reminder position. The mock image shows examples of unread messages. You haven't had it for a while. The person who sent the message, and the birthday of the friend.
With Android 12 DP2, the People Space widget can be enabled. When you add the widget to the home screen, you will be asked to choose from a list of recently received notifications, which are marked as "conversations" by Android. For example, in the screenshot below, you can see that Telegram and Slack are supported.
Once you have selected a conversation, you can place the "People Space" widget on your home screen, where it will tell you how long you have been chatting with that particular person or group, such as " The last chat was less than 1 hour ago".
It’s strange that the "People Space" widget defaults to a "3×2" size, which is obviously much larger than what is needed for a single dialogue reminder. In addition, in the initial leaked information, we also saw multiple widgets arranged in different corner curves.
Google Pay is already available
Due to the lack of NFC payment, most people will not install the early Android developer preview version. Google Pay is now enabled in Android 12 DP2 and can be used.
Google said that it has fixed the problem that users encountered when using NFC payment through Google Pay. This entry links to a bug report about the problem people are experiencing.
Android 12 developer preview builds have not been approved by the Compatibility Test Suite (CTS), but they have passed preliminary tests and provide developers with a stable set of pre-release APIs. Applications that rely on CTS-approved builds or use SafetyNet APIs may not run properly on the Android 12 developer preview.
Other updates and instructions
On the topic of "trust and security," Android apps can require the device to be unlocked before allowing the user to take action on the lock screen notification. For example, a chat application can require authentication before deleting a message. At the same time, developers can prevent overlays from appearing in their sensitive apps and workflows (ie transactions), and you can display content on top of active apps.
In terms of user experience, the application can request details about the rounded corners of the device. The radius, center point, and other data allow developers to adjust nearby UI elements and prevent them from being truncated.
IT Home is informed that Android 12 introduces the CompanionDeviceService API, which aims to improve applications for managing devices such as smart watches and fitness trackers. When a wearable device comes into close contact with your phone, the companion app will be awakened.
As long as the device is nearby, the system will maintain the binding of the service. When the device enters and leaves the range or shuts down, the system will notify the service and let the application clean up the state as needed.
Other changes in Android 12 DP2 include a more accurate bandwidth estimation API, and it is easier to apply graphics effects (blur, color filters, etc.) to the view.
There is an Android Beta feedback app on the Pixel phone. Users can access it from the app drawer or through the quick settings to submit bugs in the Google issue tracker.
At the press conference, Google Android 12 developer preview system can be used in Pixel 3 (XL), Pixel 3a (XL), Pixel 4 (XL), Pixel 4a, Pixel 4a 5G and Pixel 5, as well as in the Android emulator.
Google officially stated that Android 12 DP2 (SPP2.210219.008) is still "only for developers, not suitable for daily or consumer use."