The Best And New (Improved) Features in Android 12 Beta 2

Android 12 Beta 2 was released this week to all beta participants, bringing a slew of new features and settings for testers to experiment with. Android 12 Beta 2 is available for download here. While the Android 12 beta is currently only accessible for Pixel smartphones, don't let the FOMO get the better of you. The stable release of Android 12 is still many months away, and this most recent version seems to be the most buggy one yet.

Having said that, there is a lot of interesting things in this update. Below, we've compiled a list of the most significant new features in Android 12 Beta 2 that every Android user should be aware of.

Updated privacy monitoring and blocking tools are included in Android 12.

With a number of privacy-conscious improvements, Android 12 beta 2 improves the overall security of the operating system.

It's simple to check the high-level rights each app on your phone has been given thanks to the new privacy dashboard, which is the first of its kind. Your device's camera, location data, microphone, and other main functions have been used the most often in the last 24 hours, as shown by the ring chart at the top of the page. Below is a list of all potential permissions that applications may request; touching one of the categories pulls up a list of third-party apps that have permission to use the feature in question, making it simpler to manage app permissions from a centralized location. System-level applications, such as your phone's stock camera app, will not show in the list by default; however, preloaded apps, like Google Maps, will appear in the list.

In a similar vein, anytime an app makes use of your camera, microphone, or other capabilities that may pose a privacy risk, a privacy indication displays at the top of the device's screen. While viewing the alert, you will see icons for each of the functions that are now being utilized for a brief period of time before they are reduced to a single green dot. Tapping the dot brings up the Quick Settings menu, which now includes toggles for restricting access to the camera and microphone.

Android 12 has a redesigned UI with additional interface components.

One of the most significant improvements in Android 12 is a visual redesign of the system's default Android interface. Android 12 follows the Google Material design style, and Android 12 Beta 2 further improves the appearance with ‘Material You' themes that alter the color of your phone's UI, notifications, and other components to match the color of your wallpaper. Android 12 Beta 2 is available now.

The media controls and volume slider have also been given a visual makeover. They now take up less space on your lock and notification displays and adapt to your Material You theme. In the same vein, the text on the weather and date home screen widget is larger.

Android 12 introduces a number of new shortcuts.

A slew of new shortcuts, including a new, smaller Power Menu, round out the list of notable improvements in Android 12 Beta 12's notable features. A tiny menu is shown when you press the power button on Android 11, and it has quick access buttons to device settings, your Google Pay wallet, and power controls. Android 12 adds new buttons to the power menu, including power off and restart options, as well as an emergency call and lockdown options, while holding down the power button itself launches Google Assistant. You may now reach this menu via a new "Power Button" option in the fast settings, which is located in the quick settings menu.

In order to accommodate the new Power menu, Google has relocated the Google Pay wallet and Device Controls shortcuts to the Quick Settings menu (they were in the Power Button menu on Android 11). Also on the home screen is an Internet button, which you can use to rapidly switch between wifi and mobile data connections, see and connect to access networks, and access your device's complete network settings. The previously stated privacy restrictions for your camera and microphone will now show in the Quick Settings menu as well as the main settings menu.

How to get Android 12 Beta 2 and use it for a test drive

The Android 12 beta 2 software is only available on the Pixel 3, 3a, 4, 4a, and 5 smartphones, as well as on the XL and 5G versions of these devices. Although anybody may sign up on their smartphone to participate in the beta program, we suggest that you wait until the program is nearing completion before installing it on your primary phone—preferably until the complete release this autumn. Despite the fact that each version of the beta brings with it new, incomplete functionality, Beta 2 seems to be the least reliable of the beta builds so far.

If you have an extra Pixel device or don't mind suffering from app crashes and other problems, you can sign up for the Android 12 beta program by visiting this page.