Google releases first developer preview of Android 12

Google has released the first developer preview of Android 12, announcing the first batch of new features and some details. At the same time, the company also revealed the complete testing and launch schedule of Android 12.

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The Android 12 developer preview phase starts in February and will last until April, when the third and final developer-centric build will be released. The first Android 12 beta will arrive in May, and the second and third beta builds will be available to developers between June and July. Then in August, the first stable version of Android 12 will be released.

What’s new in Android 12

Google said that in Android 12, the team will continue to focus on providing users with greater transparency and control while ensuring the security of their devices and data. In the current version, it has added new controls for identifiers that can be used for tracking, safer defaults for application components, etc.; these changes may affect users' applications.

• Modern SameSite cookie behavior in WebView
• Restricted Netlink MAC
• Exporting components more safely
• Handling Intents More Securely

Officials say they will also provide more privacy and security features in future preview versions. You can read more about these and other privacy and security changes here.

In terms of user experience, some of the updates include:

• Compatible media transcoding: Most apps should support HEVC, but for apps that don’t, Google is introducing compatible media transcoding. With this feature, apps that don’t support HEVC can have the platform automatically transcode files to AVC. It takes about 9 seconds to transcode a 1-minute 1080p video at 30fps on a Pixel 4.
• AVIF image support
• Foreground service optimization: Android 12 will prevent apps targeting Android 12 from starting foreground services from the background. Google introduced a new expedited job in JobScheduler that can get an increased process priority and run immediately regardless of battery constraints. This should result in fewer apps being killed and smoother app performance. Android 12 will also delay some foreground service notifications by 10 seconds, giving short tasks a chance to complete before the notification is displayed.
• Rich content insertion: To make it easy for your app to receive rich content, Google is introducing a new unified API that lets you accept content from any source, whether it's the clipboard, keyboard, or drag and drop.
• Haptically coupled audio effects: In Android 12, apps can provide acoustically coupled haptic feedback through the phone’s vibrator. The vibration intensity and frequency are derived from the audio session, allowing users to create more immersive gaming and audio experiences.
• Improvements to the immersive mode API for gesture navigation: Simplified immersive mode, making gesture navigation easier and more consistent when users are watching videos, reading books, or playing games.
• Notification UI updates: Google is refreshing the notification design. In the first preview, users can notice changes from drawers and controls to the templates themselves. It also optimizes transitions and animations across the system to make them smoother. As part of the update, for apps targeting Android 12, Google will decorate notifications with custom content with icons and expand functionality to match all other notifications.
• Faster, more responsive notifications
• Improved Binder IPC calls

Developer Preview: https://developer.android.com/about/versions/12

For more details, please visit: https://android-developers.googleblog.com/2021/02/android-12-dp1.html