Back in October, Google introduced the Android 12L version of its operating system, designed at bringing enhancements to large-screen devices, including tablets, foldable phones, and even Chromebooks. After the release of its developer preview, Android 12L’s first beta is now live for Pixel device owners.
Android 12L Beta 1 Now Available
The Android 12L beta 1 is now available for Pixel phones such as the Pixel 3a, the Pixel 3a XL, the Pixel 4, the Pixel 4 XL, the Pixel 4a, the Pixel 4a 5G, the Pixel 5, the Pixel 5a, the Pixel 6, and the Pixel 6 Pro. It is also available for the Lenovo Tab P12 Pro and can be used by developers on the Android Emulator in Android Studio.
The Android 12L beta is a simple OTA update and will be available for anyone who has signed up for the Android Beta Program. If not, you can head to the Android Beta Program website and easily enroll if your device is eligible.
As for the Android 12L features, the beta update focuses on a polished large-screen UI, better multitasking, and better app compatibility on such devices. Enhancements to the notification panel, quick settings, home screen, and more have also been introduced. With this, screens exceeding 600dp will now get a two-column layout so that people can do more on the larger screen space.
For better multitasking, foldable and large-screen devices will now have a taskbar to switch between favorite apps and drag/ drop apps into the split-screen mode. The apps’ appearance has also been improved for a better letterboxing experience. This beta update also includes the December 2021 security patch, bug fixes, and optimizations.
Additionally, Android 12L beta includes various APIs such as Material Design for large screens, Jetpack Compose, Window Size Classes, and more for more improvements. Android 12L will be available for users next year. Until then, you can check out some of the best Android 12L features in our hands-on YouTube video right here:
