Google has started rolling out the third developer preview of Android 12 to compatible Pixel devices. With this release, we’ve reached the end of developer previews for the upcoming Android release. We could expect the first Android 12 beta build to arrive next month at Google I/O 2021, which kicks off May 18.
Android 12 Developer Preview 3: What’s new?
Starting with the third developer preview of Android 12, Google has enabled a few of the experimental features by default. Notably, the redesigned ‘Silky Home’ Settings UI that required an ADB command to force enable is now live. However, Google has not enabled the Monet wallpaper-based theming system yet. Apart from that, the build comes with minor visual improvements throughout the interface.
In an attempt to unify the app launch experience, Android 12 DP3 has added a new app launch animation along with a splash screen that shows the app’s icon. Developers can also use splash screen APIs to make customizations to the splash screen including the ability to change the splash screen window’s background color and picking a custom icon or animation.
Google is also improving call notifications with this build for developers. There’s a new CallStyle template that developers can utilize to create notifications for incoming, outgoing, and screened calls. These notifications support both default actions and custom actions on Android 12.
Another developer-centric change in the new build is with camera vendor extensions and support for quad-Bayer camera sensors. Other changes include improved permissions for alarms, improved web linking, haptic feedback, and faster machine learning capabilities.
Google encourages app developers to start compatibility testing to make sure their apps work as expected with Android 12. If you’re interested, you can try out the new developer preview right now on compatible Pixel devices or using the Android emulator.
