Android 12 Beta 2 now rolling out to Pixel phones: new features, compatible Pixel phones, and more | 91mobiles.com

Google showcased the Android 12 operating system at the Google I/O 2021 event that was held on May 18th. Simultaneously, the company rolled out the Android 12 Beta 1 to the Pixel phones and several other devices from partner OEMs. Today, the Alphabet-owned company is rolling out the Android 12 Beta 2, which is hitting Pixel phones first. The Android 12 Beta 2 is currently being rolled out to Google Pixel 3, Pixel 3XL, Pixel 3a, Pixel 3a XL, Pixel 4, Pixel 4XL, Pixel 4a, Pixel 4a 5G, and Pixel 5. The Android 12 Beta 2 brings with it new privacy features, new settings for the data and Wi-Fi, and also redesigned UI elements in a few places. Let us have a look.

Also read: Android 12 beta for OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro resumed, new build fixes bricking issue

Android 12 Beta 2 features: new privacy features and design elements

The Android 12 Beta 2 brings with it a Privacy Dashboard that can be found in settings. It shows you a timeline of which applications on your device have accessed what kind of information. For example, you can see a timeline of which apps have accessed your microphone. Plus, you now have dedicated toggles for the camera and microphone in the Quick Toggles menu, which allows you to enable and disable the software from accessing the camera and microphone. Additionally, the OS will also show an indication in the status bar if an app is accessing your camera or microphone.

Currently, the Android OS does not notify users when an app copies and pastes information from/to your clipboard. That changes with the Android 12 Beta 2. It will now notify users when an app accesses your clipboard. Applications such as Chrome and Truecaller fetch the last copied text from your clipboard as soon as you open the app hoping that you are looking up the information. With the Android 12 Beta 2, you will be notified when they access the clipboard. So, you now have better control over your privacy.

Coming to the changes to the design elements, the Android 12 Beta 2 has a new “Internet” toggle. Clicking on it will bring up a new pop-up panel on the screen. It shows you control for your cellular connection as well as nearby Wi-Fi networks, making it easier for people to switch between both. If you long-press on the Internet toggle, it will take you to an all-new full-screen Internet panel in settings, which has settings/toggles for data as well as Wi-Fi. Last but not the least, the Android 12 Beta 2 has a redesigned volume control slider, which is more compact, and according to many, looks much better.

Additionally, the system UI now picks up complementary colours from your wallpaper as part of the “Material You” design. This was shown during Google I/O but was not seen on the first beta update.

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