It’s 2021 and rumors about the next-gen Android 12 version is already flying across the internet and the good thing about the news is the fact Google already unveiled the new operating system back in February during its annual developer conference dubbed the Google I/O.

There are some pretty cool features to be expected when the new operating gets released and we might be seeing it on the Google Pixel 6 or maybe on some other Android-based devices later on this year.

Speaking of the features to expect from this operating system, there have been some features that were revealed based on the developer beta version but there are now further rumors about other features which were earlier known.

But first let’s talk about when the Android 12 OS will be released because as it stands, the new operating system might might make its stable version debut by September because this is usually the period that Google releases its OS.

Take the current Android 11 as an example, the software update was released back in Sept. 8th 2020 and the previous Android 10 update was released back in September 8th 2019 so it might be okay to assume that the 2021 version might just be around this period as well.

It’s possible to download Android 12 now 

Interested consumers can download the Android 12 developer beta but it’s often not advisable to download this on your main device because of bugs and issues that can alter the usability of the software on your device.

The public beta of the Android 12 OS should be released by the next Google I/O which is starting today May 18th and ends in two days time May 20th.

And if you want to download the Android update, just head to your device’s Settings page and then Settings > Advanced > System Update > Check for update. That should work if you’re using Google Pixel, Samsung Galaxy, OnePlus devices and pretty much any Xiaomi smartphone out there.

Let’s talk device compatibility.

Basically the next-gen Android 12 OS will come with high-premium devices that gets released at that time of the year and it also depends on the OEM.

But speaking of backtracking compatibility, devices as old as the Google Pixel 3 should be able to run the Android 12 OS even though other OEMs devices within that age range might not be able to run the operating system – basically that’s the advantage you get with a Google-owned operating system and smartphone.

You can also side-load the developer beta or public beta when it gets released on your devices such as Huawei, LG, Motorola, OnePlus, Oppo and other modern Android smartphones.

There is an extensive list of devices that should be able to run the Android 12 OS on this website called  GetDroidTips.

Let’s talk about expected features of Android 12

The Android 12 is definitely going to be another big update with some pretty important updates that will make it interesting. And so far, a number of cool features were discovered on the developer beta version and other rumored features includes the follow:

App privacy features

The future is private and since Apple already took that measure with the release of the iOS 14.5 update, it’s time for Google to upgrade its own app privacy functionalities as well.

Based on an article from the Android Developers blog post, you’ll be able to understand far better how cookies are being used across multiple sites on your smartphone.

There is also the feature that will let you know how apps exports information which can in turn prevent them from accidentally exporting activities, services and receivers.

Even though those might sound like some tough privacy rules being imposed, it’s not much of a big deal when compared to the iOS 14 update which requires developers to ask for permission in order to gather iPhone users’ data and track them across apps and websites.

Notification center is getting redesigned

The Android notification center has come a long way since the days of Éclair and with its modern design and functionalities, it might be time to upgrade things to the next-level and Google might be doing just that with this update according to reports.

Now, when a user clicks on a notification, it will take them to the application or just allow them to easily take some action directly from the notification center such as replying text messages etc.

XDA Developers also wrote that the new Android 12 will get a new button which allows users to snooze unimportant notifications as well as setting how long they want to do so.

There is also the option to turn on an adaptive notification ranking which allows Android to rearrange notifications based on how the user interacts with different applications across the system and you can as well just reset things if you’re not fine with the result.

Double-tap options

This used to be for computers but you can do a number of things with different gestures on your Android-based device among which is double tapping which can be set to trigger an action that you so want.

Once you enable it in settings under Gestures, you’ll see a list of actions you can set, like taking a screenshot, playing and pausing media or launching Google Assistant. 

One-handed mode

Not an entirely new feature because it’s being available way back since Android 6. This feature let you use one hand to operate your giant smartphone because OEMs are basically not considerate anymore (except Apple) they all seems to chunk out giant smartphones not thinking about their petit customers too.

This feature could make things much more better and enhance the overall user experience especially for those with smaller hands.

Face-based autorotate

This will be funkiest of all the features as it works with the device’s hardware. 9to5Google. reported that Android 12 will allow your Android device auto adjust its orientation without you needing to do so. Huawei made this feature within its EMUI software update based on Android 10 back in 2019 when it released the Mate 30 series.

Trash manager

Even though storage is becoming much more accessible, the fact that devices too are requiring larger space to store data and files such as 4K videos means that you need an efficient storage manager which is why there will be an easy to understand stat about how much trash you have on your device if they needs to be taken out.