Android 12 is extending the release final build by one version compared to last year, with Beta 3 being released today as another “incremental Beta-quality release.”
Developers should continue compatibility testing and begin early testing with Android 12 in view, as they did with last month’s early release while keeping an eye on feedback from users in the Android Beta Program on Pixel and other devices.
Beta 3 includes the official API Level 31 SDK, which was released ahead of time. Platform Stability in its “Full” version is still planned for Beta 4 and will contain final app-facing system behaviors as well as non-SDK interface limitations.
Here’s a rundown of what’s new in Android 12 Beta 3
Android 12 Beta 3 adds scrolling screenshots, which is a genuine “finally.” When you capture a screenshot, a new “Capture more” button appears in the tray, which brings users to a complete preview with cropping options. For most — typical View-based UI — apps, Google expects scrolling screenshots to operate right out of the box. A new ScrollCapture API is available for apps with heavily customized UIs, and further improvements will be available in the future release:
We’re continuing to iterate on scrolling screenshots and in Beta 4 you’ll see improvements to the default support, such as for scrolling ListViews. We’re also working to provide support for a wider variety of content (such as web content). Let us know what you think!
By utilizing the front camera for facial identification, Google has improved the accuracy of auto-rotate. It’s perfect for those who want to use their gadgets while lying down. End-users must activate “Enhanced auto-rotate” in Settings on the Pixel 4 and newer. The Private Computer Core is used to ensure that “images are never saved or transmitted off the device.” Among the other improvements are:
To make screen rotation as speedy as possible on all devices, we’ve also optimized the animation and redrawing and added an ML-driven gesture-detection algorithm. As a result, the latency for the base auto-rotate feature has been reduced by 25%, and the benefits of the face detection enhancement build on top of those improvements.
AppSearch enables high-performance on-device search by allowing apps to index structured data and search it using built-in full-text search. Other features include fast indexing and retrieval, multi-language support, and relevance ranking. The OS can search for data via a central index, while developers may exchange data with other applications.
Companion applications for wearables and other devices can now “declare a new normal permission to run front services from the background.”
In terms of privacy, Google will assist in reducing visible conflicts caused by the camera/microphone privacy indications, particularly in fullscreen apps, while those toggles are now available to business admins on fully-managed devices.
Android 12 Beta 3 (SPB3.210618.013) system images is now available for the Pixel 3 (XL), Pixel 3a (XL), Pixel 4 (XL), Pixel 4a 5G, and Pixel 5, as well as the Android Emulator. In the next few hours, Beta 3 users will receive an OTA update. Here’s our whole guide on installing Android 12 if you need it.
