Android 12L: Google’s Upcoming Update for Tablets and Foldables
In October 2021, Google surprised us with Android 12L. It is an upcoming update for tablets, foldables, ChromeOS devices and other large-screen devices.
The update was revealed at this year’s Android Dev Summit less than a month after Android 12. Google designed it to make Android 12 work more smoothly on large displays.
Let’s run through the update with us and see what all the hype is about!
Android 12L User Interface Changes
Android 12L, also known as Android SC-V2 or Android 12.1, will be fully released early next year. However, as customary for Google, you can try out its features on the 12L developer preview page!
Based on the update preview, we can see that Google embraces personalisation, adaptive layouts, and accessible designs.
The update adjusts the arrangement of elements of a device’s UI, like the home screen, lock screen, notifications and Quick Settings. According to Google, screens with 600 dp or more will display a two-column layout that occupies the whole screen.
Google will also move the Quick Settings menu to the left side of the screen and lock the notifications panel to the right. This change will allow you to use both at the same time without having to launch one app and close another.
Another change in Android 12L is the improved letterboxing, which could help optimise the appearance of apps. Google is allowing device manufacturers to add rounded corners, adjust the position of the inset window and customise the size, colour and shape of letterboxing.
New Features in Android 12L
One of the most exciting new features introduced in 12L is the new taskbar that makes it easier and quicker to navigate between apps.
Google claims to design this feature to make multitasking more powerful and intuitive on the developer preview page.
The preview of the taskbar in Android 12L is pretty simple. You can launch an app into split-screen mode by dragging and dropping an app from the taskbar. Google will supposedly enable this feature for all apps, regardless of their resizability.
However, when long-pressing an app, the taskbar doesn’t seem to show recently opened apps or a context menu. It also doesn’t include items usually seen in the status bar, such as the date and time, although it has the 3-button navigation buttons on the right side.
Final Thoughts
This year has undoubtedly been the year of foldable smartphones. Considering so many new foldable phones are on the horizon, this Android update for large-screen devices is unsurprising.
With Google working on two foldable phones and Samsung inventing a monitor that can fold into a tablet, the Android 12L update will surely be a much-needed release.
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