We’ve ranked all of the best new features that have been added to Google Pixel devices as part of the Android 12 Developer Beta 2.
After a shorter than expected break between the first Android 12 Beta and now Beta 2, we hope that you’re ready for more new features and changes in what promises to be the biggest UI overhaul in years. We’re only just catching our breath from the first Android 12 Beta release, and we have Beta 2 here to sink our teeth into. If you have already enrolled, you should soon receive an OTA update that contains the latest June 2021 security patch, plus all of the new UI and system-level tweaks coming with this patch. If you haven’t already tried the Android 12 Beta and want to sign up, we have a short little guide to help you get enrolled, but this process is very quick and easy. Basically, head to the Android 12 Beta sign-up page, and you can opt in — or out — to try the latest pre-release OS build for yourself. That is, provided you have a Pixel 3/3 XL or a newer Made by Google phone. Subscribe to 9to5Google on YouTube for more videos A major focus area for Android 12 Beta 2 is in the Quick Settings panel. This is where almost all of the most notable and instantly visible changes are coming, and there is plenty to unpack here. Firstly, Card & Passes is now known as “Wallet” and, along with Smart Home controls, now lives as a toggle within the Quick Settings panel. This replaces the long-press activation method introduced with Android 11. But it also separates the two distinct sections and makes the process a little less messy — albeit slightly slower to access. Tapping either will just expand these menus out accordingly. When using the Wi-Fi toggle, this will show a small pop-up menu that will save having to dip into the full “Internet” settings page. You’ll see a few available networks and your current SIM connection status too. There is also a power button that you can find when fully expanding out the Quick Settings panel. Tapping will just launch the Power Menu, which is another area on the receiving end of an overhaul in Android 12 Beta 2. Often overlooked, the Power menu is also at the receiving end of some pretty major changes with the Android 12 Beta 2 update. Instead of being directly tied to the physical power button, the power menu now lives behind a Quick Settings panel toggle that will initiate a floating window. If you have “Hold for Assistant” disabled, a regular power button press will bring up the new menu though. Instead of taking up the full screen and fully obscuring whatever you’re viewing, the power menu now pops up over the screen with four large and distinct buttons, including Emergency, Lockdown, Power Off, and Restart. It’s not groundbreaking, but it’s more cohesive with the Material You theming. The huge wallpaper-based theming that has been teased, leaked, and then confirmed by Google at I/O 2021 is now officially live in Android 12 Beta 2.
