We are months away from Google unveiling Android 12 and heck, not everyone has Android 11 yet. However, that hasn’t stopped leaks of the next version of Android from popping up on the inter-webs.
According to XDA Developers, an alleged draft of a document that Google made to summarize changes in Android 12 was leaked online. The changes showcased a new user interface which is quite interesting to see. However, XDA says that they can’t fully authenticate the validity of these screenshots but it is still interesting nonetheless.
There are a number of new things from the screenshots. There is now an opaque light beige background which looks rather odd and may be linked to a theme.
The notification section has seen changes with the reduction of quick setting tiles reducing from 6 to 2. Google has also separated conversation notifications from the rest highlighting their focus from Android 11. They have also swapped the positions of the date and clock.
Google has also added new privacy indicators at the top right like on iOS 14. These show what resource is being used on your phone which is quite handy. There is also a revamp to Privacy settings which has toggles to disable camera and mute the mic entirely.
The widget selection has also seen a few changes. They seem to be leaning to changing the widget selection page, maybe as a reply to Apple’s decision to go all in to widgets. For example, that new conversations widget highlights recent messages, missed calls or activity status.
Ever since Google launched Material Design with Lollipop, Android has felt largely the same. This feels like the first major user interface change since then, but in reality it is a visual overhaul from Android 11. We are months away from the official announcement so this could change if these screenshots are to be believed.
