Android 12: 5 things you can do now that you couldn’t before

Android 12: 5 things you can do now that you couldn't before
© Seemanta Dutta | Dreamstime.com

The new version of Android OS was released this week, and it comes packed with new features. It’s initially released for Google’s own Pixel 3 or more recent phones, with other devices to follow soon. Tap or click here to speed up your Android with a handy app.

Owners of Samsung, Xiaomi, or OnePlus devices will have to wait until later this year, as manufacturers usually take some time to customize the operating system for their phones. It also gives them time to test systems to make sure that everything is compatible.

You are probably looking forward to installing it on your device but remember to backup your data first. With new operating systems, things don’t always go as planned. With that said, here are five of the best new features and how to get the update.

1. Disable the camera and mic through Quick Settings

If you struggle to find your camera or microphone settings, Android 12 has made it easier. Simply drag down from the top of the phone display, and you’ll see the option to disable them. This is much faster than before and can be done through a single tap.

RELATED: 7 things you didn’t know your Android could do

2. Open multiple Chrome windows

Borrowing a bit from Google’s Chrome browser, Android 12 now allows you to open multiple windows (and multiple tabs in each window) in the browser. This is the first time that it has been made available for mobile phones. You can find the option when you navigate to the main browser menu.

3. Android Privacy dashboard

Privacy should be of great concern to everyone who browses the internet, and Android 12 has taken some extra steps. The operating system now comes with a Privacy dashboard to see which apps have what permissions to system functions. You can also glance at which processes were used by your phone over the last 24 hours.

4. Scrolling screenshots

We are sure that at one point, you wished that you could take a screenshot of an entire page and not just what is visible. Well, with Android 12, you can. You do this by pressing Power+Volume Down, then tap Capture More for the whole page.

5. New design themes

New design elements that come with Android 12 allow you to customize the look that you want. The feature is Material You, and you can change the wallpaper color, types of corners and icon styles.

You may also like: How to control your Android phone with just your eyes

How to download and install Android 12

As mentioned, the new operating system isn’t currently available to everyone and is only available for certain phones. You can check if it’s available to download and install on your device. To do this:

  • Go to Settings and tap System.
  • Tap Advanced, then System Update.
  • Once you do that, it should automatically search for an update.
  • To search manually, you can tap Check for update.

Tags: Android, Android 12, apps, camera, download, Google, Google Chrome, Install, internet, microphone, New features, OnePlus, operating systems, privacy, Samsung, system update, update, Xiaomi