XDA posts screenshots that would show new design and features Android 12

XDA has published internal screenshots that likely summarize what changes Android will get with version 12. The overall look will be rounder, some transparency effects will be gone, there will be a “conversations” widget and more emphasis on privacy.

XDA says it has confidence in the authenticity of the images, but again does not express any certainty about this. The images are said to provide a summary of what’s changing in the upcoming Android 12, intended for “big partners” to give them time to prepare for the changes.

In addition to the even rounder notifications in the notification drawer, it can be seen that by default fewer, but therefore larger icons are shown from the top of quick settings. Also, the notification drawer is no longer transparent and it has been supplemented with small indicators that indicate whether the camera or microphone is in use. Presumably you can also indicate here whether an app requests the location.

If you tap on those indicators, you can see which apps are using or have used the sensors. This chip is also shown over other apps and is therefore probably always visible when there is sensor use. The Privacy menu in Android 12 has also been expanded. The camera and microphone can be switched off completely there. That is already possible, but is hidden in the developer options.

Google is trying to keep users informed about conversations even better than it already did in Android 11. That version already separated conversation notifications from other notifications, and Android 12 takes it one step further with a conversation widget. It summarizes things like chat messages, in this case Facebook Messenger, for example, and telephone conversations.

The last few new Android versions were released in September each time. It is therefore to be expected that Google will do the same with version 12. Previously, other rumors about the new version have surfaced, such as the OS to automatically compress unused apps, the arrival of ‘app pairs’ that facilitate multitasking, and a ‘double-tap back’ function that can act as a shortcut.