Google’s next version for Android, which is Android 12 is already under development. Ahead of the developer previews, the leaks have begun. A new report by XDA has shown a few new screenshots from an alleged early Android 12 build, that shows what looks like a completely revamped interface. Moreover, the new update looks like Android has taken a few cues from Apple’s iOS 14.
This has been unlike most of the recent Android updates, where changes were mainly under the hood and not a lot changed when it came to visuals. The last biggest visual change was observed between Android 4 and Android 5 when Google’s Material Design was first implemented. The new Android 12 screenshots in the report, however, suggest that the new update could carry major visual changes.
Apart from redesigned icons, pastel colours, new dialogue boxes and blurred elements, the new changes also hint at an enhanced focus on privacy. The new Status bar in the screenshots can be seen as distinct icons when certain features like the phone’s camera, microphone or location are being used by an app. Tapping this indicator will also reveal what app is using the feature. A new privacy settings page in Android 12 will now act as a one-stop-shop where all these hardware component-related features can be switched off.
Apart from this, you can see a redesigned notification bar in the screenshots with the quick toggles now looking more minimal, while pastel-like colours are seen across the interface. The transparent elements of previous Android versions now seem to be gone. Only four quick settings toggles are now visible when expanded, instead of six, which is another similarity with iOS. The conversations section in the notifications is still separated from the rest of the notifications, which now look more rounded off. While the report mentions that the screenshots come from a trusted source, they are still not confirmed directly by Google.