[Update: Sep. 13] Google Pixel Android 12 update tracker: List of eligible devices, new features, & release date

New updates are being added at the bottom of this story…….

Original story (published on February 19, 2021) follows:

Google has announced the latest version of Android — Android 12.

As expected, this first edition is meant for Android app developers to get acquainted with under-the-hood changes in order to adjust their apps accordingly.

Being only the first developer preview of Android 12, Google hasn’t mentioned any consumer-focused changes, so the software in its current state might not be useful to end users.

Still, there are a number of things that have been confirmed by the search giant, among them the Google Pixel devices that are eligible to install Android 12 developer preview 1.

Unless you are new to the Android world, its not news that Google provides at least three major Android OS updates to its devices. Granted, the original Pixel and Pixel 2 are not eligible for Android 12.

As for the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL, Android 12 marks the third and final major OS update following their release with Android Pie pre-installed. This applies to the Pixel 3a and 3a XL too.

Below is the list of Pixel phones eligible for the update to Android 12, including the developer preview version.

– Google Pixel 3
– Google Pixel 3 XL
– Google Pixel 3a
– Google Pixel 3a XL

– Google Pixel 4
– Google Pixel 4 XL
– Google Pixel 4a
– Google Pixel 4a 5G
– Google Pixel 5

Google Pixel Android 12 release date

App developers can download and install the update to the new Android 12 developer preview version right away. If interested, find all the details, including download links and installation guide, here.

Google notes that the developer previews will hang around until April. Thereafter, the public beta version will be made available for willing Google Pixel users to try.

Of course, at this point we expect even more Android vendors to join the party, but we won’t know them until then. If all goes according to plan, the stable Android 12 update should arrive in August/September.

We will be keeping a close eye on the developments around the rollout of Android 12 update to eligible Google Pixel phones and update this article as and when we have news.

As for details of what the new OS brings, check out our Android 12 update tracker here.

The first incremental update to Google’s Android 12 developer preview 1 is out as version 1.1. With it comes March 2021 security patches and bug fixes tucked in build SPP1.210122.022.

Below are the changes included in Android 12 developer preview 1.1:

– Fixed an issue where on some devices, the device intermittently disconnected from Wi-Fi even when the Wi-Fi signal was strong.
– Fixed an issue where on some devices, the device displayed a “System UI keeps stopping” message if the user tried to take a screenshot by pressing Power + Volume Down from the Lock screen.
– Fixed an issue with partial wake locks that could cause excessive battery drain.
– Fixed an issue where a device’s fingerprint reader could become unresponsive when the device was suspended, requiring the user to unlock their device using another method.

– Fixed an issue where the Settings app could crash if the user tried to access app notification settings.
– Fixed an issue where the system UI could freeze after the user updated the device.
– Fixed an issue where the CellBroadcastReceiver app could not obtain the android.permission.BROADCAST_CLOSE_SYSTEM_DIALOGS permission, causing emergency alerts to crash.
– Fixed an issue that could cause some devices to reboot intermittently.
– Fixed an issue that could cause some devices to reboot after the user unlocked the device using their PIN.

Google has a new Android 12 developer preview 2 rolling out to supported Pixel phones, tagging along more new features and changes for app developers, as listed below:

– Hide application overlay windows
– Secure lockscreen notification actions
– App digest API
– Rounded corner APIs
– Picture in Picture (PIP) improvements

– Keeping companion apps awake
– Bandwidth estimation improvements
– Easier blurs, color filters and other effects
– Motion sensors are rate-limited
– Known signers permission protection flag

Google also says this preview 2 update fixes several bugs introduced in previous versions, as listed below:

[Developer-reported issues]
– Fixed an issue that prevented the go back gesture from working in certain cases. (Issue #180932529)
– Fixed issues that users were having when using contactless payments through Google Pay. (Issue #180725322)
– Fixed an issue that caused text in the notification drawer to be difficult to read when rendering over the top of some apps. (Issue #180647015)
– Fixed an issue that caused java.lang.Deprecated to be marked as deprecated. (Issue #180705308)
– Fixed an issue that prevented apps that were targeting Android 12 from using version 2.7.0-alpha01 of WorkManager. The fix is included in version 2.7.0-alpha02. (Issue #180884673)

[Other resolved issues]
– Fixed an issue with WebView that prevented developers from enabling or testing Schemeful Same-Site changes on Android 12.
– Fixed an issue where upgrading to Android 12 from a production build without wiping data could lose HID controls for previously-paired Bluetooth devices.
– Fixed an issue where videos that were shared from the Camera app could be sent using the wrong encoding.
– Fixed an issue that could cause the text for the clock widget on the Home screen to be cut off on some devices.
– Fixed an issue where empty pages on the Home screen were sometimes not removed.
– Fixed an issue that could sometimes prevent users from accessing the notification shade.

Google has a new update for Pixel users participating in Android 12 developer preview arriving as version 2.1. Along with it comes fixes for WebView crashes. Details here.

Google has a new Android 12 developer preview build that arrives as version 2.2 and carries build number SPP2.210219.018, which tags along April security patch and several bug fixes.

Below is the changelog as shared by Google:

– Fixed an issue that sometimes caused the Settings app to crash when a user tried to access Bluetooth settings. (Issue #180962266)
– Fixed an issue that caused widgets to be removed from the home screen after a user installed an OTA update.
– Fixed an issue that caused notifications to be sent about low Bluetooth call quality even when call quality was currently unaffected.

– Fixed an issue that caused Wi-Fi network passwords to not be saved in some cases.
– Fixed an issue that caused the notification shade to be activated when typing on the on-screen keyboard.
– Fixed an issue with Codec 2.0 that could cause apps to crash on some devices.
– Fixed an issue that could cause videos to be encoded incorrectly when shared.
Source

A detailed demonstration of Android 12 along with a Pixel 5a announcement may be done with the upcoming Google I/O 2021. For details, head here.

02:30 pm (IST): After three developer preview releases, Google has announced the first public beta update based on Android 12 for eligible Pixel devices at the I/O 2021.

Devices ranging from the Pixel 3 all the way to the Pixel 5 are eligible for this update. If interested, you can register to get OTA updates based on Android 12 beta.

For those who like taking things into their own hands by sideloading the latest update, the manual downloads for OTA and factory images are also available.

For a deeper dive into what the new OS brings, check out our dedicated Android 12 update tracker here.

02:47 pm (IST): Google Pixel users who’re trying to find out how to enable the new Material You design in the latest Android 12 beta 1 update can head here for all the details.

06:01 pm (IST): You can head here to check out the status of all known bugs and issues that come with the Android 12 update for the Google Pixel phones.

02:50 pm (IST): Pixel 6 may use Android 12’s audio-coupled haptics feature for ringtones. This will help create custom vibration effects for ringtones. For details, head here.

03:50 pm (IST): Google didn’t lay out a proper way to install Android 12 on Pixel devices, resulting in bricked devices. Here’s a safer way to install the beta update via DSU.

Not many would like to make the shift to unstable Android 12 at the moment but with the new update of Google Feed, you can enjoy what it’s like to be on Android 12, as it now supports Android 12 wallpaper-based theming.

07:40 pm (IST): As it stands, the new app UI translation feature isn’t meant to be a standard Android 12 feature and is tied specifically to Pixel phones, as its code says so.

14:02 pm (IST): Android 12 Beta 2 update seems to have gotten rid of the weather widget from the lockscreen, along with redesigning the power menu which means that the Android 11 Power Menu has now been relocated. More on that here.

04:43 pm (IST): The Android 12 Beta 2 update adds a new charging animation that works beyond the lockscreen along with a new animation for unlocking the device.

10:22 am (IST): Google is rolling out an Android 12 update to its Pixel devices on the Beta program in form of the Android 12 Beta 2.1 update. This minor update to Android 12 Beta 2 includes various stability improvements as well as the following fixes:

– Fixed an issue that prevented users from accessing things on the lock screen. For example, swiping down for the notification shade, swiping away notifications, or swiping up to unlock the phone. (Issue #190702454)
– Fixed issues that caused information such as weather and calendar events to not appear in the At a Glance widget on the home screen or lock screen. (Issue #190700432, Issue #190644743)
– Fixed an issue that sometimes caused flickering or jittery animations when accessing recent apps with gesture navigation.
– Fixed an issue that sometimes caused microphone and camera permission indicators to get stuck and disappear until the phone was rebooted.
– Fixed an issue when using the Android Emulator with an Android Virtual Device (AVD) running Android 12 that prevented the AVD from connecting to the internet.
– Fixed an issue where after taking Beta and resetting the device, some users are were stuck on setup wizard (Issue #190082536).
Source

10:57 am (IST): Users of Pixel devices who’ve installed Android 12 Beta 3 on their units note that the update has brought back the date in the notification shade. However, it turns out that the update has also removed the shortcut to open the clock/alarm by tapping the said time.

06:25 pm (IST): Google has decided to remove the UI customization options that were part of the previous version of Android. These include the ability to customize fonts and icons on Pixel devices.

No longer can you change the color scheme of the system either. The company says it is replacing these features with Material You, a modern and more intelligent version of the theme engine.

Google said it has no plans to bring back the customization features. However, if enough users complain about the same, they might bring it back in a future update.

10:50 am (IST): Google is rolling out a minor update to Android 12 Beta 3 upgrading the version to Beta 3.1. The latest update brings increase system stability and fixes the boot loop bug that has been affecting some users.

Here are some issues Android 12 Beta 3.1 has fixed:

Fixed an issue that caused some devices to get stuck in a boot loop after restarting the device. (Issue #193789343)
Fixed an issue that sometimes caused the System UI to crash.
Fixed an issue that sometimes caused the Android low memory killer daemon (lmkd) to excessively kill processes.

Google says that known issues that affect Beta 3 will still apply to Beta 3.1. Since it is an OTA update, it might take a while before it is available on your device.

06:32 pm (IST): The Android 12 Beta 3.1 has subtly tweaked the auto-rotate animation, with the transition now becoming ever so smoother, when compared with the one on the previous beta.

02:23 pm (IST): Android 12 is preparing to kill off native support for internet-based SIP calling. This is evident from the stock dialer app which no longer offers SIP settings. For details, head here.

11:23 am (IST): Google Contacts app has received an update that adds support for Android 12’s Material You theeming engine. More on that here.

Update 19 (August 05)

01:25 pm (IST): New reports now indicate that Google Photos now supports the Google Photos ‘Your memories’ home screen widget as it is now showing up for some Android 12 users with Pixel devices. More on that in our coverage here.

Update 20 (August 06)

03:25 pm (IST): Google is apparently prepping to bring a few more Material You elements to the Gboard keyboard app on Android 12 according to 9to5Google’s APK Insight report.

Update 21 (August 12)

10:23 am (IST): Google is reportedly pushing out Android 12 Beta 4 to users of eligible Pixel devices in the Beta program, an update that brings with it better platform stability ahead of the official update later in the year.

Update 22 (August 13)

10:14 am (IST): As more users continue to install the latest Android 12 Beta 4 update on their Pixel devices, more and more features are getting discovered.

Now, it is apparent that this build brings with it a few subtle lock screen tweaks, a few icon changes and offers us a first look at the Pixel Launcher’s much faster search bar. (1,2,3)

Update 23 (September 09)

11:43 am (IST): Google has just announced Android 12 Beta 5 for the Pixel devices, a Beta that is said to be the last one before the official stable release of Android 12. More on that and the release notes here.

Update 24 (September 13)

11:52 am (IST): Following the final Beta for Android 12, new reports now indicate that the AOSP release of Android 12 is set for October 4. This could correspond with the release of stable Android 12 for Pixel devices.

NOTE: This table is being updated regularly.

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