ISSUE 88 • ANDROID ADVISOR 21‘Conversations’widget
Anotheradditionis the‘Conversations’
widget,whichwillconsolidatemissed
calls,statusupdatesfrommultiple
socialplatformsandmessagesfrom
multipleplatforms(includingFacebook
MessengerandWhatsApp)fora single
contact(ora smallgroupofcontacts).
Cameraimprovements
Androiddoesn’tnativelysupportquad
ornona-binningsensors(asonthelikes
oftheSamsungGalaxyS21series),so
nativesupportforsuchhardwareacross
appsis nowbeingimplementedwithin
Android12,whichshouldresultin better
qualityimagerybetweendifferentapps
thatutilizethecamera.
Cameraswill also benefitfrom
custommanufacturershootingeffects
(likeHDR,bokeh,andsoon)across
moreappsoutsideofa phone’scamera
apptoo,thankstochangesin how
AndroidhandlesitsCameraXlibrary
andCamera2APIextensions.
Richcontentinsertion
Theabilitytocopyandpastericher
bodiesofcontent(suchasimages,
videosandaudio)bywayofa
newAPIthatacceptscontentfrom
multiplesources: clipboard, keyboard
or drag and drop, in order to move it
between apps.
Haptic-coupled audio effects
Haptic feedback (precise vibrations)
governed by audio files, which can be
used to control vibration strength and
frequency to create more immersive
experiences.Examplesprovidedby
DaveBurke, VP of Engineering for
Android, include a video calling app
using custom ringtones to identify
a caller through haptic feedback or
yousimulatingthesensationofrough
terrainin a racing game.Immersive Mode improvements
for gesture navigation
Immersive Mode is effectively full-
screen mode, where the notifications
bar and on-screen navigation buttons
are temporarily hidden while an app
occupies the entire screen.
In Android 12, aside from when
gaming, all other full-screen/immersive
apps/experiences (such as video
playback, reading, photo galleries,
and so on) will be easier to exit out
of with a simple swipe; in an effort to
better accommodate Android’s prior
move to gesture navigation over button
navigation, by default.More of Android updated
through Google Play
A continuation of Project Mainline,
Android 12 will better allow for various