Android 12 (internally Android S) was released in October 2021 and introduced the biggest design change since Material Design with Material You.
Key Features
- Material You (dynamic color theming)
- Privacy Dashboard
- Camera/microphone indicators
- Quick toggles for camera/mic
- Approximate location option
- Scrolling screenshots
- Game Dashboard
- Rich Haptics API
Material You
Android 12's signature feature:
- Extracts colors from wallpaper
- Applies colors across entire system
- Dynamic theming for supported apps
- Redesigned widgets
- Larger buttons and touch targets
Privacy Features
- Privacy Dashboard shows permission usage
- Green dot indicator for camera/mic
- Quick Settings toggles to disable sensors
- Clipboard access notifications
Performance
- 12% faster CPU usage
- 22% reduced CPU usage by system server
- App startup time improvements