Google has released Android 12L, “a special feature drop that makes Android 12 even better on large screens.” According to Google, “The goal is to improve the user experience on tablets, foldable, and Chrome OS laptops – anything with a screen resolution of more than 600 dB.”
The developer preview of Android 12L and a new Android 12L emulator and support for it in Android Studio is now available for developers who wish to give it a shot.
This update is not a complete fork of Android for these devices, like Apple did with iOS and iPadOS, because Google called it a “feature drop” and “feature update” in its announcement. Instead, it’s a large-screen device upgrade that adds more multitasking options and an improved user experience, improving the appearance of apps on these devices.
Google also improved the design of alerts, quick settings, the lock screen, the overview, and the home screen on large screens. On Android 12L, system apps have also been optimized.
What’s fascinating here are the new multitasking features, including a redesigned taskbar that looks a little like iPadOS. The split-screen mode was already available on Android tablets, but Google says it’s now easier to find. To summon an icon from the taskbar, simply drag & drop it onto the screen. Now every Android app will support split-screen mode.
Google also announced new capabilities in OS and Played for developers to better support these devices, in addition to Android 12L. Other features included Enhancements to its Material Design guidance for large-screen devices and Jetpack Compose, making it easier to create for larger machines and ensuring that apps can adjust to multiple screen orientations and sizes.
In addition, a new visual linting tool will show UI warnings and suggestions when the layout has faults and a resizable emulator to enable developers to test their apps on a wider variety of screen sizes.
The firm will now verify apps against its large-screen app quality requirements in Google Play, and the results will be factored into its search rankings. In addition, Google will notify users with large screens on the Play store listing page. Especially for applications that aren’t optimized for larger screens.
Kishor Kumar
Full Stack Technical Lead
A well-versed Senior Full Stack Developer who has the expertise of providing front-end and back-end development services. He is an effective and efficient personnel who knows how to make the right technical decisions at the right time. He understands the basics of working collaboratively with stakeholders, engineers, executives, and end-users to bring the ideas to life. He is a top-performer and motivator who has the added advantage of technology as leverage to achieve timely results.
