Here's What's New in Android 12 as It Starts to Roll Out to Pixel Phones

On Google Pixel devices, the stable version of Android 12 is currently available for download. The latest Android version was unveiled earlier this month, but it was on the AOSP (Android Open Source Project) platform.

Google Pixel devices are currently receiving the stable version of the latest Android OS. The update is available for a total of 8 Google devices. Here's a rundown of all the Pixel devices that are eligible for the upgrade, as well as what's new in Android 12's stable release.

Google Pixel devices now have Android 12 installed.

While Google is currently holding its Pixel 6 launch event, the Android 12 upgrade has already begun to go out. As previously stated, the update is available for eight Pixel devices, dating back to the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL from 2018. Google Pixel 5a, Pixel 5, Pixel 4a, Pixel 4, Pixel 3a, Pixel 3a XL, Pixel 3, and Pixel 3 XL are currently receiving the update.

If you have a Pixel device, go to Settings > System > System update to see if the update is available.

In most situations, you won't need to complete a full data wipe to upgrade to Android 12, but it's suggested that you back up your data before running the update on your device, according to Google. Manually flashing Android 12 on the aforementioned compatible devices is also an option. You can get the file from Android's official website.

Android 12 new features

Thanks to Google's new design language called 'Material You,' the Android 12 release provides the biggest aesthetic revamp in recent years. Material You is a new method to personalize your phone or tablet with colors, widgets, and wallpapers. The system will choose the colors for the notification pane, icons, and settings page according to the wallpaper you choose.

Most of Google's apps have been updated to make use of the new Material You design, and the widgets are now more dynamic. In terms of security, Android 12 on Pixel devices now has a security hub that safeguards user data, as well as a camera and microphone indicator and the ability to disable the camera and microphone access system-wide.

The new privacy dashboard now displays which apps have access to the camera, location, and microphone. Other noteworthy features include approximate location sharing, improved performance on Pixel devices, and more.