Android 12 Beta 4 Released With Platform Stability

Today is the day Android 12 Beta 4 is released – complete with Platform Stability in full effect. This update is one of the most important of the series before final release of Android 12 for the public. Like it has been in the past with other versions of Android, "Platform Stability" means that app-facing behaviors and all Android 12 APIs are finalized.

With this release, developers will be able to see how their device functions in Android 12 with final assurance that it'll be compatible with the final release of said OS. Apps will need to be tuned in to all app behavior changes including Privacy Dashboard, microphone and camera indicators and toggles, stretch overscroll (instead of the previously in-effect "glow" overscroll effect), app splash screens, and clipboard read notifications.

One of the most immediately apparent features included with Android 12 is the presence of notifications and indicators for the user whenever an app enacts a specific behavior. A "toast" notification appears when an app reads the user's clipboard unexpectedly.

Microphone and camera indicators will appear whenever either the microphone or camera on a device is active. If the user does not want either their camera or their microphone to be used, they'll find toggles in Quick Settings to deactivate said hardware for all apps at once.

The Android 12 Privacy Dashboard will allow a user to see "which apps are accessing which type of data and when. Through this new dashboard (that appears in Settings), users will be able to adjust permissions as they appear. Users can also "request details" from any app that is aiming to access permission for any part of their phone.

It's very likely just a matter of weeks now before Android 12 is ready for release to Google Pixel smartphones as well as the first wave of non-Google-made Android devices. If you own a Google Pixel device right now, you can take a peek at Android 12 Beta 4 right now through the Beta enrollment program.

Head over to the Android Beta Program release page to sign up for the program. Google Pixel 3 and newer Pixel devices are able to work with Android 12. Other brand devices are also ready to roll with the Android 12 Beta program, including specific models from ASUS, OnePlus, OPPO, Realme, Sharp, Tecno, TCL, Vivo, Xiaomi, and ZTE.