Android 12 Beta 5 Released: Here's What's Left

Google released Android 12 Beta 5 today as the final Beta release for this generation of Android. This software is the final build before Android 12 will be released to the public, starting with the Google Pixel 5a and Google Pixel 6. This version of Android includes a collection of behavior changes for the operating system and apps of all sorts.

The most major changes Google's made in Android 12 for apps of all sorts include checks for Privacy Dashboard, Microphone and Camera Indicators, Microphone and Camera Toggles, Clipboard Read Notifications, Stretch Overscroll, App splash screens, and changes to Keygen. If you're using old BouncyCastle cryptographic algorithms, you'll need to check for new Conscrypt versions before your app is ready for Android 12.

Android 12 delivers a new App Splash Screen system, so all apps will either need to point to their custom splash screen of choice, or be subject to a default splash screen. Stretch overscroll will replace the "glow" overscroll we saw at the beginning of Android 12 testing. It was awesome! But it was too much of a "is that supposed to happen" sort of feature to keep.

There's a new alert system when an app reads data from a user's clipboard "unexpectedly." So you app developers trying to read those clipboards all secret-like... it's probably a good idea to cut that out as soon as possible. The new Privacy Dashboard in Android settings allows users to get a very clear idea of which apps are looking at what and using what data and when. Permissions will be easier than ever to allow or disallow for any app.

As noted in earlier builds, Google will be including both Microphone and Camera toggles and indicators. Microphone and Camera access will be given Quick Settings options for enabling and disabling access to the microphone and camera of the device they're using. Microphone and camera indicators will show an indicator in the status bar when any app is using either piece of hardware.

If you have a Google Pixel 5a, Pixel from one of the last few years of releases, or one of the several eligible partner devices you should be able to attain access to Android 12 Beta 5 today. Head to your device's Settings, System, Advanced, and System Update. If you are a part of the Android Public Beta system, you should see an update available by the end of the day today.