Android 12 developer preview, from better emergency calls to notification redesign

The Android 12 developer preview has been released and the Internet is busy studying to find new features or tips on the future of the operating system. So far, some interesting things have been discovered, such as an Emergency SOS feature, some redesigns and other useful, albeit minor, findings:

As pointed out by Android Police, the emergency SOS feature is also much easier to access now. Before, in order to make an emergency call, you needed to hold down the power button, touch the emergency button, and then double-tap the Call 911 button. On Android 12, however, it can be activated by pressing quickly press the power button five times, which will trigger a countdown informing you that an emergency call is about to be made.

Android Police notes that, by default, it calls 911. You can configure it to call a different number, but if the number is not a government-managed emergency line, your phone will have to be unlocked for the call to be completed .

Screenshots: Sean Hollister / The Verge

Image: Android Police

There have been some minor overhauls of the Settings app search bar and the lock screen and notification media player, but Mishaal Rahman found a feature flag that “drastically” changes the settings UI to be easier to use with one hand .

9to5Google also found that some screens in the settings app have blue backgrounds. He speculates that it could be part of a rumored theme system, but at the moment, it looks very unfinished.

Image: 9to5Google

Of course, notifications have also been reformulated, with 9to5Google noting that there is now a dedicated snooze button and the icon balloons are now much larger. It looks like it reduces the density of notifications, but it’s still too early for Android 12, so you can make changes or add buttons to control whether you want to see the bigger icon of the app.

Image: 9to5Google

There are also some suggested features, or even with configurations present, but they currently don’t seem to work or are not enabled, including:

Given the initial state of the developer’s view, it was not intended for daily use on your primary phone. And as with all betas, these features and designs are subject to change in new releases. Still, it’s a tantalizing glimpse into the future of Android and the features Google is adding to an already feature-rich operating system.