Android 12 is a very different operating system from the current version of Google’s software. The new update comes loaded with new features such as a complete redesign of the system interface via Material You, but also adds new privacy features, notification control, or the ability to work with new media file formats.
However, what we usually like the most is what Google keeps quiet about. That is all those functions that the company has not revealed but that we dive into the betas of the operating system and we can find. These hidden functions are quite unknown to the general public, but we have fallen in love with them.
Hidden features of Android 12
When an update like Android 12 hits the market, there are hundreds of new features that are impossible to collect by the brand. Curiously, the ones that the manufacturer tends to boast the most about are usually the least striking for users. If we delve into the features that are not announced, which are accessed by diving deep into the update, we find great new features such as a dedicated game mode in Android 12, greater control of notifications, or a much more comfortable way to use the phone.
- Notification history: If you delete notifications without wanting to, in current versions of Android you will have to go to third-party apps to find the “logo” of missed alerts. Now, this is included in the operating system in the form of history, where the last notifications received in the past 24 hours are collected. It is accessed from the bottom of the control center.
- Revamped one-handed mode: The new one-handed mode moves the top half of whatever is on the screen to the bottom half, making it easier to access the control center, notification panel, and other apps located at the top of the desktop. You can enable it from Settings > System > Gestures > One-handed mode.
- Automatic translation of apps: Just as Google Chrome allows you to change the language of the web pages you visit, Android 12 will automatically translate apps in another language as soon as you open them.
- Hidden “gaming” mode: Imitating what other customization layers already offer, the latest version of Android has a Game mode that can be activated from a route, perhaps too complex: Settings > Notifications > Do not disturb > Schedules > Game mode. Here you can set the fps rate to be displayed on the screen, record the screen, stream your games or set up mobile alerts.
- Adaptive connectivity: Android 12, from the Wi-Fi and Networks options, allows you to switch between 5G, LTE, and Wi-Fi connectivity to save battery life. Now it also understands usage scenarios, such as when we use Android Auto or are in the middle of a game. It is a function that for the moment is present in the Google Pixel, but could be extended to more devices.
