Last-minute Android 12 leak shows off new design changes before Google I/O

 Google I/O is on the horizon, and with the schedule published already, there’s a lot that we expect to see at the event. It kicks off on May 18th through to May 20th in the form of a virtual event that anyone can attend, and the big one that many of us will be looking forward to is the launch of Android 12. We’ve gotten through a number of developer previews already, but a last-minute Android 12 leak from Jon Prosser of Front Page Tech has shown off some new Google widgets and animations ahead of the company’s upcoming event. Prosser also shared images earlier in the week of what he claims to be the Google Pixel 6 and the Google Pixel 6 Pro – devices not expected to launch until much later in the year

You might find yourself asking what’s new in Android 12, and as Prosser reports, Google has seemingly summed up the answer to this question in three succinct bullet points. While it doesn’t seem there’s much information about how devices will work better together, or how there are stronger privacy and security protections, we’ve learned a lot about that “beautiful new experience”. Android 12 has a lot of changes that we’ve documented already across each of the developer previews, but those are usually just a teaser of what’s to come. There’s a whole host of new widgets and buttons, and there are a few new animations as well. Google has been making small changes to Android’s design year on year by redesigning existing UI elements and adding new animations, and they’re doing it yet again this year.

For starters, there’s a brand new music widget in the notifications bar, alongside newly redesigned Wi-Fi and Bluetooth toggles. There’s also a new volume slider, redesigned notifications, a new clock widget, and even a new weather widget. There’s a lot of small changes, but all of these add up to create a more cohesive and welcoming Android UI.