New Android APIs and utilities for huge displays, as well as 12L.
Android is used on more than a half billion large-screen devices, including tablets, foldables, and ChromeOS devices. We’ve seen approximately 100 million additional Android tablet activations in the last year–a 20 percent year-over-year increase, while ChromeOS, the fastest-growing desktop platform, has grown by 92 percent. Foldable devices are also on the rise, with a year-on-year increase of almost 265 percent! In all, there are about 250 million Android-powered large-screen devices in use. With all of this momentum, we’re still investing in making Android an even better OS for users and developers on these devices.
12L is a feature drop for big displays that is currently being tested.
Now, we’re releasing a developer preview of 12L, a planned innovation that will improve Android 12 on big displays. You may use the preview to check out the new large-screen features, optimise your apps, or provide feedback.
Two-column layouts display more information and are simpler to use. |
On large displays, we’ve improved the UI in 12L, including notifications, fast settings, lockscreen, overview, home screen, and more. The notification shade, lockscreen, and other system surfaces, for example, employ a new two-column style to take advantage of the screen space on displays over 600dp. Apps that run on the system have also been optimised.
Toggle between split-screen and full-screen modes by dragging and dropping programmes. |
We’ve further improved multitasking by including a new taskbar on wide displays that allows users to quickly move between their favourite programmes. The desktop also makes split-screen mode more accessible than ever before: simply drag and drop an app into split-screen mode from the taskbar. To make split-screen mode more usable in Android 12 and later, we’re assisting users by automatically enabling split-screen mode for all applications, regardless of whether they’re adjustable.
Finally but not least, we’ve improved compatibility mode with visual and stability enhancements to provide users with a better letterboxing experience and make applications appear better by design. Device manufacturers may now select unique letterbox colours or textures, modify the position of the inset window, apply unique rounded corners, and more since we’ve made letterboxing easy to customise.
The 12L feature drop will be available early next year, just in time for the next generation of Android 12 tablets and foldables. We’re already working with our OEM partners to add these capabilities to their large-screen devices, so stay tuned for the Lenovo P12 Pro’s developer preview of 12L.
Making it easier to create large-screen content
That’s time to start creating completely customizable apps that work on every device, and we’ve made it even faster. Along with the developer preview, we’re delivering improvements to our APIs, tools, and advice to help you prepare for these changes in the OS and Play.
Patterns for large screens should be considered when designing.
The very first step in implementing flexible UI is to create an app that works well on both tiny and large screens. We’ve been working on new Material Design designed to help you scale the UI of your app across all devices. The properly in order to avoid popular ecosystem layout patterns that can help inspire and jump-start your work.
Material Design standards include adaptive UI patterns. |