Daily Authority: 🎉Android 12L is live!

🎢 Good day, folks. Are you recovered from all the MWC news and ready for some Apple news? Promising peak performance, stay tuned in just a few hours. While you wait, let’s chat about some Android news, how about that Android 12L release?

Android 12L is rolling out now!

Announced last fall, Google has finally released the final version of Android 12L. This is the version of their mobile OS that is supposed to be good for tablets and folding displays. Let’s see what they’ve been up to.

Key features

• Revamped overview screen (recent apps) that shows more detail, and takes advantage of the screen real estate on wider devices.
• See your notifications and the quick settings menu side-by-side.
• A taskbar, just like on your PC.
• Drag and drop split screen.
• Multiple split screen orientations and sizes.
• App developers are encouraged to design new experiences, we’ll have to wait to sees what they come up with.

Timeline

• October 2021: Android 12L Developer Preview.
• December 2021: Android 12L Beta releases begin to drop.
• March 2022: Android 12L final release available for Pixel phones.
• Later in 2022: Android 12L will be available on tablets and foldable devices from Samsung, Lenovo, and Microsoft.

Google is rolling out the update in batches. You should soon see the notification if you are running a Pixel 3a, Pixel 3a XL, Pixel 4, Pixel 4a, Pixel 4a 5G, Pixel 5, Pixel 5a, Pixel 6, or the Pixel 6 Pro.

Be sure to check out our in-depth Android 12L coverage for all the details.

Roundup

🏆 Samsung Galaxy S22 review. The good and bad on the smallest display in the S22 line. (Android Authority)

🧹 How to clean the cookies and cache on your Samsung smartphone. Breathe new life into your older devices. (Android Authority)

🕵️‍♂️ ColorOS gaining a spy camera detection tool. OPPO wants to keep you safe when you are out in the world. (Android Authority)

📲 The March Google Pixel update includes a bunch of display and video framerate issues for your Pixel 6. (Android Authority)

📽 You told us: Most of you use YouTube Premium, but a lot of you use workarounds to avoid ads. (Android Authority)

🤷‍♂️ Waiting for the next Nokia flagship phone? HMD says you’ll have to keep waiting. (Android Authority)

💻 The Apple iPad Air 5 might get the “pro” processor. (Phone Arena)

💃 Instagram killing off Boomerang and Hyperlapse apps. (Phone Arena)

Chart Tuesday

The 2022 hack-a-thon is under way. The numbers speak for themselves, your password strength matters.

This data comes from Hive Systems.

• Remember the password recommendations from yester-year – Eight characters, including upper case, lower case, and numbers? That’ll save you for a whole 7 seconds today!
• I thought my own password was clever, but it’ll only save me for 5 months.
• If you are going to update your password, consider going above and beyond. Hacking speeds up fairly rapidly, it may say 5 months today, but that could be as little as 2 days after the next batch of CPUs hit the market.
• If you have not yet opted into two-factor authentication, perhaps these numbers will help you make that decision. A compromised password is bad, two-factor might save you.

Have yourself a great day.

Jonathan Feist