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Google puts finishing touches on Android 12 with beta 5
- Google has released Android 12 beta 5.
- The stable Android 12 release will follow in the next few weeks.
- Beta 5 finalizes app-facing surfaces and behaviors.
Google has released the last and final beta for Android 12. The latest update, just like the one before it, doesn’t add many new features as per what Google tells us.
The software reached platform stability with beta 4 and beta 5 is the release candidate. This means that all app-facing surfaces and behaviors are now final. Developers can now test drive and review their apps to make sure they are ready for the stable Android 12 release.
Speaking of, Google says that Android 12 will officially roll out in “just a few weeks.” Perhaps we can expect a mid-to-late September release for the software. Unfortunately, the company didn’t give out an exact date.
Apart from putting the finishing touches on Android 12, the beta 5 update also brings a full on-device search function. On Pixel phones with the new beta, you can access the search feature within the app drawer.
Moreover, Google has also made the Android 12 beta available for Pixel 5a users. The phone is fairly new and wasn’t enrolled in the beta program when it launched. If you’ve received your Pixel 5a, you can sign up for the Android 12 beta here and start receiving over-the-air updates.
If you’re already on a previous beta version of Android 12, on a Pixel or a third-party device, you’ll automatically get the beta 5 update. Remember, Google has partnered with the likes of OnePlus, OPPO, realme, ASUS, Xiaomi, and others for its Android 12 beta program.
That said, OPPO recently announced that its Color OS 12 software based on Android 12 would release later this month. Samsung is also set to debut the beta for One UI 4 based on Android 12 in September. We’re sure other OEMs will also follow suit once Android 12 becomes official.