There’s no denying that Android 12 is one of the biggest updates in the OS’s history. The addition of features like Material You, Scrolling Screenshots, and new Privacy Features should make the user experience richer and better. If you happen to own a phone that will get Android 12 or recently updated to the same, here are the things to do after installing Android 12.
Things to do after installing Android 12
1. Try Out Material You
One of the best features of Android 12 is Material You. For starters, it is a built-in theming engine that extracts colors from your device’s Wallpaper and applies it to the Android UI, and it does it very well. We have an article on how to use Material You so, make sure to check it out. There are also themed icons that also enhance the look of your home screen.
TL;DR, you can enable it by going to the Settings > Wallpaper and Style > Selecting from one of the recommended Wallpaper colors.
2. Try Out The New Widgets
Widgets have existed in Android for a long time, and they were, for the most part, boring. However, this time, Google emphasized them, and they look better than ever. For example, we have new clock widgets that change their colors depending on the area of the Wallpaper they’re placed on.
We have a detailed article explaining Android 12 widgets. If you want to learn more, make sure to check it out. Many widgets that Google gave us a glimpse of in the I/O 2020 are still absent, but it won’t take long until Google adds them in the upcoming updates.
3. Separate Wi-Fi Tile From Internet Tile in Quick Settings
Not everyone liked Android 12. We have seen many people complain about the Internet tile in quick settings that it increases the steps required to enable or disable Wi-Fi and mobile data. While I don’t wholly disagree with this, I think the Internet tile has its benefits. For example, in countries where Wi-Fi isn’t ubiquitous, many people constantly have to switch between Wi-Fi and mobile data. Forgetting to do so would cause you to miss out on important notifications.
By keeping both Wi-Fi and mobile data open in the Internet panel, your device will automatically get on the mobile data when it’s out of the Wi-Fi’s range. However, I do agree that Google should’ve let users choose the style of the internet panel and separate the Wi-Fi tile from the menu.
How to Bring Back Old Wi-Fi and Mobile Data Tiles?
There is a way to get the Wi-Fi and Mobile Data tiles back.
1. Enable Developer Options and USB Debugging on your Android device.
2. Download the Platform Tools zip for your platform and extract it from the Desktop.
3. Open the file inside the terminal.
4. Connect the device to your computer using the USB interface.
5. In the terminal, type adb devices and hit enter.
6. A dialog box will appear on your device. Check the “Always allow from this computer” checkbox, and finally, tap on “Allow.”
7. Once done, type adb devices in the terminal again and check if your device is being shown.
8. If it is present below the “List of devices attached” section, in a new line, type the following command and hit enter.
adb shell settings put secure sysui_qs_tiles “wifi,cell,$(settings get secure sysui_qs_tiles)9. You should now see both the Wi-Fi and Mobile Data tiles in the quick settings.
4. Enable Face Detection for Auto-Rotate
All of us smartphone users, at some point, have faced auto-rotation issues when consuming content while lying down on the bed or couch. Android 12 solves this problem by detecting your face and rotating the screen based on its orientation. You can enable it by going to the auto-rotate section and toggling on the face detection feature.
5. Try Out Expanded Screenshots
Scrolling screenshots were one of the most requested features in Android, and it finally arrived in Android 12. As the name suggests, it allows you to extend the length of your screenshot and capture the content beyond what’s visible to you on the screen. Google’s calling it “Expanded Screenshots.”
If you want to know more about the Expanded Screenshot feature, here’s our article about the same.
However, the list of new features and improvements doesn’t end there. If you’re curious about what’s new on Android 12, check out our 12 best Android 12 features that make it one of the biggest releases in Android’s history.
Have you tried out Android 12 yet? What are your thoughts about the same? Share your views and opinions in the comments section below.
