The second Android 12 beta is here, bringing with it a really good look at most of the new features that will eventually show up in the operating system once it finally rolls out to everyone. From the new refreshed design language to the Material You theming options to the Privacy Center, Google now allows testers to experience exactly what will be hitting their phones when Android 12 becomes publicly available.
Of course, given the fact that the Android 12 release is full steam ahead, you might be wondering when you can get your hands on it. The answer? It depends — but generally, Google releases full versions of Android updates to the public around August, and even then, it’s only to the Pixel and some partner phones. Here’s everything we know.
The Android 12 release schedule
Along with announcing the first Android 12 Developer Preview, Google also provided a release schedule for various milestones of the operating system’s development — giving us a good look at what to expect.
First up were the next two Developer Previews, which prepared developers for the changes coming to Android and allowed them to update their apps accordingly. Most of the changes in Developer Previews are under the hood, so not too many visual changes came with those.
Next up are the betas. The first Android 12 beta released in May after Google finally announced Android 12’s consumer-facing features. The second beta came in June, and the third is expected in July. There is the fourth release before its final release, but this is the point where Google expects the platform to have stabilized, with no big changes incoming.
Last but not least is the public release of Android 12. This will likely happen toward the end of August or the beginning of September.
What phones will get Android 12?
Initially, all Pixel devices from the Pixel 3 and later will get Android 12, along with some Android One partners. For Android 11, Sony, OnePlus, and Xiaomi all participated in the betas, and as such got the final release when it was available or very soon after. The same thing recurred this year, with the Android 12 beta being available on phones from Asus, OnePlus, Oppo, Realme, Sharp, Tecno, TCL, Vivo, Xiaomi, and ZTE. It’s possible that supported phones will get a speedy release, though no official announcements have been made just yet.
Eventually, all high-end phones and most midrange phones from the past year or so should get Android 12. But it may take a while. After all, look at the Galaxy S20 series, which only got Android 11 starting in January, though Google finalized the OS in September. It’s pretty common for even flagship phones to get the next major software update two or more months after it’s released by Google.
Should I download the beta?
Google has released Android 12 as part of a public beta, allowing anyone who truly wants to be on the bleeding edge to test it out.
The current Android 12 beta is stable enough for day-to-day use, but you’ll still find some bugs here and there.
The current Android 12 beta is stable enough for day-to-day use, but you’ll still find some bugs here and there. With that bit of caveat emptor, if you want to get Android 12 early, you can do so now, provided you’re on one of the supported phones. Your experience will vary depending on which phone you’re on, though Pixels have some of the smoothest installs and exits.
As Android 12 progresses and eventually rolls out to the public, we’ll update this guide with more information.
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