Android 12 was confirmed back at Google IO 2021 in June, showcasing a revamped look and features that focus more on privacy and interactivity.
We've since seen the public beta release show off refreshed notifications, better screen-shot support, one-handed mode and much more.
And after the Pixel 6 launch event, Google launched the software update, and it's available now for older Pixel phones – though the company hasn't confirmed which phones are compatible (we suspected the Pixel 3 might be the oldest phone to get the update given it was the threshold for the Android 12 beta).
Android 12 is the 2021 update for Google's Android operating system, building on 2020's Android 11, which some phones still don't have. But this is more than just an itera-tive update - Google describes it as the biggest design change in Android's history, and it certainly shows.
Some users can download the Android 12 beta now, which may still be valuable for non-Pixel owners of the Xiaomi Mi 11, OnePlus 9 and other beta-compatible phones. You'll find a full list below, while for instructions head to our how to get the Android 12 beta on your phone guide.
As for the final version, it's now live on the Android Open Source Project (AOSP), but ex-pect the recently-announced Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro to come with Android 12 sometime af-ter the Launch Event.
The new Pixel phones will most likely be one of the first to ship with the update. If you have another (non-Pixel) Android phone you'll likely have to wait a bit longer, as each company needs to make sure the latest update works with their existing phones.
We've listed all the official Android 12 features that have been showcased at Google IO and in the subsequent betas, and we'll update this article as soon as we discover more – and continue updating it as Android 12 rolls out to phones and the subsequent beta re-leases.
