Features of Android 12: The iOS vs. Android debate is a never-ending one. The rivalry of the two operating systems has led to both Google and Apple borrowing from each other over time, allowing users to enjoy features of a certain platform that they might not have on their current device.
Last year, iOS 14 copied several features from Android 11, including home screen widgets, and improved Siri overlay, app libraries, and picture-in-picture. This year, Google has borrowed some valuable features from iOS with the launch of Android 12. Let’s take a look at everything that’s changed in this new OS update thanks to capitalizing on Apple’s established technology.
Features of Android 12 Copied From iOS
1. Privacy Indicators
Most recent events in the tech industry have left many consumers questioning how safe their devices are online. Thus, an increased emphasis has been placed on companies to focus more attention on the security aspect of software or computing applications, making it crucial for product managers across multiple industries to pay particular attention to how well certain systems protect data.
In Android 12, users can simply check which app is currently using a camera or a microphone by long-pressing the power button and swiping down to view quick settings. You can then tap on the Microphone or Camera icons to determine which app is using them. This is a great way for users to take back control of their devices!
If you notice an app is doing something odd with your phone, you can tap on the camera icon again to take you to the permission settings. Pretty cool, right? Apart from this, you also get a toggle in quick settings to block camera and microphone access of all apps.
2. Approximate and Precise Location Options
Previous Android versions are used to store your precise location in an app. However, with Android 12, Google introduced a feature that allows users to control apps’ access to their location in more granular detail. This is currently only available on select smartphones, but by default, you will be able to see how much access each app has individually.
When an app is requesting access to your device’s location, you can choose between “Precise” or “Approximate.” By changing the permission to “Approximate,” it may cause the app not to function properly. If this happens, go to Settings > Permissions > Location > X App > Toggle on ‘Precise Location.
3. App Hibernation
The new “Offload apps” is one of the nifty features of Android 12. Like its iOS counterpart, it was previously introduced in Android 11 and takes inspiration from it – freeing up some space by removing unused apps for a couple of months. This isn’t as effective as its iOS counterpart but it’s still a useful feature to have.
What thoughts do you have on the copied features in Google’s new update to Android? Which updates do you think Apple should copy next for iOS 16? Let us know in the comments section below.
