- Kyle Chua
Your Apps Launch Up To 30% Faster With Android 12 (Go Edition)
In case you thought Google has forgotten about Android Go when it unveiled Android 12 earlier this year, think again. Google announced today that it plans to roll out Android 12 (Go Edition) sometime next year, bringing some of the new features in Android 12 to the stripped-down, lower-end version of its mobile operating system.
One of the major improvements of the update, as Google touts, is that your device will be able to launch apps up to 30% faster than the previous Go version and with smoother animations no less.
What’s more, your device will hibernate apps that you haven’t used for an extended period of time, which will allow your phone to be more efficient by conserving battery life and storage. If you want to free up more space, you’ll be able to use Files Go, a new feature that lets you safely delete files and recover them after 30 days in case you change your mind. You’ll also have access to an updated version of Nearby Share, which is sort of Google’s answer to Apple’s AirDrop, letting you easily transfer apps from one device to another.
Outside of performance-related upgrades, Android 12 (Go Edition) also adds new privacy features. It’ll include a new privacy dashboard that you can use to get a quick overview of what permissions you've granted for each app. You can similarly revoke these permissions here. Additionally, the dashboard will have an indicator that shows whether your microphone or camera is active. You can also limit apps to accessing only your approximate location instead of your exact one.
And, for whatever reason, if you were to let someone else use your device, you can prevent them from accessing your files by creating a guest profile for them to use directly from the lock screen. Your device will, of course, reset back to normal once you get hold of it again.
Also, the update redesigns Quick Settings to have larger buttons. The Recents menu, meanwhile, will now have a new button that lets you quickly translate on-screen or in-app content.
Google has yet to share which devices will receive the Android 12 (Go Edition) update. But it’s safe to assume that the company will try its best to get it on as many devices as possible, with Android Go already being the OS that over 200 million people around the world use.