Leak gives us our first look at Android 12 mockup designed by Google

Leaked screenshots obtained by XDA Developers show of a mockup of Android 12. The images come from design concepts for the next major Android build made by Google to show to Android phone manufacturers. We expect the first Developer Preview to be released this month starting Android users on the path to September's final version of the new build. While XDA can't vouch for the authenticity of the screenshots, it does say that there is evidence of its legitimacy.

Google's design concept revealed that there will be a new notifications UI in Android 12 that replaces the current transparent look with a light beige opaque. The hue might change if Dark mode is enabled; the rounded corners of each notification is more easily viewable. Google did reduce the number of Quick Settings icons to four from six and these will surface when the notification panel is expanded. The icons are larger than usual because of the fewer number of icons used. The positions of the date and the clock have been swapped on the front of the display, and there are new privacy indicators in the upper right corner. Tapping on these icons will tell you exactly which apps are using the microphone and camera on your handset. A "Sensors off" icon in Quick Settings will allow the user to shut down and disable all sensors on his or her phone with a single tap; the Developer options menu will have to be enabled to see this icon.

After Apple beefed up its widgets, Google felt the need to do so as well. A new Conversations widget will show Android users messages, missed calls, and more. Due to its small size, the widget will only be able to show one item at a time. XDA says that the Conversations widget will be a mandatory feature on all Android 12 devices. Also mandatory will be the use of camera and microphone icons on the front display which must be visible when the camera and the microphone are being used. You might recall that Apple added something similar with iOS 14.2. A small green dot on the upper right of an iPhone display means that an app is using the handset's camera while an orange dot indicates that an app is using an iPhone's microphone.

One feature believed to be coming with Android 12 that might be the most interesting is app hibernation. If an Android user needs more storage, instead of uninstalling an app, he/she could put the app into hibernation mode which will free up some storage space while keeping the app on the phone.

If things go according to expectations, Android 12 should be available for the 2018-2020 Pixel models early in September.