Google releases fifth and final Android 12 beta
The Android 12 splash screen.
The build number for the latest Android 12 beta on a Pixel 5.
Google on Wednesday announced the release of Android 12 beta 5, instructing developers to finalize their apps for the upcoming official release. The search giant didn't specify when Android 12 would officially launch, outside of saying the release is "a few weeks away."
Effectively, beta 5 is a release candidate build after beta 4 guaranteed platform stability to beta participants and developers.
Google released the first developer beta of Android 12 earlier this year and followed that with a more formal announcement of features and capabilities at Google I/O in May, along with a public beta for anyone with a compatible phone to install.
New features include better privacy controls, a new Material You design that adapts the interface colors throughout the phone based on the color of your wallpaper.
Another sometimes follows the release candidate build of Android 12, a smaller update to fix one more round of bugs before the official launch. Again, we don't know when that will happen, and Google's timeline of a few weeks can mean anything. If I had to guess, I would happen alongside the launch of the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro, which could happen in early October.
If you have a compatible phone, you can install the Android 12 beta right now.
Which feature are you looking forward to using the most? Let us know in the comments below!