Google Details Android Go 12

Today, Google detailed the latest version of Android Go, which it created for affordable, entry-level phones.

“Today, over 200 million people actively use an Android (Go edition) phone,” Google’s Charmaine D’Silva writes in the announcement post. “With the recent release of Android 12 (Go edition), we’re building on what you care about, creating a faster, smarter, and more privacy-friendly experience than ever before. We’re also making these phones more accessible by improving features for multilingual users and introducing new ones that keep data costs in mind.”

Here are the new Android Go 12 features that Google highlighted:

Improved performance. Android 12 (Go edition) will launch apps up to 30 percent faster, and they will open instantly and with smoother animations.

Improved battery life. Android 12 (Go edition) will save battery life and storage automatically by hibernating apps that haven’t been used for extended periods of time. This is a big deal for phones with limited storage capacity, Google notes. Also, an updated Files Go app will let users recover files within 30 days. Google says that this will let users “confidently delete unnecessary files to free up space in the meantime.” I guess so.

More intelligent features. Android 12 (Go edition) will display options for listening to the news and translating on-screen content into your preferred language when you navigate to Recent apps.

Easier app sharing. Android 12 (Go edition) includes support for Nearby Share so you can share apps directly with nearby phones through Google Play.

Easier guest access. Android 12 (Go edition) will make it easier to share a phone with friends or family by making profiles available directly on the lock screen. That way you can switch to a guest profile before sharing the phone and then reset it once they’re done.

Improved privacy controls. Android 12 (Go edition) includes two new privacy-related features, a privacy dashboard and support for per-app approximate location (instead of a precise location).

Google says that new phones will launch with Android 12 Go in 2022.