~ MamakTalk ~: Android 12's Volume Slider Gets A Visual Overhaul

The tech world is overflowing with news about the new Android 12 beta that just landed. With this new beta, we get a look at some of the major UI changes that Google is implementing. Android 12’s volume slider is one of those changes. As spotted by 9To5Google, the volume rocker will lose the bubbly and cartoonish aesthetic.

Android 12’s volume slider will be slimmed down just a little bit

With Android 10, Google introduced the side-mounted volume rocker. When you press your volume key, a round and bubbly bar would slide in from the side, letting you control your phone’s volume. It’s a far departure from the thin line that would come in from the top with previous versions of Android. This does make it easier to access your volume as phones have gotten really big (and really tall).

Though it was a nice change, the large and bubbly look of the volume slider often clashed with the rest of the UI. Now, it seems that Google has finally addressed this. In this latest beta, the volume slider isn’t this big bubble, but rather, a thinner bar with a white or black background. The pill-shaped background houses the bar, the quick silence toggle, and the three-dot menu below the slider. In the first Android 12 beta, there was no background and all of the elements floated separately.

Not only does this look a bit more refined, but it can also help with visibility. Android 12’s volume slider having that background can help the user better distinguish between the bar and the content that’s being displayed on the screen. It’s a small perk, but when it comes to a device that you use on the daily, little inconveniences can add up.

Other changes to Android 12 include the privacy dashboard and the conversations widget

The changes introduced in the second Android beta extend deep into the software. Privacy is a big deal in the tech world right now. Google plans to help users retain their privacy by introducing the privacy dashboard. On it, users are shows what data is being accessed by apps, and how often. This should give the users more peace of mind when dealing with the permissions that apps are granted.

The conversations widget has been a bit of a taking point since Google announced it. The conversations widget is a unified hub that shows you messages from different conversation apps on your phone. For instance, it will show your Slack messages and your text messages. It’s a quick and easy way of glancing at what messages you’re getting on your phone without scrolling through the notification shade.

Android 12’s volume slider alongside those two additions are just the tip of the iceberg for this new beta. Remember, if you have a Pixel 3 or newer, you are eligible to get this latest beta.