Android 12 beta 2 update features new Privacy Dashboard, camera, mic indicators

Android 12 beta 2 is being rolled out to Pixel smartphones. The new Android 12 beta release introduces some of the privacy features that were announced at Google I/O 2021. Some of these features are inspired by Apple’s iOS 14.

One of the key new Android 12 features announced at Google I/O 2021 was Privacy Dashboard. The feature offers a single view into your permissions settings as well as what data is being accessed, how often and by which apps. The dashboard also lets you easily revoke app permissions right from the dashboard. Google did not make the feature available in Android 12 beta 1. Users can now update to the latest beta update to get their hands on the new Android 12 feature, according to XDA Developers.

The beta update also brings the new clipboard access prompt feature. Android 12 will throw a pop-up message whenever an app accesses the clipboard in the background. When an app, for example, Chrome, accesses the clipboard in the background, the OS will show a prompt message that reads “Chrome pasted text you copied”. iOS users have had the feature since iOS 14. When Apple rolled out the feature, several apps were found snooping on the clipboard. 

Another iOS 14 feature coming to Android 12 is the microphone and camera access indicator. After updating to Android 12, users will see an indicator at the top-right corner of the status bar when an app is accessing their microphone or camera. You can revoke the access via the Quick Setting tiles.