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Android 12 Beta 2: Google gives Pixel 4 a little love w/ new face unlock animation

Continuing with the theme of animations and colors, Google has added a neat little animation in Android 12 for Pixel 4 owners that highlights the face unlock sensor when it’s used.

A small change that Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL owners may notice after jumping into Android 12 Beta 2 is a neat little animation that happens after the device is unlocked. As the lockscreen disappears, a wave of color emits from the top of the display down toward the bottom, signifying that face unlock was just used.

This is pretty similar to some other animations found on Pixels in Android 12 including two similar “waves” that appear when the device is being charged. Like those animations, this one also changes to match the theme of your wallpaper.

Notably, we’re not seeing this same animation on other Pixel smartphones running the same build, only on Pixel 4. Given the poor sales and reception of the Pixel 4, it’s almost strange to see Google giving it a specific feature, but nonetheless it’s nice to see for those who are still using the device.

We’re still digging into what’s new in Android 12 Beta 2. If you spot anything, drop a comment below or ping us on Twitter.

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