Android 12 Beta 2: Quick settings adds Google Pay, Home shortcuts, and power button

Kyle Bradshaw | Jun 9 2021 - 11:16 am PT

One of the many aspects of Android being revamped with Android 12 is the Quick Settings area. With Android 12 Beta 2, the Quick Settings area gains quick access to Google Pay, Google Home shortcuts, as well as a power button.

With Android 12, the power button is optionally taking on a new role, with a long-press serving as yet another way to summon the Google Assistant. This means there needed to be a new way to access the power menu on Pixel phones, which Google has solved by placing a power button just below the Quick Settings area. It’s only visible when Quick Settings is fully expanded and takes the form of a generic Power logo to the right of the Edit and Settings buttons.

In a similar fashion, the Power menu no longer features the “Device Controls” and “Wallet” options that were hallmarks of Android 11. Instead, on your first boot of Android 12 Beta 2, you’ll notice that your quick settings have been rearranged, placing “Wallet” and “Device Controls” in the third and fourth slots, respectively. This means they’re visible any time you pull down the notification shade, which should help ensure that more people see that things have moved.

Like the old “Cards and Passes” view, tapping Wallet opens to a list of your saved cards, for the sake of contactless payments and more. If you have a preferred payment card set up on your device, you’ll see a miniature version of it in the Quick Settings area. Device Controls, as before, shows a handful of quick toggles and settings for your chosen favorite Google Home devices.