Android 12L will get the first of three betas in December, Q1 2022 launch

Abner Li | Oct 27 2021 - 10:56 am PT

Google today announced Android 12L as a release focused on tablets, foldables, and other large-screen form factors. It’s also coming to phones, and the company today provided a timeline for the Android 12L Developer Preview and Beta.

Available today, Android 12L Developer Preview 1 (DP1) is an “early baseline build focused on developer feedback, with a small number of new features, APIs, and behavior changes.” It’s the “priority window for feedback on APIs.”

Beta 1 is coming in December as the “initial beta-quality release” and will be available through an over-the-air update via the Android Beta Program. This is in line with previous guidance.

January 2022 will see Beta 2 with final APIs and the official 12L SDK, while Beta 3 in February brings an incremental update. The 12L release to AOSP and ecosystem will take place in Q1 of 2022, which would mean March.

Android 12L will have API level 32:

The 12L update includes a small number of new APIs for developers. While the APIs are still in development, the 12L platform uses the provisional API level “Sv2”. When the APIs are finalized, the 12L platform will use the API level “32”.
For developers it will be optional (but recommended) for apps to target the 12L API level (targetSdkVersion="32") to meet Google Play requirements. For details on the latest Google Play targeting requirements, see this article.

Meanwhile, Google reiterated that “most of the changes in 12L are designed for large screen devices.” That said, Beta 1 will bring Pixel system images and GSI images for wider testing. The following Google devices will be eligible: