Android 12 – cosmetic changes
A new Android has just been unveiled – this time numbered 12 and codenamed Q. As every year I look at the beta to see what you should be prepared for if you have Android apps published on Google Play or any other store. The final version of the system will be available in the fall and then any changes will be made to the Google Play console. Owners of applications published in HUAWEI AppGallery do not have to think especially, because this platform is based on AOSP (Android Open Source Project) and as such is not subject to changes and requirements introduced by Google in its services and services.
Publishers can breathe – the new Android update does not bring practically any changes in matters of compatibility. In general, the changes in the system belong to the category of cosmetic and optimization – significant corrections in the appearance, a new look of notifications, aesthetic changes such as matching the color of highlights to the wallpaper color, tidying up the system tray, order in the settings drawer, etc.
Having an application for Android, however, you always have to pay attention to the so-called target, which is the version of the API on which the application is based. Currently, to publish an application or issue an update in Google Play target 30 is required, which means that the application must be adapted to Android 11. The new version of Android has a target 31, but does not change the requirements for the minimum target – it is still 30. From next year, however, it will be target 31. I have not noticed any incompatibilities between the targets, so if your application is target 30 you probably do not have to worry about anything, and if you have an application with a lower API you still have to adapt it to target 31 if you want to publish an update.