The latest version of Android 12 offers Google Assistant, widgets, and some cool new ways to interact with the home screen.

Found by XDA Developers in an unreleased build provided by an anonymous source, this version is newer than the current public build and includes several new toys to try. Some of these are only superficially interesting, such as new emojis and a differently designed volume slider, but many offer enhancements that should please Android power users.

One feature that appears to have been borrowed from Apple is a new option to activate the Google Assistant by holding down the power button. This is similar to the way Siri is invoked on the iPhone these days, and seems like a big improvement over the laborious gesture you currently have to use, while avoiding the phone constantly listening for the "OK Google" wake word.

If you're a fan of widgets, you'll love the new widget picker. It provides a collapsible menu for each app and a search bar at the top, making it easier to find and check out the widgets you're interested in. This is similar to Apple's feature - iOS 14's own widget picker.

On the topic of widgets, the conversation widget and associated selection menu have been visually updated from the Developer Preview 2 version. This new feature allows you to select contacts and groups from messaging services and add them to your home screen, making it easier to reply to them or check for missed calls.

If you own an Android tablet, Android 12 includes two fun things for you. While the current DP2 builds show a persistent taskbar at the bottom of the display, the new XDA builds offer a dual-pane home screen, with two sets of apps and widgets side by side to take full advantage of the larger display.

Inside the notification shade are new Quick Settings tiles for accessing device controls, cards, and the Pass menu; XDA Developers will find these features usually found by long-pressing the power button, but the new Google Assistant summons option, suggesting that they may have been added in case you decide to use it instead. Either way, it's good to have another quick way to get tickets, loyalty cards, and smart home gear switched on.

Google continues to tinker with the latest name for Android 12's "extra dim mode," a feature formerly named "reduce brightness" and "reduce bright colors." The effect is to add a dark filter to the display, which, as the name implies, makes it appear extra dark. It looks like a good idea to turn it on if you're using your phone in a dark place, or if you're trying to avoid being blinded when you turn it on at night.

In terms of usability improvements, the brightness slider has been changed; the slider is thicker up to the point where the brightness is set and thinner beyond that point. If the brightness is not set to change automatically, it will be easier to see what level you are at.

The Wi-Fi menu has also been simplified and is now just named "Internet. It is also easier to take scrolling screenshots by selecting the area of the page you want to capture from the preview window.

Android 12 also has some changes to animations. Opening the app drawer, charging the phone, scrolling to the end of a menu, or tapping an option in a menu will all show a new animation. In addition, Android 12 also creates a splash page when an app is opened based on the app's color scheme.

App Pair is the official version of the existing split-screen app feature on certain Android phones, which allows users to swap the positions of two apps by double-tapping the center bar. While this alone is not a big deal, one would expect further changes to be made to make this feature more useful, especially on folding devices that have the necessary screen space to take full advantage of it.

Android 12 also adds new permission and security prompts. These features allow you to see when an app has used something from the clipboard and to more precisely tailor the permissions for notifications, location, alarms, reminders, and media to your own preferences.

One last piece of good news for Android enthusiasts: sideloading apps is now easier: when installing an APK file on a device for the first time outside of the Google Play Store, an installation popup immediately after allowing the installation of a third-party app will appear. This saves a bit of frustrating time by eliminating the need to search for the file and redo the installation.

All of this together suggests that, while not groundbreaking, the OS update from Google is a welcome one, and we should be able to see the final versions of these features at Google I/O on May 18, and learn about the other features Android 12 has to offer. We'll find out.