Skip to main content

Google brings Android 12L to the Google Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro

Google today rolled out the March Feature Drop and Android 12L to the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro after a release came to older Pixels in the first week of March. The delayed release comes after a second such delay for Google’s newest phones, raising concerns of teething issues with the company’s Tensor processor.

With the March Feature Drop and Android 12L, Google is bringing a few quality of life improvements to the Pixels.  It’s adding Night Sight support to the Snapchat app, allowing for better nighttime photography when using the popular social media app. It’s also improving the Pixel’s smart Live Caption feature to allow users to “type” their phone calls out and have an automated voice transcribe incoming audio and read text out to the person on the other end.

Recommended Videos

Google also highlights app updates (some of which have already rolled out), including a new battery widget coming to the Style and Wallpapers app, new YouTube integration in the Messages app, and YouTube live sharing with the Duo video calling app, much like Apple’s Share Play.

Android 12L changes are displayed on tablets against a green and blue background..
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Android 12L for its part is a smaller update as far as Pixels go. There are small interface changes with a smaller clock face for the lock screen, nicer wallpaper and widget pickers, and tweaks to the notification center. The multitasking menu also sees some tweaks for people who want to use split-screen often.

While it’s finally here, Android 12L has been a deeply weird release for Google. It was initially positioned as bringing improvements to large-screened devices like tablets and foldables, but Android 12L remains exclusive to Pixels for now. While the Pixel 6 Pro can charitably be counted as a “large-screened device” if one were to tinker with display settings, Google’s reticence to launch a successor to the Pixel C has hamstrung the effectiveness of its Android 12L release. The lack of a big-screen app push directed from Google has also served to underline the inadequacy of the update, especially when the likes of Samsung already have competent Android-powered operating systems for its own tablets.

Michael Allison
Former Digital Trends Contributor
A UK-based tech journalist for Digital Trends, helping keep track and make sense of the fast-paced world of tech with a…
Google’s Pixel Weather app could get a fun new feature
Google Pixel showing the Google Pixel Weather app.

Google’s Pixel Weather app is one of the newest forecasting apps on the market. And now the company is likely to soon introduce a unique feature designed to enhance the user experience and make Pixel Weather stand out in a very ... unique way.

According to Android Authority, the app will include a new feature called “Immersive Weather Vibrations.” This feature will make supported Pixel phones vibrate in sync with weather animations, adding an exciting element for users.

Read more
Android 15 is now rolling out to Pixels. Here’s what’s new
Android 15 logo on a Google Pixel 8.

The wait for a next-generation Android experience is finally over. Google today released the public version of Android 15, and it is now making its way to compatible phones, starting with the company’s Pixel series of smartphones.

Among the key areas where Android 15 brings the biggest set of upgrades are safety and privacy. To that end, users will soon be able to create a safe space for all their sensitive apps, locked behind their device’s local password or biometric layer.

Read more
Google just announced 23 big changes coming to your Pixel devices
The Google Pixel 9 Pro XL, the Google Pixel 9 Pro, and Google Pixel 9 all next to each other.

If you have a Google Pixel device, then you’re in for some big updates. Not only are Pixel devices the first to get the official rollout of Android 15 today, but Google is adding even more features in the October 2024 Pixel Drop for Pixel phones, tablets, and smartwatches.

The October Pixel Drop will begin rolling out today, October 15, so if you aren’t seeing it just yet, keep checking. As long as your device is supported, it should get this update.
Features coming to Pixel phones
Private Space (from left), Theft protection, and underwater photography Google

Read more