Google IO 2021: Android 12 Beta, Unified Wear OS, Android TV & More

Today Google held the first day of its annual developer conference, Google IO, and kicked things off with the keynote like it does every year.

To get the ball rolling for all of its fun, exciting announcements to come, Google CEO Sundar Pichai came on stage to talk about the company and its recent and future efforts to improve on anything and everything from privacy to global connection to Google Translate.

Once things got into more specific announcements, there were quite a few major points for Google to talk about. It wouldn’t be Google IO after all if Google had nothing to show off. One of the first major announcements was the arrival of the Android 12 beta.

You’ll need a specific device to take part in it. But unlike past years, there’s more options available. Where Google use to require a Pixel device for the beta, it’s now expanding. And like with Android 11 and Android 10, there are non-Google devices included.

Phones from HMD Global, Xiaomi, Samsung, and ASUS all have at least one device that can install the first beta version. And of course if you have a Pixel 3 or later.

Google also announced some major changes for Wear OS. Future devices will run on the new version of the platform, which will be a unification of Google and Samsung’s wearables operating systems. Bringing together the best features of both.

There’s also changes coming to some of the Wear OS apps, like Spotify. And some of Google’s own apps like Maps and Pay. Google carved out some time for Android TV, too. Soon, you’ll be able to use your Android smartphone as a remote control for your Android TV. Allowing you to type using your phone’s keyboard, adjust the volume, and even use a trackpad for UI navigation.

If you missed any of today’s Google IO news, you can read about the biggest stories below.

Everything announced at Google IO on Day 1

• Watch The Google I/O 2021 Keynote Here!
• Google Lens Is Used 3B Times Per Month
• Google’s New Password Manager Features Will Make You Forget About LastPass
• Google Photos Gets A Locked Folder For Storing Your Nudes
• Your Phone Is Getting New Remote-Control Features For Android TV
• Google Maps Aim To Keep You Safe While You’re On The Road
• The Android 12 Beta Is Available Today!
• Google Search Quick Delete Makes It Easier To Hide Your Shame
• Google Workspace Smart Chips Connects Google Docs, Meet, And More
• LaMDA Will Fundamentally Change How You Search & Conversative AI
• Google Introduces “Material You”, The Next Level Of Material Design
• Google Photos ‘Memories’ Feature Gets Boosted By AI
• Tizen Is Dead As Google Announces Wear OS Unified Platform
• Android Automotive Is Coming To 10 More Vehicles This Year
• Google 3D AR Goes Athletic With New Model Additions In Search
• Android 12 Wants To Replace Your Car Keys
• Samsung Partners With Google To Usher In New Era Of Smartwatches
• Google TPU v4 Puts Supercomputer Power In The Google Cloud
• Samsung Won’t Update Your Tizen Smartwatches Forever
• Here’s What The Redesigned Android 12 Looks Like, With Material You!
• Google Is Bringing Its New Material Design To You On Chromebooks Too
• Android 12 Beta 1 Comes To Android TV, But You Won’t Be Able To Try It
• Spotify Is Getting A Massive Upgrade On Wear OS
• Android TV OS Reaches 80 Million Monthly Active Devices
• Android 12’s New Privacy Dashboard Makes It Easier To Revoke Permissions From Certain Apps
• At 3-Billion Active Android Devices, Google Is Dominating The Market
• Samsung Is Making It Easier To Build Apps For Tizen Smartwatches & TVs
• Fitbit’s Big Plan To Inspire More Healthy Living Includes Wear OS
• HMD Global Wants You To Help Shape Android 12 For Nokia
• Google Assistant Is Getting Widgets That Don’t Suck
• Google Gives ARCore New Capabilities Via Big I/O 2021 Update
• PSA: Maybe Wait To Install Android 12 Beta On Non-Pixel Phones

Everything announced at Google IO on Day 2

• TCL 20 Pro 5G Joins Ranks As Official Android 12 Preview Partner
• Google Project Starline Aims To Enable Realistic Two-Way Communication
• Google Opens AI Campus In California To Work On A Quantum Computer
• Android 12 Beta 1 Delivers New, Colorful Charging Animations
• Here’s Everything Announced At Google I/O In A 9-Minute Video
• Top 10 Best Android 12 Features
• ‘Hold For Assistant’ Isn’t On By Default, In Android 12 Beta 1
• Google Looks At Giving Chrome Its Own RSS Reader, Catered To You
• How To Enable Game Mode In The Android 12 Beta
• Google Moves Your Next Alarm To The Quick Settings in Android 12
• Toast Notifications Will Have To Identify Their Maker From Android 12
• YouTube Music Is Coming To Your Wear OS Watch, With Features Intact
• Google Won’t Say If Current Smartwatches Get The New Wear OS
• Android 12 Intros A Way To Stop Unused Apps From Wrecking Your Phone
• Audio In Android 12 Will Be Handled Very Differently On Transition
• Everything There Is To Know So Far About The New Wear OS

Everything announced at Google IO Day 3

• Android 12 Will Boost Google Play Store Alternatives
• Nanoleaf Becomes The Latest Brand To Support The Matter Smart Home Standard
• Google Will Open Its First Physical Retail Store In NYC This Summer
• Android 12’s Big Focus Is Privacy, But Most Privacy Features Aren’t Available Yet
• Google Reenables The Emergency SOS Feature In The Android 12 Beta
• Google Talks Up Chromebook Linux Leaving Beta, New Devices Incoming
• You Can Make Google Duo Calls On Samsung’s Newest TVs
• Google Really Wants You To Hear Its I/O 2021 Message About Privacy
• Google Is Getting Rid Of Android 12’s Ultrawide Volume Slider
• App Shortcuts Will Soon Make Your Google Assistant Even More Useful