An Android 13 feature is already in Android 12L, but you can’t use it yet
The bigAndroid 13update won’t be landing until later this year, but one of its features is already available in the latest stable build ofAndroid 12L. The System Photo Picker feature allows you to access select media files without giving individual apps access to all the media on your phone. It’s not on by default as part of Android 12L, but if you’re willing to put in a bit of work, you’ll be able to find it in the latest build.
Esper technical editorMishaal Rahmanspotted the new feature and managed to get it running on their build of Android 12L. You can see it in the screenshot below, which shows how you can pick specific media files that certain apps have access to. Exactly which apps are ready for this feature is currently unclear. When we initially tested this inAndroid 13 DP1, many apps weren’t ready for the feature.
This feature is accessible in this latest Android 12L build because it’s part of the Media ProviderMainline module. The System Photo Picker is currently locked in Android 12L, but if you’re willing to play around with the software, it’s there. If you want to try it out yourself, you can follow theseinstructions from Rahman. Be warned: it will take quite a lot of effort, especially considering this feature is unlikely to work correctly. You may want to wait until Android 13 rolls out to try this feature yourself.
Android 12L software runs on various Pixel devices, including some older devices like theGoogle Pixel 3a. ThePixel 6andPixel 6 Prohaven’t received this upgrade yet, but we expect it to arrive soon. We expect to hear more about Android 13 at the upcomingGoogle I/O 2022conference in early May.
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