What you need to know
- Microsoft’s massive Android 12L version for Surface Duo and Surface Duo 2 is now available.
- It features a new UI based on Microsoft’s own Fluent design language.
- It also has new fluid animations and pen features and is 3.2 GB in size.
It’s finally here! After months of waiting, Microsoft released the big Android 12L update for Surface Duo and Surface Duo 2features an updated user interface that incorporates Microsoft’s Fluent design language in many areas of the system, such as the notification shade, the Settings app, and the Microsoft Launcher action bar.
Android 12L for Surface Duo also introduces a new Pen menu feature that works the same as the Pen menu in Windows 11 by clicking the top button on the Surface Slim Pen 2, showing a quick launch bar for four apps of your choice. The new pen menu in Android 12L also shows the battery percentage of your pen.
The focus of this release is UI polish and compatibility with Windows 11’s current design language. Many areas of the OS, such as the notification panel and multitasker, now incorporate blur effects, and many gesture animations have been updated to look more fluid and integrated with the Microsoft Launcher.
Of course, there’s a wallpaper accent color theme, more privacy controls, microphone and camera usage indicators, and more. All the stock Android 12L updates are here too, including. Interestingly, Microsoft is not adding the Android 12L taskbar experience to the Surface Duo.
It’s an update 3.2GB size for Surface Duo 2 and 2.6 GB for Surface Duo 1.
(Note: If you have an AT&T Surface Duo 1 device, you may have to wait a few days for this update to be greenlit by your carrier.)
You can read more about the update here on the official Microsoft Blog.
Here is the official changelog:
- Upgrades the Android operating system for foldable devices to Android 12L. For an overview of Android 12, see Android 12 (opens in new tab).
- Addresses scenario described in Android Security Bulletin—October 2022.
- New Fluent UI — redesigned Quick Settings and Parametersupdated Microsoft feed design, new acrylic system effects.
- Dynamic theme based on Windows accent color styles and selected wallpaper.
- New Windows inspired wallpaper.
- Pen menu for Surface Slim Pen 2.
- Move a Microsoft Teams meeting with the Time widget.
- Optimize battery usage and performance for Microsoft Teams through hardware downloads.
How to update Surface Duo / Surface Duo 2
- Connect to a WiFi network.
- On the Surface Duo home screen, select Settings.
- Select a system.
- Select system update.
- Select Check for update.
- Select Start again now.
