What you need to know
- Microsoft’s big Android 12L release for Surface Duo and Surface Duo 2 is now available.
- It features a new UI based on Microsoft’s own Fluent design language.
- There are also new fluid animations and pen features, and is 3.2GB in size.
It’s finally here! After months of waiting, Microsoft has released its big Android 12L update for the Surface Duo and Surface Duo 2, which features an updated user interface that incorporates Microsoft’s own Fluent design language in many areas of the system, such as the notification shade, Settings app, and Microsoft Launcher activity feed.
Android 12L for Surface Duo also introduces a new Pen menu feature, which functions similarly to the Pen menu on Windows 11 by clicking the top button on a Surface Slim Pen 2 to reveal a quick launch panel for four apps of your choice. The new pen menu on Android 12L also shows your pen’s battery percentage.
A big theme with this release is UI polish and consistency with Windows 11’s current design language. Many areas of the OS, such as the notifications pane and multitasking switcher, now incorporate blur effects, and many of the gesture animations have been updated to appear more fluid and integrated with the Microsoft Launcher.
Of course, all the stock Android 12L enhancements are also here, including wallpaper accent color theming, more privacy controls, microphone, and camera usage indicators, and more. Interestingly, it appears Microsoft is not adding the Android 12L taskbar experience to Surface Duo.
Microsoft is yet to publish an official changelog, but we’ll be sure to update this post once they do. So far, we know the update is 3.2GB in size for Surface Duo 2 and 2.6GB for Surface Duo 1.
How to update Surface Duo / Surface Duo 2
- Connect to a Wi-Fi network.
- Select Settings on your Surface Duo’s home screen.
- Select System.
- Select System Update.
- Select Check for update.
- Select Restart now.
