Sony’s Android 12 update includes a welcome change you’ll probably never see
Android 12is Google’s most significant transformation to its mobile operating system since Material Design first debuted in 2014. Unfortunately, not every change has been for the better. The quick settings menu got a new Internet tile, combining all of Android’s various Wi-Fi and mobile data options into a single place. Of course, that requires additional taps not found in previous versions, forcing some users to push ADB commands to their phones to restore the previous layout. If you happen to have one of Sony’s recent phones, you’ll be glad to know its take on Android 12 undoes this change — though, it seems, not entirely on purpose.
The Xperia 1 III and Xperia 5 III startedgetting their respective software updates a couple of weeks ago, with some eagle-eyed users over at theXperia subredditmanaging to spot a big improvement (viaXDA Developers). Unlike Pixel devices, Sony’s Android 12 update includes separate toggles for Wi-Fi and data, removing all extra steps for accessing internet-related settings. Unfortunately, this bonus comes at a cost — you’ll have to factory reset your Xperia device to get it.
It turns out that, post-update, Xperia 1 III and 5 III devices both get the unified internet tile, but performing a factory restore seemingly separates them. There’s a very real chance this is a bug and not an intended feature — after all, why would Sony require its users to reset their phones for get the tool they actually want? Thankfully, if you’re savvy with ADB, you don’t need to restore your device to its original settings. Check out our guide onrestoring the original Wi-Fi and data tilesusing two simple ADB commands.
Sony’s Android 12 update has only landed on those two devices so far, but hopefully, Xperia users can get their hands on Google’s newest software sooner rather than later.
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