Why You Shouldn’t Let Android 12 Change Wallpaper Automatically
With major software updates, developers are adding new wallpaper options for users to try out, while entire forums on the Internet are dedicated to creating and sharing the most beautiful lock screen images for your phone. However, if you are using Android, be careful, because switching the wallpaper may cause your apps to restart.
Android 12 stuff: you are to blame
The problem seems to be related to Android 12’s new Material You design. This new UI update automatically changes the OS color theme to match the colors of your chosen wallpaper. If you have a yellow wallpaper, your phone’s user interface takes on different shades of yellow. If your wallpaper is blue, the UI will turn blue. It’s a sleek design that adds depth to Android.
However, as cool as this feature is, it destroys application memory . When you switch wallpapers, Android forcibly restarts all open apps. If you switch the wallpaper to Android 12, it will seem like all your apps have crashed when they were actually created by the OS.
This behavior can have dire consequences: if you are in the middle of the game, you will lose your progress; if you write a note in an application that does not save autosave, your work will be lost. All because you innocently decided to change your wallpaper. If you are using a setting that automatically changes the wallpaper, then you may want to stop for now.
App crashing on Android 12 is not an error
The problem is that this behavior is intentional . Google confirmed this by stating that switching the wallpaper triggers a restart of all activities, and app developers cannot opt out of this restart. This is in stark contrast to how the system switches from light to dark. Switching between these themes also causes applications to restart, but developers can simply opt out of this behavior.
At the moment, switching the wallpaper to Android 12 will restart all open applications on your phone without exception. Your best bet is to wait until you need to use any wallpaper switching app. For most of us, this is probably okay , but it’s strange that we have to worry about this issue at all.
Only Pixel devices affected (for now)
The nature of Android has actually protected most of its users from this problem as it stands. The update is still only available for Google Pixel devices. Whether you’re using a Galaxy, OnePlus, LG, or other Android device, you don’t have to worry about changing your wallpaper, which erases all progress in your open apps.
Of course, Android 12 is coming to other phones soon. Unless Google decides to do something about this software quirk, your phone will also face the same problem when it’s time to update.
[ 9to5Google ]