Android 12 beta, Google's mobile operating system due in May, is expected to make phones run more smoothly. Some of the updates aim at preventing apps from freezing, while others make it easier for apps to receive photos and videos.

One update to Android 12 should “give users more transparency and control over how cookies can be used across sites”, Dave Burke, vice-president of engineering for Android, wrote in a blog post.

However, the first developer previews for Android 12 allows developers to play with new Application Programming Interface (API) and other system-level changes, and provide feedback for those adjustments before they're finalised, ahead of the ultimate release.

Google's new Android release comes as Apple has shaken the app developer world with new privacy policies for its iOS software. In December, Apple launched “nutrition labels” that tell people what personal data their apps are collecting, like financial information, contacts or browsing history. Another change by Apple will require developers to ask people to gather data and track them across apps and websites. Even Facebook is not happy with these requests.