What you need to know
- Samsung has released a new Android 12L update for the Galaxy Tab S8 series in the United States.
- The update brings improved taskbar, split screen view, and more UI enhancements.
- Samsung plans to roll out the update to other Galaxy tablets later.
Samsung’s One UI 4.1.1 update based on Android 12L is now available on the Galaxy Tab S8, S8 Plus, and S8 Ultra in the United States, bringing a bunch of multitasking features that first debuted on the Galaxy Z Fold 4.
Like the software release that arrived for the Galaxy Tab S8 in Europe and South Korea a few days ago, the new update includes the August 2022 security patch. Unsurprisingly, the highlight changes are improvements coming with Android 12L, including better multitasking experience on a large screen thanks to the new taskbar and split-screen view.
The taskbar, in particular, enables you to pin your favorite apps to the bottom of the screen and switch between them without opening the app drawer. You can also easily resume where you left off because the taskbar displays your two most recently used apps at any given time.
With split screen mode, you can multitask with up to three screens open at the same time. You can even resize each screen to fit any task at hand. It also temporarily hides the taskbar for a more immersive experience.
Another useful multitasking feature is the ability to peek through pop-overs by touching and holding the screen around them, so they don't block your view. This comes in handy if you need to quickly glance at your calendar to add an event.
Android 12L also expands the list of third-party apps optimized for split-screen or pop-over view on the Galaxy Tab S8 series. However, you'll need to turn on multi window for third-party apps through Labs in the Settings menu.
Samsung plans to bring these multitasking capabilities to its other Android tablets, including the Galaxy Tab S7 series, Tab S7 FE, Tab S6, Tab S6 Lite, Tab Active 3, and Tab A7.9.
The Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra is one of Samsung's most impressive pieces of hardware. It has the potential to be a full laptop replacement, but Android apps on tablets have a long way to go.
