Here is the gist of the article as a video:
New updates are added at the bottom of this story …….
The original story (published November 1, 2021) follows:
Android 12, the most recent version of Google’s operating system, has made a number of cosmetic and functional changes. While the new features are attractive, not everyone is happy with the design changes.
Android 12 has changed things like base system colors, widget shape / size, and lock screen clock. It looks like the new lock screen clock is somewhat confusing for some Google Pixel users, according to reports.
Android 12’s new lock screen clock design is a problem for some
Some users report feeling quite uncomfortable with the new way the clock is displayed on the Android 12 lock screen.
Apparently, the new design can be a bit confusing and impractical for many, as it doesn’t let them know the time at a glance.
My phone just updated and, among other annoying changes, I now have a square clock display on my lock screen. I have dyslexia and cannot read the square display. Is there a way for me to change it?
Source
Android 12 is changing the way my lock screen time is displayed… In a position where it is very difficult for me to read and understand the time in this format. I would like to go back to the old way where time made sense and I didn’t hate looking at my phone… How do I do that?
Source
It seems that users were already quite used to the Android 11 lock screen clock format, which was still more or less classic and easy to use.
However, Android 12 changed that on Google Pixel phones. Now the design of the clock on the lock screen has a gigantic size and a peculiar format which makes it difficult to interpret quickly.
There is a workaround for this
For those who don’t like the new clock design on Android 12’s lock screen, there is a workaround that may help.
Apparently, Android 12’s new ‘giant clock’ is present as long as there are no active notifications on the lock screen. When there is an active notification, the clock changes to a smaller format.
So, the workaround is to use an app that always keeps a notification active. A Google product expert suggested an idea in response to one of the reports:
While you can’t manually revert to the old one-line H: MM format, you will get this smaller format if there are active notifications on your phone.
I use a Signal Spy app that lets you know how you are connected to the internet – wifi or cellular. It has an option to display an icon on the notification line. As long as this is active, my lock screen displays the clock in one line.
Source
Weather apps may also work for this workaround, as one report suggests:
It is not known if Google will change the design of the clock
It is not yet clear whether Google plans to change the design of the lock screen clock in future updates to Android 12. To date, the company has not officially commented on the case.
We will update this article when new updates appear on this issue. In the meantime, you can also check out the dedicated Android 12 issue / bug tracker on Google Pixel phones.
Update 1 (November 02)
9:43 am (IST): If you really don’t like the square clock, you can check out apps like KLCK that let you customize the lock screen. It’s not perfect with Android 12, but it does what it’s supposed to do.
Update 2 (November 03)
9:50 am (IST): If you don’t want to follow the route of the Weather app, you can even use an app called Persistent Notifications that lets you add notes or to-do lists.
This will help get rid of the giant square clock on the lock screen, as one Redditor pointed out.
If you don’t want a weather app notification all the time, there’s an app called Persistent Notifications where you can leave yourself notes (or a blank message) as a notification that won’t go away either. (Source)
Update 3 (November 05)
10:20 am (IST): Ava Lockscreen is another great non-root app that lets you customize your lock screen with just a few clicks. If you are looking to replace the Android 12 lock screen, download Ava Lockscreen here.
Update 4 (November 06)
12:20 (IST): Incoming is another great lock screen personalization app available for free called Solo Locker. The app offers a lot of customization options to fine tune your lock screen.
Update 5 (November 08)
9:59 am (IST): A feature request submitted to Google’s issue tracker regarding the ability to change the giant clock on the lock screen was marked as accepted.
That doesn’t necessarily mean we’d see more lock screen clock customizations right away, but it does bring some hope.
Update 6 (November 09)
10:31 am (IST): If you are not a big fan of the Android 12 lock screen clock and don’t mind having an iOS 15 lock screen, then the “Lock Screen & Notifications iOS 15” app could be something you would like to try.
As the name suggests, it replaces the default lock screen with an iOS-inspired lock screen. So you won’t see the giant clock every time you wake up or turn on your smartphone.
Update 7 (November 10)
10:10 am (IST): A Tasker project lets you set up a smaller, full-size clock widget on the AOD lock screen of Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro with Android 12.
All you need is the Tasker app, download one of the projects (never show the big clock or always show the big clock on AOD) and import it into Tasker.
From here you can choose the style of the clock widget in the AOD of your Pixel’s lock screen with Android 12
Update 8 (November 11)
12:16 (IST): Incoming is another great app that lets you change the lock screen. PIN Genie Locker is available as a free app on the Play Store and has some cool features.
Update 9 (November 12)
11:30 am (IST): Since it doesn’t look like Google will be adding the option to replace the giant clock on the lock screen anytime soon, here is another great lock screen replacement app called Floatify Lockscreen.
Update 10 (November 13)
11:13 am (IST): Notific: Lockscreen Notifications is another lock screen replacement app that you can check out. The app is easy to use and offers several different themes.
Update 11 (November 15)
1:01 p.m. (IST): Black Hole – Lock screen is also an app that allows users to customize the look and feel of their Android lock screen.
Update 12 (November 16)
12:17 (IST): AcDisplay is yet another viable alternative. It offers a new way to manage notifications in Android.
It will notify you of new notifications by showing a minimal and beautiful screen, allowing you to open them directly from the lock screen.
Update 13 (November 17)
10:27 am (IST): According to the latest reports, the square clock on Android 12L – a special version to improve the operating system on large-screen devices – will also consume a large portion of the display.
The area consumed by the clock will depend on notifications, as shown in the image below:
Update 14 (November 18)
10:42 am (IST): One person recommends downloading the Weawow – Weather & Widget app which constantly shows weather information on the lock screen to reduce the big clock.
I tried a lot of things. Finally found an ad-free weather app that actually displays a customizable weather widget on the lock screen. This is called Weawow – Weather & Widget. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.weawow
It’s so customizable that it will take you some time to see all the options. (Source)
Update 15 (November 19)
11:24 am (IST): A request to customize the lock screen on Android 12 has been accepted on the official issue tracking page. Therefore, we hope to see some customization options in future versions.
Update 16 (November 20)
12:53 (IST): One of our readers pointed out that you can even use the Samsung Health app to show your step count on the lock screen and in turn get rid of the giant clock.
Thanks for the tip, Robert Grant Webster!
Update 17 (November 22)
11:43 am (IST): Wave – Customizable Lock Screen is another great lock screen alternative that you can try to replace the giant clock on Android 12. The app is free to download through the Google Play Store.
Update 18 (November 23)
4:09 p.m. (IST): If you are looking for a simple yet stylish lock screen replacement app, we suggest you try Canyon – Lock Screen. It’s also available for free from the Play Store and doesn’t have a huge clock.
Update 19 (November 24)
4:26 p.m. (IST): Lockscreen Weather-Clock, Memo is also a great lock screen alternative that even lets you add notes or read news right from your lock screen. Needless to say, it also displays the clock in the traditional layout.
Update 20 (November 25)
11:39 a.m. (IST): Sticking to the persistent notification workaround, a YouTuber shared a video highlighting how it can be done using the Notification Maker app. Check it out below:
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