Android 6 to any phone. Simple provision of silence. Multi-window mode on tablets

It seems that Google decided to change the Android numbering principle and now the first digit will change once a year, Android 6 Marshmallow was presented at the Google I / O conference on May 28, 2015. The first devices with the release version of the OS on board were two representatives of the Nexus line: Huawei Nexus 6P and LG Nexus 5X. Android 6 feels like a slightly tweaked version of Android 5.x Lollipop, but digging deeper reveals a few major changes.

Attention: the review mainly deals with the features of the user interface of the OS version for a smartphone. The review is written based on the firmware with Android 6.0.1 installed on. This review is also the basic material for our site, in future reviews of branded skins for Android from third-party manufacturers, references to this article will be made.

Lock screen

The device can be woken up by pressing the Power button, double tapping on the screen, or simply picking it up, the latter two methods require hardware support. Unlocking the smartphone is done by swiping from bottom to top in any part of the screen, which is easy to do on the go and without looking. You can protect yourself from unauthorized access to the device in several ways: Graphic key; set a password or PIN; or through the Smart Lock function, which allows you to unlock the device when connected to the watch, Bluetooth headset in the car, by NFC-tag or by recognition of the face or voice of the owner. Native support for the fingerprint scanner has been added to the current OS version. If unlocking by fingerprint is enabled, then the device does not even need to be woken up first, it is enough to bring the registered finger to the scanner and the system, bypassing the lock screen, will show the desktop. There is one more nuance, you can unblock the device by changing the account to the guest account, if one is included in the system (by default).

The lock screen displays: the status bar - it contains the operator's name, signal indicators cellular network, Wi-Fi and battery level (without the ability to display charge as a percentage); User information; clock, day of the week and date. In the center of the screen, under the clock, a list of missed events is displayed, ranked by importance based on who they came from and from which application, previously all missed events fell into the notification shade. If the smartphone is password-protected, then you will need to choose one of three options for displaying information on the locked screen: Show notifications in full, Hide personal information or Don't show notifications.

From the lock screen, you can launch the Camera or Voice Search by swiping from the corresponding icons to the side, or lower the notification curtain with a swipe from the top border of the screen. Interaction with the list of notifications is as follows: double tap on any notification will send the user to the corresponding application; Swiping left or right removes the notification; Swiping down from a notification reveals an event preview window, which may contain buttons to quickly interact with that event, such as Reply and Delete for an email. In the preview window, below the list, there is a button for deleting all notifications.

Desktop, multitasking and notifications

The main working space was and remains the desktop, which scrolls horizontally. The system has retained a separate application menu, which can be accessed from any desktop by clicking on a non-removable shortcut in the lower dock. In addition to this shortcut, the lower dock can contain up to 4 arbitrary application shortcuts or folders with shortcuts. The application menu contains a search bar, a bar of favorite applications and icons of all pre-installed and third-party applications, while the desktop contains only those shortcuts that the user himself added.

One desktop can contain up to 25 application shortcuts in a 5 * 5 grid, in addition to shortcuts on the desktop, widgets and folders with shortcuts can be located. A folder can contain an unlimited number of shortcuts, but only 16 are displayed at a time, you cannot put other folders or widgets in the folder. Having hooked any shortcut, folder or widget with a long tap, you can move it across the desktops or delete it by dragging it onto the “Delete” button. To add a shortcut to the desktop, you need to go to the applications menu and, having hooked the application with the same long tap, move it to the desktop. If you move an application to the “Remove” icon that appears on top, the system will prompt the user to remove this application; if you move it to the “About application” icon, the system will send the user to the corresponding menu. In this menu, you can stop the application, delete or reset its data, including system associations, from here you can also delete the cache of this application.

The menu for managing desktop settings is invoked by a long tap on any free area of the screen. The menu contains three items: WALLPAPERS - allows you to change the desktop picture; WIDGETS - needed to add widgets to the desktop; and SETTINGS - a shortcut leading to the Google Now settings.

The multitasking menu is invoked by clicking on the corresponding button. List running applications displayed as cards placed one after another and scrolled vertically. Some applications can be represented by several cards, for example, in the case of Google chrome a separate card is assigned to each browser tab. The application is closed by clicking on the corresponding button or swiping to the sides, there is no dedicated memory clear button, but based on the principles of multitasking in Android, there is no need for it. To date, the mechanics of multitasking in Android looks nice: firstly, returning to the previous application, for example, when the user has left the Vkontakte application by clicking on the link, is done with the back button on the screen, while the multitasking menu does not need to be called; secondly, the call of the multitasking menu itself is made in one tap.

The principles of working with notifications were seriously revised back in Android 5.0. First, a list of interactive notifications appeared on the lock screen. Secondly, the classic interface of an incoming call on Full Screen appears only if the device is blocked, in all other cases, with an incoming call, a small card appears on top with information about who is calling and two buttons: “Close” and “Answer”. But the one that appeared in the fifth Android version The interface for selecting alert modes has been greatly simplified, if after the alert volume is turned down to a minimum, press the button again, then the “Do not disturb” mode is activated. You can change the behavior of your smartphone in Do Not Disturb mode in the appropriate section in the Settings app. Added the ability to change the volume separately for the alarm clock and multimedia in the interface.

Controls, keyboard

Controlling a smartphone in Google Android 6.0 Marshmallow implies the presence of a power button, volume buttons and three on-screen buttons: Back, Home and Multitasking Menu - it is permissible for the on-screen buttons to be placed on the body in the form of touch-sensitive or mechanical buttons; besides, swipes and long tap are actively used. Voice control is widely used, the user has the ability to use the phrase “Okay Google” from any screen, including from a locked one (requires hardware support), initiate voice control and then dictate a command or search query.

An important role in interaction with the device is played by the notification curtain combined with the switch panel. It is called with a swipe from the top edge of the screen or a double tap on the status bar, if you make another swipe from top to bottom, but already in any part of the screen, the switch panel will open; to immediately open the switch panel, you need to make the same swipe, but with two fingers. The switch panel is not configurable, it contains 9 switches and a slider to adjust the brightness of the screen.

The system keyboard looks flat by default: the keys are not visually separated in any way, and the main gamut has changed from dark to light, but the principle of its operation remains the same. In the keyboard settings, you can change the gamma to dark or select the keyboard view from Android 4.x. The ability to install keyboards from third-party developers has not gone anywhere. The dialer remains the same.

Search and Google Now

Traditionally, the system has deep integration with Google search, and to be precise with the personalized Google Now search service, which provides information in the form of cards based on context: current location, calendar information, search history, travel history, history of visited pages, etc. e. The assistant is launched by scrolling to the left of the main desktop, and a non-removable search bar is located at the top of all desktops. In addition, the search can be initiated from any screen by dictating a query after the phrase “Ok Google”.

In the sixth version Android service acquired the “Now on Tap” function: when you press the Home button for a long time, the system scans the contents of the current screen and, based on its contents, issues interactive prompts (starting from Android 6.0.1 it works in the Russian localization of the system as well). Hints are presented in the form of cards, one for each keyword, cards contain buttons or links to sites, profiles social networks etc. At the time of this writing, the function still looks crude, Now on Tap often does not see the obvious context or does not work at all, but it has serious potential for development.

Settings

In the application Settings you can get there: by clicking on the icon in the application menu (or on the desktop) or through the icon in the switch panel. All smartphone settings are grouped into 4 groups: Wireless networks, Device, Personal data and System; and are divided into 22 sections:

WI-FI - the main screen of the section contains a W-Fi switch, a list of available networks and a button calling additional functions:
Bluetooth - the main screen of the section contains a Bluetooth switch, a list of available devices with the ability to search by name and a button that calls additional functions:
Data transfer - the main screen of the section contains: the Mobile data switch; mobile traffic limit switch with the ability to set a limit and warning; detailed statistics on traffic usage by applications with a choice of period; and a button that calls additional functions:
More - additional settings wireless networks.
Screen
Sounds and notifications
Applications - the main screen of the section contains a list of all applications installed on the smartphone.
Storage and USB drives - the main screen of the section contains statistics for permanent memory and the Open button, which sends it to the simplest file manager.
Battery - the main screen of the section contains: current charge level in percent; estimated remaining battery life; basic statistics on the use of battery power by various applications and devices; and a button that calls additional functions:
Memory - Partition main screen displays brief information about using random access memory... An additional screen displays more detailed statistics for different periods of time for applications and services.
Users - the main screen of the section contains a list of users with the ability to add new ones and a button that calls additional functions:
Contactless payment - in this section you can set up payment via NFC. The system is preinstalled Android Pay, it is also set as the default payment service.
Location
Safety
Accounts - contains a list of accounts entered into the device with the ability to delete and add new ones
Google settings - a section that contains all the settings of a user's Google account
Language and input
Restore and reset - this section exists to reset the device to factory settings with the ability to back up all data
date and time
Specialist. features - here are collected functions to facilitate interaction with the device for people with disabilities
Print - displays a list of print services and allows you to add new ones
About the phone

Basic applications

Telephone- on the main screen of the application are displayed: a search bar with buttons voice search and call the application settings, from the bottom, the dialer call button. The Speed Dial tab contains cards of frequently dialed contacts, the Recents tab contains a list of recent calls, and the Contacts tab contains all contacts, respectively. In the application settings, you can manage templates for quick responses and the list of blocked subscribers.

Contacts Is an application for working with user contacts. In terms of functionality, it is no different from the Contacts tab in the Phone application.

Messenger- the main screen of the application contains a list of dialogs, buttons for searching, setting and creating a new message. The application looks as simple as possible and has primitive functionality. From the unusual, I note how the application assigns its own unique primary color to each dialog.

Gmail- starting with the 5th version of Android, the main application for working with e-mail becomes Gmail... Now you can add mailboxes to it not only from Google, but also from other mail services. The main screen displays a list of letters, search buttons, settings and create a new message. A swipe from the left edge of the screen brings up the sidebar, which contains a list of folders and a shortcut to settings. The settings are as simple as possible.

Google chrome- is the system default browser. A feature of its work is the ability to set the display of tabs in the multitasking menu as separate cards. Otherwise, this is the usual Chrome. The advantages of this browser include integration with Google services and ample opportunities for synchronizing tabs, forms, passwords, etc., the disadvantages are imperfect user interface and gluttony to system resources.

Clock- includes: alarm clock, world clock, stopwatch and timer; added Night mode.

Camera- the application interface has been seriously redesigned. The main screen houses the viewfinder and buttons for shutter release, switching to the front camera, gallery, turning on the timer, activating the flash, switching the HDR + mode and Advanced. Switching between photo and video shooting modes is done by swiping to the side. In addition to the main shooting mode, there are three more: Circular panorama - allows you to create photos with an overview of 180 ° in all axes, Panorama - allows you to create panoramic photos with a viewing angle of up to 360 ° in the horizontal or vertical plane, Blur - allows you to create photos with an artificial bokeh effect ...

Google photos Is a client application of the service of the same name from Google, at the same time it acts as a system gallery.

The calendar- the main view of the application is the Schedule, where all events go in one list, which is interesting: the beginning of each month in this list is titled with a nice picture reflecting the main essence of this month. To look at a month, you need to tap on the name of the current month in the header. The view can be changed to Day, 3 Days, Week and Month. The button for adding an event is displayed in the lower right corner.

Calculator- has standard functionality. In portrait orientation, a panel with additional functions (sin, cos, tan, ln, etc.) is invoked by swiping from the right edge of the screen, in landscape orientation this panel is always visible.

Cards Is a client application for Google Maps... The main screen contains a search bar and buttons: a side menu button, a voice search button, a north orientation button, a current location button, and a route creation button. The side menu contains buttons: a button for displaying traffic jams, public transport routes, bike paths, satellite view, terrain; and a link to the page of the "Planet Earth" application in the Play Store. The Your Places section displays your home and work addresses and favorites. From here you can save the selected area of the map to the phone memory for further use of the application in offline mode. The section "Timeline" keeps a log of the user's movements. The section “Your impressions” contains reviews about public places: restaurants, shopping centers, beauty salons, etc.

Downloads- the simplest download manager.

Branded applications

Play Store Is an app store client and the main branded app from Google. Through it, purchases, installation and updates of third-party applications are made. The Games and Applications section is a virtual showcase that displays various product collections, for example, Latest or Most Popular Games, in the form of application thumbnails leading the corresponding selection and links to the entire list. The “Entertainment” section is also a virtual showcase, but films, music, books and press are also presented on it in the form of selections and banners. For the convenience of the user, the “My Applications” section consists of two lists: Installed and All. The "Wishlist" section shows all the products the user has ever marked as desired.

Play Games Is a client application of the service of the same name. The "Main" section displays basic data about the user: name, level, how many experience points you need to gain to move to the next level. Below are the lists of games: recommended games, games played by the user and what friends are playing. The My Games section contains three tabs: Recent, All and Installed. The Inbox section in three tabs displays a list of invitations, a list of gifts and requests, and a list of quests. The "Players" section in two tabs displays a list of Added players and a list of Acquaintances - friends of friends. The "Find games" section also contains three tabs: Recommended, Popular and Online games.

Play Music Is a music player and, at the same time, a client of the cloud music service of the same name. The "Home" section displays a list of the user's recent actions: listened to or purchased tracks. The "My Music Library" section displays all the user's tracks, purchased or downloaded from a computer, sorted in tabs by playlist, artist, album or genre. There is an interesting function “Automixes”, it greatly simplifies the creation of playlists from a large number of tracks, to create an automix it is enough to specify the name of the artist, album or genre, and the application will create a new playlist by itself. There is also a link to the Play Store in the side menu. the purchase of tracks is made only from it.

Exactly a year ago, our laboratory published a review of the latest mobile OS Android 5.0 Lollipop at that time, now on new policies Google will have a major system update about once a year. So now is the time to consider a replacement for Lollipop, which has been renamed Marshmallow aka Marshmallow.

Last time we started our review with the old version of the system, because there was something to criticize, but in this case there were no major changes in terms of the interface and general provisions. Therefore, it is worth slightly changing the approach.

It is necessary to clarify that the review was carried out on my personal device - LG Nexus 5, so we must take into account the fact that the smartphone is completely clogged with applications, and the battery has already “sagged” after two years of use. However, this is even more interesting.

Interface

The original interface has not undergone major graphical changes:

Android 5.1 | Android 6.0.

If you do not look closely at the animation, then it is not so easy to find the differences between the new and old versions.

Android 5.1 | Android 6.0.

In the curtain, the order of the icons has changed by default and we were promised that they can be customized, as the owners of custom firmware have done for a long time. Apparently, this does not apply to LG Nexus 5, System UI Tuner is not available for this model.

The triangle, as it were, hints to us that there are two buttons.

The main complaints that users had are still not fixed. For example, the Wi-Fi button (screenshot above) on the top curtain still performs different functions when you click on the network name or on the icon. Was it really difficult to use a switch that was more obvious to the user, and instead of a triangle, insert a well-known gear?

Interestingly, changing the orientation of the desktop to horizontal is also not available on the LG Nexus 5. Apparently, the Developer Preview and the completeness were allowed to play around.

The keyboard hasn't changed, but it was pretty good anyway. The only thing missing is the more familiar to many "classic mode", when the second row of characters is shifted to the right (like on keyboards). But this is already nit-picking.

Android 5.1 | Android 6.0.

The application menu is now scrolling down and equipped with an alphabet search, which is activated by a long press on the slider. In my opinion, the vertical orientation of the list is less convenient, because earlier it was easy to remember which desktop the program was on, but now you have to scour this “sheet” every time.

In addition, the first row of applications in the list is highlighted with a bar, representing the most frequently opened applications. Again, it is not entirely clear why, if the user in 99% of cases will place this icon on the desktop and / or in the lower status bar?

In addition, you can now remove applications from the desktop, for this you do not need to go to the applications menu.

The situation is exactly the same with the widget selection menu. To my mind, Windows Phone haunted someone ...

When selected, in addition to the classic Cut-Copy-Paste set, the Share button is now available. This nice little thing was called Direct Share, and it allows you to share selected links through different applications directly, without Copy-Paste. True, the application itself must support this function.

Separate volume control for calls, alarms and media content is now done directly from the pop-up window. It remains to wait for a full-fledged mixer that would adjust the volume for each active application, as we are used to in Windows 7 and higher. Well, not all at once.

By the way, the "Do Not Disturb" function, also known as DND, allows you to cut off all notifications and sounds except for the priority ones. This priority is set in a separate menu.

However, for all the time of use, I have not found an application for this mode, because there is no way to shove individual contacts (or a group of contacts) into the "Non-priority" group, including those from different social networks or instant messengers. Once this is implemented on a par with the profile manager, it becomes a killer trick. In the meantime, the good old "Airplane mode" for me is better than any DND.

Android is the most popular operating system, installed on millions of devices around the world, so it's great that Google has created a new, most the best version- Android 6.0 Marshmallow.

As usual, the Android 6.0 Marshmallow update has received a number of improvements and new features. It is only available for the Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P for now, but it will soon be available on most modern Android devices for free.

An Android 6.0 Marshmallow update is usually handled by the device manufacturer and it can take months to wait for a new operating system because manufacturers are testing a new one. software to make it as compatible as possible with your devices.

If you don't want to wait that long, there are ways to download and install Android 6.0 Marshmallow right now. If you still decide to wait for an update from the manufacturer (the easiest and safest way), then follow the news and find out when your device will be officially updated.

Article content

Is the update compatible with your device?

Currently, only Android 6.0 Marshmallow Trial has been released and only for Nexus 5, Nexus 6, Nexus 9 and Nexus Player. You can try to install this software on other Android devices, but at the moment we do not recommend doing this, because, most likely, everything will end very badly, possibly even with a broken phone. You are warned.

The full version of Android 6.0 Marshmallow will be compatible with a wider range of devices, and we will update this article when we learn more about all the devices for which Android 6.0 Marshmallow will be available.

Back up data on your device

Before you start installing the Android 6.0 Marshmallow update on your Android device, you must first make a backup. Updating an operating system is always a risky operation, and no matter how minimal the intervention, something can go wrong. Updating Android is no exception, especially if you are installing an update from a version that your device does not officially support yet.

Backing up your smartphone means that if something goes wrong during the update, you can restore photos, videos and other data on your phone quickly and easily. Also, the method we'll be using to manually install the Android 6.0 Marshmallow update will wipe out the device's data completely, so you'll definitely want to back it up no matter what.

If you only want to make a backup of your photos, then the most quick way: Connect your Android device to your computer via USB cable, browse your phone in Windows or Mac OS X, and then go to the DCIM folder and copy the data.

You can also make an automatic backup photos of the Android device on the Internet by opening the Photos application and clicking on the menu icon (three short horizontal lines in the upper left corner of the screen). Go to Settings> Startup & sync, then make sure Startup is activated and connected to your Google account.

Also make sure that the auto-download feature is activated on your phone as well. To do this, go to Settings> Back up and reset and make sure the checkboxes are checked next to Back up data and Auto recovery.

Activate USB Debugging

Now you need to enable USB debugging. To do this, you need to go to Settings, go to About device. Press this button 7 times and the phone will warn you that you have entered the Developer mode - you will see this on the Settings page. Click on it and enable USB debugging.

You also need to activate OEM unlocking, but be aware that this will erase all data from the phone.

Download 15 seconds ADB Installer

You will need an additional tool installed on Windows to get Android Marshmallow on your device. The program is called 15 seconds ADB Installer. To download it from the site, scroll down to "Version 1.4.2", click on the link, select Begin Download and install the program.

A window will appear asking if you want to install ADB or Fastboot. Press the Y key on your keyboard to agree. Press Y again when asked if you want to install ADB system-wide and drivers. A new window will open in which the installation of the drivers will begin. Allow this, then click Restart now to restart your computer.

The program will be installed in C: \ adb (if C: \ is your default hard drive).

Head over to the Google Android Developer site for a list with some Android 6.0 hardware images to download.

Each hardware image is for different Nexus devices, so make sure you pick the right one.

After you click on the image of the required hardware, the compressed file a.tgz will start downloading. After it downloads, you will need to extract files and folders using WinRAR. Highlight the downloaded files (if you downloaded a file called shamu-MPA44I-preview-62b9c486.tgz for Nexus 6), click on them and select "Extract files ..." and extract the files to the adb folder you created in the previous step (for example, C: \ adb).

You can now download Android 6.0 Marshmallow to your device. Turn off your device and connect it to your computer. Now you need to enable it in fastboot mode. To do this on the Nexus 6, press and hold the volume down button and the power key at the same time. For Nexus 5, press and hold the volume up and down buttons at the same time, then press and hold the power key.

For Nexus 9, press and hold the volume down button, then press and hold the power key. For Nexus Player, just press and hold the power button.

When your device is booted into fastboot mode, open the folder on your computer where you placed the extracted Android 6.0 files. The folder will contain a file called flash-all.bat. Click on it twice to start Android installation 6.0 Marshmallow to your device.

Now you need to restart your device and if everything went well, then your device will now be running Android 6.0 Marshmallow.

It took place in October 2015, but it is now installed on just over 2% of devices on this platform. As you know, updates here are not distinguished by excessive efficiency.

Whether you have this system or not, you can learn something new about it from the tips below. Read them and teach your smartphone or tablet new skills. Note that the description refers to a clean version of the system, without shells from third-party companies, where the location of the settings may be different.

1. Make the most of Now on Tap

One of the most touted new features of the system is something called Now on Tap. This is a kind of Google virtual assistant that gives contextual information about what is currently displayed on the screen. Press and hold the Home button to use.

Now on Tap can be very beneficial, and its capabilities are constantly increasing after its release. When activated at the moment the flight number is displayed on the screen (for example, in correspondence), Now on Tap will allow you to see the flight status without having to open another application. When activated, at the time of displaying the item number when buying in the online store, a description of the delivery process will be given.

Now on Tap can be used to get driving directions, business addresses and street lookups, restaurant data, movie screenings. It is only necessary that the required theme be launched on the screen of the device.

2. Disable Tap

Despite the full potential of Now on Tap, its usefulness is still limited. For some, it is not diverse enough to occupy a place in Home button, especially since in previous versions of Android, clicking on it opened Google Now.

Fortunately, Now on Tap is disabled. After that, clicking on Home will open Google Now. Open your operating system settings, Google Settings -> Search & Tips -> Now on Tap and toggle the slider. Then, if necessary, you can immediately turn the function back on.

3. Change the quick settings panel

It is possible to change the icons displayed in the quick access panel - where Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, flashlight, flight mode, etc. are shown. This is done in the System UI Tuner tool. Swipe from the top of the screen twice. Press and hold the gear icon at the top right, it will rotate, after which a message will appear about the availability of the System UI Tuner.

Open the settings and at the very bottom of the list. There the System UI Tuner option appeared.

4. We continue tuning the system

If you are determined to continue making changes to the system, use third party application Custom Quick Settings. It goes even deeper than Tuner, penetrates deep into the system and allows you to add various shortcuts to the settings panel.

However, be warned that this program does not have a very user-friendly interface. Work with her only if you are confident in your strengths and knowledge.

5. Turn up the volume

The volume in Android 5.0 was inconvenient to adjust, but in Marshmallow there are no problems with this. You can open all elements of the system for sound control - for an alarm clock and notifications, music, calls. They are available from anywhere in the system.

When you press the volume up or down button, the system opens the sound setting for the activity that is being this moment... If audio is playing, the audio setting for it opens. If you want to change the sound somewhere else, use the down arrow to the right of the volume slider. More sliders will appear, allowing you to change the sound in other places.

6. Setting the silence

Part of the redesigned volume control system is new regime"Do not disturb". When you need complete silence, click on this option in quick settings. All sounds and vibrations will be turned off either permanently or temporarily. You can mute everything, leaving the alarm clock or notifications from applications with priority.

7. Simple maintenance of silence

If you have no time to think about options and need to quickly muffle the device, press the volume down button, an icon will appear that only vibration works. Then release the button and press again.

This puts Android into silent mode, which only runs the alarm. Android Lollipop users will appreciate the simplicity of this solution.

8. Automatic activation of the silence mode

Save yourself one extra minute by keeping the machine silent beforehand when you know you will be busy.

Open the settings under Sounds & notifications and click Do not disturb. Here you can create different rules, indicating when the silence mode should be automatically turned on, depending on the day and time, or the presence of certain tasks in the calendar.

9. Setting priorities

Not everyone wants to be distracted by every squeak made by a smartphone, but at the same time, important notifications should not be missed. The Android 6.0 notification priority system comes into play.

Before you can start using it, you need to make the settings. Open Do not disturb in Sounds & notifications again and tap the Important only option.

A list of notification types is available here, you can set them a high priority - reminders, events, certain calls and text messages. You can even allow calls from certain subscribers if they call a second time in 15 minutes.

Having configured everything as it should, activate the Only important mode, as it is said in tip # 6, and only events and people that are interesting to you will bother you.

10. Control over notifications

Another drawback of Android 5.0 is the intrusive display of a notification (heads-up or peek). Big card-based notifications were updated in Android 5.1, but this was only an interim fix.

In Marshmallow, you can take control of notifications and set which apps can display them on the screen, and which only in the status bar. Open Sounds and notifications -> App notifications in settings and select an app. A list of settings will appear where you can make notifications from this application important (they will be shown when the Do Not Disturb function is activated) or you can prevent them from showing notifications on the screen.

11. Further customization of applications

Continuing the theme of controlling apps, Android 6.0 makes them easy to browse and tabs out what they're doing. Open the Applications section in the settings and select the one you need.

Here you can see how much space the application takes in memory and the types of data access permissions it received. Shows the use of RAM and battery, which will help to determine if the program is using resources too quickly (hint: keep an eye on Google Photos and Facebook).

12. Working with text

The text selection tool in the system has been simplified. It gives access to third-party programs developers offering new features.

The market for mobile products is arranged in such a way that as new versions of the Android OS are released, smartphone manufacturers are introducing their support into their own, both recently released and already proven models. How it works? At the time of purchasing a new mobile product, the basic version of the system installed by default is available on it. After a period of time, Google releases a new Android release. After six months or a little later, depending on the geographic region, when the new version becomes run-in and stable, you can install it on your smart too. As a result, you get a new, modern interface, support for new applications, and more customization and customization. In this material, we have compiled a detailed guide for you, how to update Android on your phone.

What is software update on Android and why is it needed

You need to be aware that as a result of updating or rolling back the operating system, all data stored on the phone will be irretrievably lost. Be sure to do backups all the data you need (address book, notes, photos) on a reliable external media before taking any of the steps in this guide. It can be an external drive, a hard drive on a PC (as a last resort, a memory card, but not desirable).

One more nuance. Since it will take a certain time to update the operating system (from 5 to 10 minutes, and sometimes more), be sure to charge the phone to 70-80% of the total battery capacity so that the update procedure is not interrupted due to problems with the phone's battery.

Automatic Android update

The most affordable and least difficult upgrade method. Go to the options menu and select the "Information about the phone" section. Here we go to the item "Software update". On your device, this section may be located somewhere else, so you may have to go through the settings.

Now we tap on the "Update" button, having previously set the option to download updates only via Wi-Fi, so that the update does not "eat" all your money from the account.

Option in the settings menu for automatic update OS

When all the data from the manufacturer's server is loaded, in the menu that appears, tap the "Install" button and wait until the device reboots.

Since in the above way you can update your mobile device only to the minor release build, you should also use special utility from the manufacturer (for Samsung gadgets, this is Kies, for LG - PC Suite, etc.) or update "over the air" (most of the companies that produce smartphones or tablets have such a proprietary feature).

Latest Android update, if it is already available on the server, at any time you can download it to your device using just such a program.

Updating Android firmware manually

This method is used by almost all service centers, but we can easily update ourselves, using only available tools. To update, apply system application Odin. You can download it on many web resources (for example, on the same w3bsit3-dns.com). Using this technique, you can install only a new version of the official firmware, but not a custom one.

1.download the Odin program. We need version 1.83 (or newer) - it is very popular among technicians and is suitable for the vast majority of products

2. we find and download an archive with the firmware we need on the network. After extracting the contents from the archive (you first need to download the archiver for Android), you should have 3 files in your hands: PIT, PDA and CSC

3. we connect the smartphone to the PC. It is critical that the phone is correctly identified in Windows

4. launch Odin. If the connection of the device was successful, the name of the port will light up in yellow in the corresponding field in the program.

Indication of successful connection of the device to the PC for updating in Odin

5.turn off the mobile device and put it in Download Mode by pressing the home key, power and volume down at the same time

6. confirm the activation of Download Mode by holding down the "Volume up"

7.in the central Odin window, select the downloaded files to match the PIT, PDA and CSC objects

8. in Odin, press the Start button and wait until all files are updated.

If the Android system update went smoothly, a field with the inscription PASS in green will appear on the application screen.

Successful system update via Odin

Rollback to a previous version

Perhaps you have updated to one of the latest versions and are not satisfied (the phone is slow, errors often appear, there is a need to reboot, etc.). If necessary, you can roll back to any version you need. How to roll back?

1 way

Suitable for those who wish to return the basic official factory firmware installed in the device at the time of its purchase in the store. This is pretty easy to do. Go to the device settings and select the item responsible for resetting the settings (it can be "Privacy" or "Backup and reset"). On the test phone, this feature was available in the Backup & Reset menu under the Personal Information category.

Section in the parameters menu, designed to reset the device to the factory state

We go into this section of the menu and stop at the item "Reset settings".
A form pops up with a warning about deleting all data from the gadget. If the backups have already been saved in a safe place, feel free to click "Reset phone settings".
The phone starts to reboot. In 5-10 minutes it will boot up again with a clean base system on board.

Method 2 - reset to factory settings (hard reset)

turn off the phone / tablet
simultaneously press and hold down the "Volume Up", "Home" (bottom center) and "Power" buttons. The Recovery menu opens.
using the volume keys, mark the item "wipe data / factory reset".
press the power key to confirm your choice
in the next menu you need to confirm your decision. Select "Yes - Delete all user data" using the keys for adjusting the volume
press the power button again. The main menu pops up in front of you again.
using the power key, mark "reboot system now"

Everything is ready. The next time the OS will boot to the factory version.

How to rollback if a custom version of Android is installed (Cyanogenmod, MIUI, Paranoid Android)?

If you installed a custom ROM, return official firmware can be done in the same way as manual update, - with the help of the Odin program already mentioned in the review. First, you will have to search the network for files with the firmware you need, suitable individually for your smart model. Perhaps the best resource for searching is the mobile portal w3bsit3-dns.com, here you can find any firmware for almost every phone model.

we connect the mobile device to the PC
run Odin
turn off the phone and enter it into Download Mode. To do this, you need to press the home key, power and volume down
when the phone is loaded, press the volume up key to activate Download Mode
on the main Odin form, select the uploaded files as the correspondence between PIT, PDA and CSC
in Odin, press the Start button and wait for all the files to be updated.

The successful completion of the rollback procedure will be indicated by a green field with the inscription PASS at the top.

Successful downgrade information via Odin

How to update Play Market on Android

The first time you boot a fresh system, you have to configure everything again: account, language, mail, time zone, network, etc. The same goes for the store. Google play Market. An update of this module will become available immediately after setting up a Google account on a mobile device.

Suggestion to connect Google account to the system

As soon as you enter your credentials account Google, Play Market components will appear in the notification panel, which can be updated just like any other application.

Component updates Play Market

If you are using custom firmware, you need to go to the store at least once to update. The service update will then appear on the display.

Answers to readers' questions

When will the new Android update be available?

Answer... Since a certain time passes between the immediate release of the new version of Android and the physical possibility of installing it on the gadget (from 2-3 to 6-8 months), you need to be patient and follow the company announcements. Among the first products with support for "marshmallow" are the devices of the Nexus and Android One lines. As for the Samsung brand, this month they promise 6.0 updates for the following models mobile devices: Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S6 edge +; January 2016 - Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge; in February - Galaxy Note 4 and Galaxy Note Edge.

Now about the others trade marks... Sony has announced an update for all current Xperia devices, from the Xperia Z Ultra GPE launched in 2013 to all Z5 models (both premium and budget). A number of devices from LG are limited to the G4, G3 and G Flex2. HTC, in turn, limited itself to only the last two generations of devices of its own production: One M9 / E9 and One M8 / E8. In addition, such companies as Motorola, Xiaomi, Huawei, Asus, OnePlus and ZUK promise to equip their flagship devices and mid-level units with Android 6.0. This list is not yet final. Subsequently, we will keep you updated with the latest announcements.

I have a Huawei U9500 phone, and I didn't know or didn't understand that I needed to update the version. Now I have Android 4.0.3, how to update the firmware to the new version, please help!

Answer... Update process Huawei firmware described. In short, there are two ways to update the Huawei U9500 firmware.

We take out the battery, hold down the volume buttons on the phone. After that, the Android update process will begin.
Go to Settings -> Memory -> Software update -> SD card update, launch the Android OS update.

I have an MFLogin3T tablet and until this moment I did not know that it was possible to update the system. I read it on different sites, tried it, it doesn’t work. I have Android 4.4.4. How to update the Android version?

Answer... The easiest way to update your phone is through Settings - Options - About device - Software update. The location of the section may vary in different versions of Android OS. Thus, a standard update is performed on Android, the official software is downloaded. This is the safest and easiest way.

I have Samsung Duos, version 4.1.2 can not upgrade the operating system to a larger version. Please help me update the android on your phone!

Answer... First you need to find out if you can update Android on your phone to version 5.x. It turns out not. The point is that your phone's specifications prevent you from installing newer versions of Android.

On the other hand, you can download the update to Android from the w3bsit3-dns.com forum, where the modified firmware is uploaded. But we would not recommend installing such updates on a sufficiently old phone if you do not have the necessary skills and are not ready for a drop in the performance of your mobile device.

Lenovo A1000, Android is not updated. I am trying to update version 5.0 to the newest one. At first everything goes well, but then he writes "Error" and shows the opened Android with a red triangle hanging over it with exclamation mark... What should I do? How do I update my OS to the latest version?

Answer... Why isn't Android updating? The fact is that Android 5.0 is the last OS version to which you can officially update the firmware on your phone. By at least, so say users of the forum w3bsit3-dns.com. Of course, you can update your phone by installing custom firmware, but no one can guarantee stability after such an update.

I got NTS one m7. I can not update Android 4.4.2. The device does not find the software update, how can I solve this problem? How do I update it?

Answer. HTC one m7 can be upgraded to at least Android 5.1. If you can't install the official update, try downloading the custom firmware on the w3bsit3-dns.com forum. There are also collected instructions for updating on this device (see). In this thread, you will find solutions to the problem if the Android OS is not updated.

I have Moto x play, I don't want to update the system, the message “Android 6.0.1 software is available” constantly appears, which is wildly annoying. Please tell me how to remove this message so that it does not appear again. I even contacted the support service of the smartphone manufacturer itself, all the instructions given to me by them did not bring any result.

Answer... To disable firmware updates, go to android settings, section About phone - Software update and disable updates by unchecking the box next to the corresponding item.

A year ago, the memory on the device flew away (the phone stopped turning on), it was replaced, but the firmware was not installed natively (it is no different, only on the launch screen in the corner the yellow inscription Kernel appears). Naturally, there are no updates for this firmware. Can I roll back Android (put my native one) through Kies and update it?

Answer... In order to roll back the update, you need to reboot the phone in Recovery mode, select wipе dаta / fаctory reset, wipe cache pаrtition and reinstall the firmware from the zip archive previously downloaded to the memory card. You can find the official firmware both on the official website of the manufacturer and on the w3bsit3-dns.com forum, in the section with the corresponding name of your mobile device.

Tablet Acer Iconia A1-810. I have no firmware updates ... I click system update and says "an update is required for your device." How can you "force" - (update the android system forcibly) or update yourself?

Answer. This model The tablet was released about 5 years ago, it does not support new versions of Android, so the manufacturer does not post updates for firmware. You can look for custom (unofficial) firmware on the w3bsit3-dns.com forum, but we do not recommend installing them - it is better to purchase new tablet than experimenting with firmware to the detriment of the stability and speed of the device.

Build number does not open on Android. I clicked for a long time. How to be?

Answer... The Android build number is initially available for viewing in the About Smartphone (About Tablet) section. If you go turn on hidden settings(section "For Developers"), you can activate them just by clicking on the build number, just make 4-7 clicks on this line.