Google released Android Marshmallow (Android 6.0) nearly an year after Android Lollipop (Android 6.0) was released. Android Lollipop came with a completely new user interface called ‘Material design’ which focused not just on performance but also on animations and transitions so as to provide a complete user experience both from visual and performance aspects. Android 6.0 Marshmallow looks more like Android Lollipop but has got lots of subtle changes under the hood. Let’s take a look at them.
Android Marshmallow Features
1. App permissions
Apps will ask for permissions whenever they need it from now on. This was only possible in rooted smartphones earlier. For example, if you install a third party camera app and open it for the first time, it will first ask you for the permission to access the camera. Only when you grant the permission it will be able to capture pictures and videos.
This feature is extremely helpful since you can now decline specific permissions to certain apps which obviously do not need those.
2. Doze
Battery life is one of the most important features in a smartphone. The more optimized the operating system and the apps are, the better the battery life will be.
Android has already made certain changes in Lollipop to save battery life. In Android Marshmallow they have introduced a new feature called Doze. And it pretty much does exactly what the name suggests. Doze mode will kick in if the device is not used for a certain period of time.
In this way the system prevents apps from accessing the network and performing various jobs such as backups, alarms etc. Battery usage is minimal during this time. However, obviously backups and alarms have to work at some point. So, there is a maintenance period as well, during which all the pending tasks are completed.
3. System UI Tuner
This feature has to be enabled manually. You can find this at the end of the settings menu. It offers a multitude of options such as
- You can add or remove options from the Quick Settings menu and can also rearrange them as you want.
- A battery percentage indicator can be added to the status bar.
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You can also choose which icons should be shown in the status bar. For example, if you keep your Wi-Fi ON most of the time, you can choose not to include that icon in the status bar which helps keep it clean.
4. Google Now on Tap
This is another major feature of Android Marshmallow. You can now start ‘Google Now’ by simply long pressing the Home button. It can provide you information based on what is currently on the screen. It works on both Google and third party apps. For example, if you are currently checking out a trailer of a movie, it can provide you additional information related to that movie such as its release date.
Another handy feature is that it can read out the contents of the current screen e.g. a text message from third party apps like WhatsApp.
5. USB Type C
Android Marshmallow also supports the newly released USB type C cables, which are reversible i.e. you can plug the cable to your phone in both directions. It also provides faster data transfer.
Another rather interesting feature is that you can now reverse charge other phones i.e. other Android phones can charge your phone and vice versa. Not too many phones support USB type C yet, but at least when they do, Android will be ready.