Android M was released a few days back and all of the dust is settling. Although it isn’t as extreme as Android Lollipop is in terms of redesigning the operating system, it adds much needed enhancements. Android Lollipop was a great platform to start on, and M continues to build on.
I’ve had the Android M Developer Preview on my Nexus 6 since the Developer Preview was released and have been using it is my daily driver. Of course there are a few hiccups here and there, but overall for being in development it is quite stable. I’ve definitely enjoyed my time with it so I decided to put together a list of Android M’s top 5 features.
1. Customizable quick setting toggles
This was something that Android Lollipop was severely lacking. Many OEMs such as HTC, LG, and Samsung have allowed their users to customize which quick setting toggles get to live in the notification shade, but Google lagged behind. This time around, Google included it in the Developer Preview, but it takes a little work to unlock it.
You must have Developer Options unlocked, so all that takes is tapping the build number of your device seven times. Once unlocked, head over to the developer options and enable “SystemUI tuner.” Now, there isn’t anything else in there as of now, but I expect it to expand throughout the Developer Preview updates.
Currently with the quick setting toggles, you can add or remove them, All it takes is a drag and drop to re-organize them as well. The amount of toggles may expand in the future to include third party apps.
It might include things such as changing the grid size of the home screen, changing the layout of the app drawer (horizontal vs. vertical). It also wouldn’t surprise me if you are able to download developer made plug-ins to customize the device. It’s a long stretch, but anything is possible at this point with two more updates to go before the final release. Imagine SystemUI tuner like a variant of Xposed Framework.
2. Material Dark theme
Now this one is something I thought Google should have included on the final build of Android Lollipop. They give options on their keyboard, so why not do the same to the operating system? I personally prefer Material Dark, but to each their own.
The good news is that within the Developer Options (mentioned earlier), you can change the theme of the device between Light, Dark, and Automatic. The bad news is that it only employs the theme within the Settings, so it does not apply to notifications or anywhere else throughout the system.
In the future, it would be assumed that Google will allow the Dark theme to cover the whole system UI since they included the option in the first version of M. I’m sure Google is just gauging the interest of the community by just doing the Settings; more should be on the way as interest is strong.
3. Updated volume controls
The volume control scheme on stock Android has been rather rudimentary for some time now. Outside of custom Xposed modules or ROMs, the option to really control the sounds of the device have been rather tedious. Android M now allows the user to control the Ringtone, Media, and Alarm volumes all in one central location.
They are all accessed via the volume buttons, as previously you had to go into sound settings to adjust media and alarm volumes; unless you were in a respective app, such as Clock, playing music, watching a video, or playing a game. It is definitely much more convenient and makes life much easier. There is nothing more than I hated than worrying about a video or a sound being too loud in class or out in public.
Another interesting feature of the new volume controls is that Silent mode finally makes a return. The device will still show notifications and allow for alarms to go off, but there will be no vibrations. The lack of silent mode was one of the biggest blunders of Android Lollipop, so it’s good to see it has finally returned.
4. Google Now on Tap
This is one of the coolest features to come with Android M, yet it isn’t actually on the Developer Preview. On the current version of M, Google Now on Tap is not enabled and isn’t expected to be until the final release. It seems as if Google wants to surprise us with this feature, and I don’t blame them.
Google Now on Tap has the ability to revolutionize the personal voice assistant market, including Siri for iOS and Cortona for Windows (soon to be iOS and Android). Google Now on Tap is turned on by holding the home button; similar to opening Google Now previously. This time however, it has gotten a lot smarter.
Google Now on Tap will essentially take all of the information on the screen which you are currently on, and analyze it. Now, this may be creepy or very intuitive, but it will suggest information based on what you’re looking at. Let’s say, someone says we should go eat at Applebee’s. When you open Google Now on Tap, it will automatically pull up Applebee’s and show their hours, phone number, reviews, etc. The same goes for people in your contacts, music, and many more things.
We don’t know the full potential of this idea yet, as it isn’t available to everyone, but it will definitely turn heads. To get a full idea of the direction of Google Now on Tap, watch the video above. Google is trying to make their users life much more simple, and that is a staple of Android M.
5. Built-in WiFi calling, Android Pay, and App deep linking
WiFi calling
Google’s latest endeavor, which is dubbed Project Fi, wants to bring a state-of-the-art wireless carrier to their Nexus 6 users. It couples Sprint, T-Mobile, and WiFi networks to make a very powerful mobile carrier. It will automatically switch between which has the best connection.
As I pointed out earlier, Android M has native WiFi calling, so if you have a SIM card that has WiFi calling capabilities, you will be able to use Android M to do so.
Android Pay
Android Pay was also announced at Google I/O 2015, and it has the potential to rival Apple Pay. Google is going all-in with an easy, mobile payment system, so it isn’t surprising the ability to pay on the go is built into Android M as well. On top of that, stock Android supports fingerprint sensors/readers to help push the Android Pay initiative.
Google has already secured over 700,000 stores to use Android Pay and over 1,000 apps with more being added everyday to each. Now that Android Pay has a good name (better than Google Wallet) and a solid foundation to start on, it will definitely set Android M apart.
App deep linking
One thing Android allows for is the ability to pick and choose apps that you prefer. You can set your own defaults, but it usually comes with an annoying prompt to choose whether to open a Twitter link in Chrome or in the Twitter app. With Android M, that all changes.
M brings along with it app deep linking, which automatically choose the pre-installed app on the device. That means a Facebook link will open in the Facebook app, Instagram link in the Instagram app, Google+ link in the Google+ app, and so on. That means no more annoying prompt, which Google should have included sooner. Better late than never though.
Conclusion
Android M isn’t as big of an update as the last version of Android [Lollipop], but it is the largest refinement. The foundation for the next-gen operating system is in place, now Google just needs to refine it and keep tweaking it to make it perfect. I’ve already liked what I’ve seen so far, and we are only in Developer Preview one of three, so I’m sure there is more to come.
Google definitely isn’t done yet, but in the meantime, what’s your favorite part of Android M so far? Be sure to let us know in the comments.