Updating the Android operating system is not only a recommended, but also a necessary process for the stable operation of a smartphone. For the owner of the phone, this is primarily an increase in the performance of the device, the emergence of new features, and not only the correction of errors by the manufacturer. Therefore, every user should know how to update Android on their phone.
The process of changing the current version of Android on a device requires attention and several conditions on the part of the user.
Before moving on to changing the operating system, you need to make sure the following:
- that the phone is charged (the recommended battery charge level should be at least 50%);
- that the Wi-Fi network is reliable and stable (it is only important if the computer is not used when downloading the software);
- that the USB cable with which the phone is connected to the computer is working properly.
During the update to 9.0, 8.0, 7.0, 6.0 or earlier version of Android, it is forbidden to remove the battery or turn off the smartphone.
Interrupting the update process for one of these reasons can lead to irreparable consequences (without the help of specialists service center not enough).
There are two main ways to change Android yourself:
- Launching the update on the smartphone itself.
- Changing the software modification using a computer.
How to install a new Android without connecting to a computer
The easiest way to change the OS version is to start the process on the smartphone itself.
Usually the system notifies about the availability of a new version (the notification appears at the top of the gadget screen):
Note: the update algorithm on new version Android always the same: it doesn't matter if the operating system is updated to 5.0, 7.0 or 9.0.
Depending on the phone model and the current firmware version, the text and design of the notification on the screen may differ.
After receiving the notification, you should click "download", and wait until the software is downloaded to the device.
When Android is downloaded, a message will appear in the notification bar and the user will be prompted to install or postpone the process.
Important: before clicking "install now", it is recommended that you familiarize yourself with the information provided above, where the developers warn about the possible loss of personal data, and the need to make a backup.
The system does not always notify the user about the availability of a new version of Android. The reason may be the lack of an Internet connection or refusal to receive notifications (you can set it in the "Software update" section).
In this case, you can manually download the new Android. To do this, follow these steps:
How to update Android OS using a computer
You can change the Android operating system using an application from the manufacturer.
The main purpose of such programs is to create backup data, transferring photos and videos to a computer and vice versa.
Among such applications are Samsung kies or Smart switch for Samsung smartphones and Xperia Companion for Sony phones.
Before you can change android 4.4.2, you need to activate a special setting intended for developers - "USB debugging". In later versions of the OS, this setting is hidden, and to activate it, you need to do the following:
How to Boot New Android Using Xperia Companion
To download the firmware to your smartphone using the Xperia Companion software, you need to:
Attention: return to previous version OS is impossible, about which the user will receive a notification before installation.
How to update using Smart Switch
For installation new Android on tablets and Samsung smartphones Smart Switch and Samsung Kies are used.
To update to 7.0, 8.0 or 9.0 using Smart Switch, you need to:
Note: if the screen does not display a notification about the opportunity to download the new versionAndroid- this means that the device has the latest updates.
How to update Android with Samsung Kies
To update, for example, android 4.2.2, using Samsung Kies, you need to do the following:
The new firmware may not meet the user's expectations (the appearance of the menu changes, new applications appear and old applications are deleted, etc.). Therefore, it is important during installation to read what changes will occur and whether it is worth updating.
15 Hidden Android Features You Should Know About
Currently operating Android system is the most popular. It is installed on more than 1.2 billion devices worldwide. But few people know that this OS contains hidden opportunities... Internet project "Be mobile" studied " secret functions”And prepared a list of the most interesting of them.
1. Hidden mini-game
Starting with Android 2.3 Gingerbread, Google has been putting so-called Easter eggs on all Android smartphones - hidden secrets that can be seen by performing a series of non-obvious actions. Like the names of the OS versions, Easter eggs in it, as a rule, are associated with sweets: in the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean version they were flying jelly beans, in Android 4.4 KitKat - the OS logo in the style of the Nestle sweet of the same name, and in Android 5.0 Lollipop - a hidden one. a game in the style of Flappy Bird. Android 6.0 Marshmallow is also on the sidelines.
In order to access the mini-game, open the "Settings". Go to "About phone" or "About tablet". Quickly click on "Android version" several times. A marshmallow marshmallow stylized as an android's head will appear on the screen. If you quickly click on it a few more times, a mini-game will open.
As in Android 5.0, the minigame in Android 6.0 is made in the style of Flappy Bird, but the lollipops are replaced with marshmallows in the form of a robot head. The game has funny graphics and, although it looks simple, it is quite difficult to score at least 10 points in it. I got a maximum of 4 points. I couldn't do it anymore.
2. Remote control of a smartphone
Lost Android mobile devices can be found and blocked, but Google has hidden this option deep enough. It is activated in the menu "Settings -> Security -> Device Administrators" In chapter " Remote control Android ".
Check the boxes next to "Remote device search" and "Remote lock".
Activate extended rights for the device manager upon request. Now you can control the device from google.com/android/devicemanager in your Google account or via the Android Remote Control app
People familiar with Android can easily recover deleted files if you don't encrypt your mobile device. To activate this option, open "Settings -> Security -> Device encryption"... Install encryption.
3. Safe Mode
Another protective Android function is "safe mode". It deactivates all third party apps. Moreover, in " safe mode»They can be removed if for some reason they are incompatible with your mobile device, caught in the boot loop by accident, are Trojans or viruses.
To start "safe mode", hold down the power button. When the menu for turning off the smartphone and activating the airplane mode opens, hold your finger on the "Power off" item for a long time. Then confirm the boot in Safe Mode.
The smartphone will boot into "safe mode". All third-party app icons will be grayed out. In which case they can be safely removed.
4. Synchronization and push notifications settings
When installing certain applications, you do not think about the permissions for sending push notifications or any others. Over time, these applications start spamming with unnecessary information. Games in particular suffer from this, but there can be quite common applications. Fortunately, notifications can be turned off.
To do this, open "Settings -> Applications -> All", find the culprit and select "Notifications". Here you can either disable all notifications at once ("Block all"), or allow only "swipe" notifications ("Brief notifications"), etc.
5. Advanced WLAN Settings
On Android, there is a completely invisible for most users section of settings with additional Wi-Fi options. To get to it, you need to go to "Settings -> Wi-Fi", then press the menu key and select " Additional functions". Here you can turn off notifications about detected networks, turn off Wi-Fi in sleep mode, prohibit the use of Wi-Fi networks with a bad signal and set up Wi-Fi Direct (direct pairing of devices without using an access point).
6. Configuring control of mobile Internet traffic
In Android, you can monitor Internet traffic without third-party programs. For example, now many operators mobile communications provide a limited package of free traffic for a month. To control this traffic and not exceed the quota, or to understand how much traffic is still left, you can set limits.
To do this, there is a separate item "Data transmission" in the settings. There you can set a traffic limit, upon reaching which a notification will appear, as well as a limit, after exceeding which data transmission will be automatically disabled. For each application, separate statistics are kept on data in the background and active modes, and a graph is plotted. Starting from Android 5.0, this interface is also available in quick settings by touching the mobile network icon.
7. Blocking calls from specific numbers
It so happens that you need to block calls from a specific number. There are no special blacklists in Android, but available in Google play applications implement number blocking through dirty hacks and not always correctly.
However, blocking of individual numbers can be obtained in the basic version of Android, for this you just need to send unwanted subscribers to voicemail. To do this, click on the desired contact, then click the edit icon, then the menu and select the item “Voice only. mail". There, by the way, you can set a separate ringtone for the unfortunate subscriber.
8. Disable preinstalled applications
It so happens that the manufacturer pre-installs many incomprehensible programs and applications that you do not use. They take up a certain memory, and you dream of getting rid of them.
Many preinstalled apps can be disabled on Android. To do this, go to "Settings -> Applications" and open the "All" tab. Now you can see the list of available utilities. We choose required application, and then click "Disable". Now you can click on "Erase Data". For “frozen applications” that cannot be removed just like that, there is a separate “Disabled” tab. Unfortunately, not all applications can be frozen. Which - depends on the manufacturer.
9. Expansion of internal memory
Android has always had a problem with expanding the internal memory of a smartphone. The attached SD card did not allow this, remaining external storage. The function of transferring applications to a memory card, which appeared in Android 2.2, also did not save the day very much. Finally, in Android 6.0, Google decided to fix things. Now, after connecting a flash drive or SD card, the system offers two options. The first is to use it as a removable media. The second is to make it an internal storage.
In the second case, the smartphone will format the USB flash drive into file system ext4 using 128-bit AES encryption and mount it as system partition... Next, a test for read and write speed will be carried out. Now, unfortunately, all memory cards are significantly inferior in speed to built-in memory, which in theory can lead to slow operation of the device. Fortunately, only the time it takes to open a particular application or load a part of it depends on the performance of the disk subsystem. And all calculations are done outside the disk.
10. Quick change of case of letters
It so happens that the text has already been written and you need to change the case of individual letters or whole words. Android has its own secret in this regard. To change the case of letters or to make words or sentences begin with a capital letter in an already entered message, just select the message and press the Shift key one or more times until the desired result is obtained.
11. Quick access to settings
In Android 5 and Android 6, quick settings can be accessed by pulling out the shutter with two fingers. Of course, you can access quick settings the old fashioned way: swipe down twice across the screen. But this does not apply to secrets at all.
12. Quick switch to silent mode
You can quickly enable vibration mode in Android 5 and Android 6 by pressing the volume key, and then clicking on the icon on the left side of the slider that appears. In practice, this option turns out to be much faster than repeatedly pressing the volume down key on the end of the smartphone.
13. Calling Magnifier
Android has a screen magnifier. To enable it, you need to sequentially go to "Settings -> Special. features -> Gestures for magnification ". Now any part of the screen can be enlarged by clicking on it three times. This function can be especially demanded among the visually impaired and the elderly.
14. Disable adding shortcuts to the desktop
To disable automatic creation of icons on the desktop, run Play Store... Then go to the settings and uncheck the "Add icons" item. Now, by default, program icons will appear only in the general list.
15. Hidden Play in Chrome Browser
At the end of our collection, there is one more hidden game, this time in mobile Chrome browser... Try turning off Wi-Fi and Mobile Internet on your smartphone (tablet). Next, open Chrome.
If you try to go to any address, the browser will display an error with its code. A dinosaur will appear above the text. If at this moment you click on the dinosaur, the character will come to life and begin to move across the screen. It's like the old PlayStation world: by touching the screen, you can control a dinosaur that jumps over cacti, and, like in any similar game, your task is to hold out and score the maximum number of points. Of course, the game is pretty primitive, but it hooks for a long time. Checked for yourself!
READ ALSO: How to properly adjust the screen resolution of your monitor
By the way, now this game has become available for download in the Google Play Store and it is called Dino Run - Dinosty.
2004-2018, LLC "Be mobile", 16+
Information and photographs presented on this site can not be used for public reproduction without the written permission of the authors.
Source: http://yamobi.ru/posts/android_secrets.html
Cryptoworld
practical safety
15 Android customization tricks that will be useful to everyone.
In four years, from a small but ambitious project, Android has turned into perhaps the most complex and full of functionality mobile OS of our time. Android has support for a huge number of technologies and functions, many of which are hidden from the user or hidden away where you would not even think to look. This article is a collection of tips and tricks that can be applied to any Android device without the need to get root.
01. DISABLE AUTOMATIC DESKTOP ICON CREATION
I think I'm not the only one annoyed by how the market behaves when installing the application. For some reason, he thinks that for any slightest software or the next game, I definitely need an icon on the desktop, and he successfully creates it. And I have to delete it. And then another one. And so every time.
Fortunately, this behavior is easy to disable - just open google settings Play (on the left panel) and uncheck the "Add icons" item. There you can also turn off the forced password request every 30 minutes when purchasing applications, as well as the hated auto-update of applications.
02. DISABLES GOOGLE SEARCH AND OTHER USELESS SOFTWARE
The standard firmware of Android smartphones includes a huge amount of useless software, ranging from a bunch of Google applications (do you know that Google requires manufacturers to include almost all the software developed by it in the firmware of their devices?) And ending with all sorts of junk from the smartphone manufacturer ... All of this (or at least most) can be turned off.
Go to "Settings → Applications → All", tap on the desired software and click "Disable" (of course, you will be warned how "dangerous" it is). By the way, when you turn off Google search, Google Now will disappear, as well as the search bar from the desktop (after a reboot), instead of which an empty area will remain.
03. RESTART IN SAFE MODE
Few people know, but Android, like many other operating systems, has a so-called Safe mode. This is a mode in which the operating system boots with disabled third-party applications. Malware that is not very skillfully written (the one that does not fit into the system partition) falls off, like any software that interferes with the normal operation of the system. Safe mode can be used to bypass screen lockers, applications that cause the smartphone to freeze, or, alternatively, to identify who is actually eating the battery - the next firmware or software update.
The mode is turned on in a fairly simple, but not at all obvious way: by pressing the power button and then holding your finger on the “Turn off the power” item. After rebooting, the culprit of the problem can be removed through "Settings → Applications".
04. REMOVE OBSTANCED NOTIFICATIONS
"The construction of the castle is over!" - how did you get these notifications. All and sundry are trying to notify me about all possible and impossible events: "Vasya Dzhubga answered you on Twitter", "You have 100,500 new messages", "You won the surgery to enlarge your right leg." You swipe one notification, three new ones appear in its place.
How to get rid of all this slag: hold your finger on the notification for a long time and uncheck the box under the "Stop" button. This is a recipe for KitKat. In Lollipop, everything is a little different, but the essence is the same: hold down, then the i button, in the window that opens, put a check mark on "Block". There, you can also force the notification to be prioritized so that it is always at the very top.
05. DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE SERVICE MENU
Another not at all obvious function is the service menu. It can be opened by dialing the number * # * # 4636 # * # *. Basically there are various technical information like IMEI numbers, signal strength, current location, or network type. But there is also a function of forced switching of the smartphone to the required type of network (2G, 3G, LTE), which is very useful for some situations.
In conditions of a poor 3G / LTE signal, the device tends to reset to 2G in order to conserve battery power and ensure subscriber availability. This behavior can be disabled. Open the service menu and select WCDMA only or LTE only in the "Configure preferred network type" item. In the same way, you can switch your smartphone to 2G - GSM only. It will help if you need to save battery power and the Internet is rarely used. By the way, in the same place you can turn off the radio module altogether (of course, until the next reboot).
Smartphones based on Chinese MTK chips have their own and much more sophisticated service menu. His number is * # * # 3646633 # * # *. There are various system information and a huge number of tests, among which you can find several useful settings, such as adjusting the volume level during a conversation or, for example, changing the GPS / AGPS settings. The menu itself is terribly illogical and contains so many differently shaped information that I do not even dare to describe it, but simply send the reader three letters - XDA.
06. USE THE STANDARD BROWSER
Don't know why users hate inline so much android browser... In my opinion, he is beautiful. Light, fast, on Chromium engine, can sync with your Google account (that is, it immediately includes all bookmarks and passwords from Chrome), but most importantly, it has a very convenient and almost ingenious navigation method. This is the so-called radial menu that can be activated in the settings (only in Android 4.0-4.4).
coy and everything else that a browser can do. This is much more convenient than the standard panel and the regular menu, so I recommend giving it a try.
07. MANAGE YOUR CONTACTS WITH YOUR COMPANY
In the Google piggy bank there are web services not only for remote installation of software, blocking and searching for a smartphone, but also for managing contacts. All contacts of people ever saved and synchronized when connecting a new smartphone can always be found at google.com/contacts. They can be viewed, edited, added and removed. And, oddly enough, it is essentially a part of Gmail.
08. FOLLOW UP THE PROCESSOR
Android has a built-in show function current download processor and currently active processes on top of the screen. In theory, it is intended for developers of applications and firmware and is hidden from ordinary users, but no one bothers us to activate it. But first you have to get through to the "For Developers" section of settings, which by default does not exist at all.
We go to the settings, then "About phone", find the line "Build number" and tap on it seven times in a row. The message "You have become a developer!" Should appear on the screen. This means that the item "For Developers" is now open, and we are going to it. We rewind almost to the very bottom of the screen and in the "Monitoring" section we find the "Show CPU load" switch.
We turn on and see the list in the upper right part of the screen. The first line is the so-called loadavg, showing the number of processes that had to run or wait for their turn to run in the last minute, five and ten minutes. To put it quite roughly: if these values divided by the number of processor cores are higher than one, this means 100% processor load in the last minute, five or ten minutes, respectively. Below is a list of the most voracious processes (in fact, the analogue of the top command from Linux).
09. USE ADB TO BACKUP SOFTWARE ON THE COMPUTER
We have already written more than once about a wonderful tool called ADB, which can significantly simplify device management from a computer for a person who is familiar with the console (here we are mainly talking about Linux, of course). In addition to the ability to install software, transfer files to a smartphone, view logs and other utilities, recently ADB allows you to backup all settings and applications of a smartphone.
To use this functionality, install the universal ADB driver (goo.gl/AzZrjR), then download the ADB itself (goo.gl/3P7klM), install the driver, then expand the archive with ADB, connect the smartphone to the computer with a USB cable, run command line and execute the command
If no device was found, then the ADB debugging mode is disabled on the smartphone. To enable, go to "Settings → For Developers", turn on the "Debugging via USB" switch. Now we run the previous command again and agree with the warning that appears on the smartphone screen. Now you can make a backup:
A message will appear on the smartphone screen asking you to specify the encryption password for the backup - you can safely press "Next". The application backup process will begin, which will affect both the APK packages themselves (the -apk flag in the command) and their settings. All applications from the memory card will also be included in the backup. You can restore a backup using the following command:
READ ALSO: How to set up a 705 grater correctly
10. DISABLE BACKGROUND DATA TRANSFER IN APPLICATIONS
Working in the background, applications can actively use the Internet for a variety of purposes, from updating their content to leaking information about your location. In addition, such activity in any case leads to an increased consumption of battery power.
Android has the ability to selectively restrict applications for transferring data in the background, but it is located in a place where most users would hardly ever look. To prohibit any application from using the Internet in the background, you need to go to the settings, then - "Data transfer", scroll down the screen to the list of actively using the network of applications (for some it will be a surprise that it is there at all) and tap on the desired software. At the bottom there will be an option "Limit background mode". It should be borne in mind that the option will disable data transmission only by mobile network so that data will continue to flow over Wi-Fi.
11. USE THE SEARCH BAR
Often, smartphone owners on Android base neglected search bar at the top of the home screen. This is really logical, given the ability to perform a search by typing a request into the address bar of any mobile browser.
The desktop search bar, meanwhile, does a lot more than just redirect a request to google.com. It allows you to search your contacts, apps, calendar events, bookmarks, and web browser history automatically. With normal smartphone use, it may not be so useful, but when connecting an external keyboard, it is an indispensable tool. Just click and type in the name of the application, contact or whatever, and it immediately appears on the screen.
12. YUZAI SMART LOCK
Smart Lock is one of those functions that you don't think about, but having tried it once, you can no longer live without it. This is one of the most notable new additions to Android Lollipop and one of the most useful features added to Android in recent times. The idea behind Smart Lock is very simple - it disables the pin code or other protection of the lock screen in the event that there is a certain Bluetooth device or location on the map nearby.
By default, Smart Lock is "kind of" disabled. That is, it does not light up anywhere, but after pairing with a new Bluetooth device (of any type), it will definitely offer to add it to your whitelist. After that, you will forget about her again. But only until you turn on the lock screen protection in the "Security" section of the settings. Now it will work as it should.
The Smart Lock settings themselves are located in the same section, and, in addition to adding new Bluetooth devices, you can specify “safe places” there, and immediately with a list of options based on the “observations” of Google Now. By the way, if you disable it, as described in the first tip, then this functionality will be lost.
13. SAVE ENERGY CORRECT
Another notable innovation in Lollipop is the Power Saving Mode. It migrated to standard Android from the firmware of smartphone manufacturers, who used to implement it on their own. Now the function is in pure Android - you use your smartphone to its fullest, and when 15% of the battery charge is reached, the system offers to turn on the power saving mode, which turns off the background data transfer, reduces the brightness to a minimum, turns off some sensors and reduces the FPS of screen rendering to a couple of dozen frames per give me a sec. For clarity, the status bar and on-screen buttons at the bottom of the screen turn red - so as not to forget.
To save battery power on your smartphone with an AMOLED screen, you can set a black wallpaper and use apps with a black background.
Energy saving mode is configurable. Go to Settings → Battery → Menu → Power Saving Mode. Here you can specify the condition for automatic activation of the mode (however, the choice is meager: 5%, 15% or never) and, most importantly, enable the mode right now. It is very convenient if you have to travel for a long time without the possibility of recharging.
14. FOLLOW TRAFFIC
Most likely, smartphone manufacturers, as usual, will shovel the standard Android 5.0 interface and change everything (hello Samsung - the biggest fan of breaking interfaces), but in the standard Lollipop shutter, or rather, in the "second curtain" with 
opokami quick settings there is one twist. The data transfer button in the center does not switch the data transfer at all, but expands into an interface that allows not only viewing the current traffic consumption, but also turning off the data transfer using the switch above.
15. SHARE AN APP, NOT A PHONE
Especially for those who like to give their phone to other people, Lollipop has a Screen pinning function that allows you to lock your smartphone on one application without the ability to close it or switch to another. Like many other usefulness, it is completely invisible and hidden quite deep in the settings. To activate, go to "Settings → Security", wind up almost to the very end and turn on the "Lock in the application" option.
Now, if you press the button for viewing running applications ("Browse"), a concave button will appear at the bottom of the thumbnail of the current application. After clicking on the icon, the screen will be locked on the selected application and to go back you will need to hold the Back and Browse buttons at the same time. In this case, you will have to enter a pin code if it is set for the lock screen.
XX. USE ACITIVITY LAUNCHER
Any graphic Android app includes one or more so-called "activities" (activity). Each of them is an application window (screen), for example main screen or a settings screen, maybe even a file selection window. By default, you can open directly (from the desktop) only those activities that the application developer marks as main (main), the rest are available only through the application itself and only if the developer himself allows it.
However, having the right tool at hand, you can reach any other activity of any application and even create a shortcut for it on the desktop. The Activity Launcher does exactly that. Just install the application, select "All Actions" from the menu above and find the software you need. All her activities will appear on the screen, and any of them can be opened with a simple tap or hung on the desktop with a long finger hold.
An example of useful "internal" activities is the Chrome bookmarks window (Chrome → Bookmark), access to the hidden AppOps mechanism in Android
Android has a large set of keyboard shortcuts for pluggable keyboards. You can use the arrows, Tab and Enter to navigate the desktop and various menus. In addition, the following key combinations are available:
Esc - Back button;
Win + Esc - Home button;
Ctrl + Esc - "Menu" button;
Alt + Tab - switch between applications;
Ctrl + Space - switch layouts;
Ctrl + P - open settings;
Ctrl + M - manage installed applications;
Ctrl + W - change wallpaper;
Win + E - write a letter;
Win + P - music player;
Win + A - calculator;
Win + S - write SMS;
Win + L - calendar;
Win + C - contacts;
Win + B - browser;
Win + M - Google Maps;
Win + Space - search;
To find out your MAC and IP address, go to Settings → Wi-Fi → menu → Advanced
functions ". MAC and IP will be at the very bottom.
Lollipop has a built-in Flappy Bird style game. Go to "Settings → About phone",
tap on the item "Android version" several times, then hold your finger on the "chupa-chups" that appears. We play.
Google Now supports a large number of Russian-language voice commands. All of them can be divided into two groups: voice search and the actual voice commands themselves. Voice search allows you to perform smart searches on Google, when the system displays a specific answer instead of a list of links, and voice commands allow you to perform certain actions, for example, send an SMS or set an alarm. A list of commands is shown in the image "Google Now Voice Commands". Voice search, on the other hand, includes more than a dozen different types of questions:
Weather. What is the weather tomorrow morning?
Addresses. Where is the nearest pharmacy?
Flight information. When does Aeroflot flight number 2336 depart?
Time. What time is it in London?
Events. When does the sun go down today?
Calculations. What is the square root of 2209?
Translation. What is the Spanish word for cucumber?
Sport. When does Spartak play?
Finance. What is the S&P 500 index today?
Facts. What is the height of the tallest building in the world?
Exchange Rates. Convert 2600 rupees to US dollars.
Images. Show photos of the Golden Gate Bridge.
Interestingly, in English, Google Now understands a large number and much less obvious questions. An example can be given:
Should I wear a jacket today?
It still seems that Android 4.4 KitKat is a fresh version of the system, but let's remember that the four were introduced back in the fall of 2013! During all this time, several editions of the firmware of this android have been released, these are 4.4.1, 4.4.2, 4.4.3 and 4.4.4. The biggest changes were made to the basic version. It makes no sense to list all of them, this is a site with firmware, not a foreign resource for geeks.It is only worth mentioning the quantitative changes in subversions. This is necessary so that you understand what kind of firmware you need to download, and whether it is worth downloading at all.
Android 4.4.1 version received minimum changes, which is very strange, since usually after the first release a lot of bugs emerge, which will be fixed in the next build.
Update 4.4.2 is useful in that it brings a useful function of a wireless monitor. Thanks to her, it became possible to view photos taken on a mobile gadget on the big screen of a smart TV with Wi-Fi. Most useful firmware version with Android 4.4.3. She received the largest number of changes and additions, comparable to the differences between the base version and the previous generation. Fixed numerous bugs with the Internet, camera and system programs.
Well, Android 4.4.4 came out only because of fixing glitches with security protocols.Which firmware to download you choose, but we recommend downloading only official builds in Russian language and preferably not beta. Alternative and other custom firmwares can do more harm than good. Although, if you know how to flash an Android phone or tablet (for example, with the Odin program), then this will only be an advantage for you.
It will not be superfluous to remind you that before installing the firmware, you must make a full backup of the system!
Last 20 added firmwares Android 4.4 KitKat
| date | Smartphone | Android | Link |
| 02-10-2017 | Impress_Alfa_SDcard on VERTEX Impress Alfa | 4.4.4 | |
| 02-10-2017 | impress_brainstorm_0.6.2 on VERTEX Impress Brainstorm | 4.4.4 | |
| 02-10-2017 | m942g_v1 on SUPRA M942G | 4.4.4 | |
| 25-09-2017 | 20150126 on Acer Liquid Jade Z | 4.4.2 | |
| 13-09-2017 | m725g.rar on SUPRA M725G | 4.4.2 | |
| 13-09-2017 | m847g.rar on SUPRA M847G | 4.4.2 | |
| 13-09-2017 | 1.0 on Acer Iconia Tab B1-A71 | 4.4.1 | |
| 13-09-2017 | App. Guide_Acer_20150126_A44K_A on Acer Liquid Z410 Duo | 4.4.4 | |
| 05-07-2017 | 20121224_v1013 on Digma Plane 1601 3G | 4.4.4 | |
| 17-06-2016 | Open source Code on Lenovo TAB 2 A7-20F | 4.4.4 | |
| 01-05-2016 | Miui7 on DEXP Ixion XL240 Triforce | 4.4.2 | |
| 01-05-2016 | XL240_R01_25.07.2015_V1.0 on DEXP Ixion XL240 Triforce | 4.4.4 | |
| 24-03-2016 | Rev.3-4 for CWM recovery on Digma HIT 3G | 4.4.4 | |
| 24-03-2016 | 11/06/2015 on Digma HIT 3G | 4.4.2 | |
| 24-02-2016 | qumo507_ (zp780_port) on Qumo QUEST 507 | 4.4.2 | |
| 15-02-2016 | tt1040mg on Digma Optima 10.7 | 4.4.4 |
To begin with, I would like to apologize to our readers for such long delay in the output of this article. Let me remind you that for the most impatient, we already had a small material from the Google presentation, the same article is intended for those who plan to buy a smartphone or tablet with 4.2 on board and want to know what benefits they will get from the new version of Android. Also in the future we will refer to this particular article when it comes to 4.2. Now, without further ado, let me turn to the overview itself.
Keyboard
To tell you the truth, personally, I am so used to installing a third-party keyboard when testing or buying a new smartphone that recently I did not even pay attention to the innovations in the stock one. I still remember the annoyance that you experience when you first set up the tablet for 4.0, when, in order to enter English characters, you need to go to the settings and activate other languages. Fortunately, in 4.1 this problem was fixed and finally a separate button for switching languages was added. But Google decided not to dwell on these improvements, and in 4.2 the keyboard received another new feature: text input using "swipes". To do this, you need to activate this function in the settings.
I liked the new input method, although its accuracy is sometimes inferior to the original Swype, however, we hope that it will increase over time.
Notification bar
Google (apparently, by popular demand or with an eye on TouchWiz and CyanogenMod) finally decided to add functionality to the notification curtain.
Swiping to the right now opens the switch panel. When you click on most of them, you are taken to the settings (we are talking about Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, charge indicator), in some cases, pressing immediately activates an action (for example, enabling / disabling the auto-rotate screen). On the right is your Google+ profile picture, clicking on it will open your address book.
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Swiping to the left opens the familiar notification panel. Now it adjusts to the number of notifications, and does not fold out to the full height of the screen.
Interestingly, smartphones use a different combination: for example, a swipe with two fingers brings up a panel with switches, and a simple swipe - a notification panel.
New in Gmail
Now you can quickly scale the letter with a two-finger pinch. This function is enabled in the settings. Double tap after scaling resizes the text to fit the screen.
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Lock screen widgets
Starting from version 4.2, you can install one of several widgets on the lock screen. By default, Mail, Calendar, Clock and Google+ widgets are available. Third-party developers can also add support for lock screen widgets. At the moment, the developers of HD Widgets and Plume have already taken advantage of this opportunity. If you have a Nexus device, be sure to give HD Widgets a try, in my opinion their lock screen widgets are really cool.
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Clock
Google decided to improve this application and add additional functionality to it. When you open it, you see big clock with the current date. Below are three shortcuts, one of them takes you to the alarm clock, the second allows you to set the time zone, and the third is responsible for switching to night mode and settings.
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By the way, you can control the timer and stopwatch after starting directly from the lock screen.
Also, the application has got its own digital widget. Now you finally don't need to think about which third-party widget to install on the home screen.
Sleep mode
Now, when entering sleep mode, you can configure the behavior of the device. For example, so that you don't get bored just watching the tablet charging turned off, Google decided to add several screensavers that turn on in sleep mode. First, you need to choose a time when they will turn on. Then you need to decide on the screensaver itself, there are five templates available: clock, collage, media, frame and colors.
The collage displays your photos as scattered thumbnails. You can choose the folders with the displayed photos yourself. Alternatively, you can select photos from your web storage in Picasa. If you are interested in any of the photos, just click on it to open it in full screen mode.
In the "Media" mode, you can see the latest news from the application of the same name on the screen. Clicking on the news opens its brief announcement, you can immediately go to the application itself.
The bottom line is that when a new user is added, he has his own desktops, games and applications. All his settings are personalized. At the same time, information such as Wi-Fi passwords is available to all users at once. The use of multiple accounts will be in demand, first of all, in families, and will eliminate problems from the category: "Dad, why did you delete my game?" However, it is important to remember that, despite the presence of two accounts, the amount of internal memory is still the same. By the way, about the internal memory: if you logged in from one account and connected the tablet to the computer, then you will only see the files uploaded for this account, for example, screenshots taken from another account will not be visible.
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After the update of the Android operating system to version 5.1 with the sweet name Lollipop was released, many users were interested in the question, what has changed? Today we will compare two 4.4 and 5.1 for you and help you to see finally what Android version better Lollipop or Kit Kat, and consider the advantages and disadvantages of each.
The main differences
Many people say that nothing has changed in the new version of the android Lollipop. Others say Kitkat has been changed beyond recognition. In general, the developers have worked on many areas, which we will now consider.
“We have developed a new design philosophy” - this is how Google developers commented on the new version. They've updated every corner of the system, from volume to Wi-Fi icon. In the new version of the android, they added colors, made the design bright and contrasting, which was not in KitKat.
Google Inc has significantly revamped the main functions of the system. They have improved the "multitasking screen" function (several open applications on one screen) and expanded the notification settings. The developers have also introduced new features. They created a “smart lock” (the device is locked once if it is in a “safe place”, the device saw your face or there is a trusted gadget nearby), it became possible to work with the “shutter” application.
The developers said that the new version of the operating system will increase performance, and the device will hold more charge. Comparison of OS 4.4 and 5.1 showed that this is a myth. Although Google made a complete transition to the ART runtime (Android RunTime) and made support for 64-bit processors, various tests showed nothing new.
The changes also affected the graphics. The new version of android brought us a new graphical API (Application Programming Interface), which allowed us to make games more vivid, high quality and immersive. Android Lolipop is great for gaming.
In the new version of OS 5.1, they improved the audio output (now it can be used in the USB connector, which made it possible to obtain digital quality), Bluetooth (they created a new protocol 4.1, now it perfectly catches the network). The developers have increased the speed, quality and reliability of the connection.
Pros and cons of Android 4.4
Back in 2013, Google released a new version of the operating system called KitKat. The developers planned to get rid of various bugs and comments, which were abound from users, and to make the new version more comfortable for people. Although Android 4.4 has become very popular, the developers have not succeeded in everything.
Advantages of Android KitKat OS
RAM
Google was going to make the OS available to any gadget. In KitKat, the Process Stats function appeared, which allowed using the new OS on the cheapest devices and they did not slow down, and more expensive models got their advantages from this, which manifested themselves in multitasking.
Interface
Developers who create new apps for the android OS can now do more with app design. Also added different options full screen mode... All this has led to the fact that the appearance of applications has become better and more beautiful.
Unified signatures
With OS KitKat, it became possible to choose the size of the font that is on the screen, the background color, the language of the signatures.
KitKat introduced support for several sensors that are capable of reacting to steps (the first sensor recognizes, and the second counts steps).
Infrared sensor
Many people would like to use a remote control to control their home appliances. With the help of the new Android operating system, this has become possible.
Flaws
Record prohibition
Since the version of Android KitKat, the developers have prohibited writing applications to external drives, this was done to secure the system. But at the same time, the functionality of applications that may be located on external map memory.
In KitKat OS, it was impossible to automatically erase SMS, in which applications were requested, in order to control the balance of the device.
The Android KitKat operating system is perfect for users who have budget devices. Updating the system to this version will bring a lot of new things, which will make the work with the device more comfortable.
Pros and cons of Android 5.1
In 2015, Google made a statement that they would soon release a new, updated Android OS Lollipop. The long-awaited update came out only a few months later. Android 5.1 has become a new generation operating system, but it did not achieve great popularity right away. It is a next-generation operating system that has changed almost everything - from appearance up to performance.
Advantages of Android Lollipop OS
Interface
Google took care of the users, in the new version of the system they began to use rich and bright colors, due to which the eyes do not strain or irritate. The interface has become more responsive to requests, and standard buttons changed with geometric shapes.
Device security
The developers have created a new function Smart Lock, which allows you to access the device when connected to "trusted" devices, but they must support the Bluetooth protocol.
Memory card
In Lollipop, you can bind a separate folder for each application, only there it will write, read and use various data. Thanks to this new technology, we will be able to save internal memory... For this to work, every developer must optimize their application for this technology.
Internet and media
Google has improved the "video stream processor". Smooth transitions, high-quality and clear picture immediately catch your eye. Also, there are new possibilities for adjusting the camera, due to which you can take high-quality photos.
New Open GL 3.1 technology ( software for creating applications that use 2D or 3D computer graphics) allows you to run the highest quality games. With this technology, you can run applications with graphics similar to some consoles.
Google Assistant
Now, in order to "talk" with your gadget, you do not need to unlock it, the device can be locked and lie in your pocket
Flaws
Performance and battery life
Google cannot cope with the whole main problem - the gluttony of devices. Now their new operating system requires about 2 GB random access memory... Also, the developers promised to increase the battery life, but after various tests, it turned out that they did not change anything.
Interface
In the new version of the operating system, the developers have focused on minimalism. All standard icons were replaced with the simplest geometric shapes, and the "Gallery" was renamed to "Photo".
Incompatibility
Lolipop will simply not support some useful and important applications. To fix this, all application developers need to make support for the new operating system. Although it came out a long time ago, many developers are in no hurry to do it.
Android Lollipop is not recommended for use on budget models, as it will heavily load the smartphone, which will lead to slowdowns. Users of expensive models are advised to upgrade to a new version of the OS, if you like minimalism and rippling eyes, then do it.
Conclusion
We reviewed Android KitKat and Lollipop, and helped you figure out the main chips and nuances of these OS versions. But what better version use 4.4 or 5.1 to choose only for you. Now the versions of android are mainly used - 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 5.0, 5.1, in some cases even version 6.0 and 7.0.
Not all owners of budget devices will be able to upgrade to the new version 5.1, so you will have to stay on old version OS as it will provide more stable performance. Expensive devices can upgrade to Lillipop and enjoy the new features.
