The Android operating system today is very popular among owners of various gadgets - phones, tablets and others. That is why manufacturers are trying to monitor the process of updating the Android version and implement their support in their models, at least flagships. Therefore, you need to know how to update Android on your phone yourself.

Developers of any system strive to improve their product. Android is no exception to this. Updating the system improves the performance of the gadget and eliminates errors and shortcomings of previous versions. All this leads to improved performance of the smartphone in general. Android updates are often noticeable even visually when the interface changes and some new configurations appear.

There are micro and macro updates. Small ones often weigh no more than 70-100 MB, but macro ones can weigh on average 500 MB. To update the Android version, it is advisable to have a Wi-Fi connection or unlimited Internet. Although the latter can significantly delay the entire process.
If the auto-update feature is enabled in the phone settings, the user will simply be notified at the end that the operating system has been updated. Self-installation is relevant in the following cases:

• there is no auto-update, information about a new version has appeared;
• The current version does not support existing or new applications on the phone;
• There was a need to roll back the system.

For example, my LG L90 smartphone has Android 4.4 as its native version. But after the first turn on, it was updated immediately to the latest version, or rather to 5.0.2.
We will consider those cases when you need to update the software manually.

Update methods

Via phone

How to update the Android version with only a phone?

This method, in my opinion, is the simplest. To update using it, you need:

• In the phone settings, select the “General” tab;
• tap “About phone”;
• select “General” again (I have duos, so it may differ);
• you can view all information about the software version or immediately go to the “Update Center”;
• here you can update applications that require it, or immediately the system;
• by selecting the second item, we will see that you can check Android for updates, as well as enable/disable the ability to auto-update;
• after selecting the check item, the phone warns that to carry out this operation the device must have access to any network except 2G (I had everything turned off);
• After connecting to the network, it searches for updates, after which either a message appears about the relevance of the version, or the update begins.

The main condition for this method is a high level of battery charge so that the update process does not end in a force majeure event. You can even update Android 2.3 to 4.0 in this way.

Manual flashing

Micro and macro Android updates appear almost every day. Manufacturers do not always have time, and perhaps do not strive, to develop them for all models. Sometimes this takes a very long time, and the update may not arrive at all. How to make sure you don't miss out on improvements for your phone?

In such a situation, you can independently change the firmware of your smartphone via Recovery. To do this you need:

• From the official website of the manufacturer of your device, download a zip archive with the firmware we need (check the version number and build date before doing this) and place it on the phone’s memory card.
• Turn off your smartphone and go to Recovery. The login combination may be different for all phones. For example, on LG L90 it is “Power + Vol (up or down)”, on Motorola and Lenovo phones it is “Power + Vol up + Vol down”.
• Select the “Apply update” item.
• Now the item “Choose from sdcard” (“Choose from internal storage” if the archive was saved in internal memory).
• Go to the desired folder, find the installed firmware file and run it.
• After the installation process has been completed, you need to return to the main menu and from there reboot the device “Reboot system now”

Using a computer

How to update the operating system if there is no access to Recovery?

In this case, you need to have a cord to connect your smartphone to your PC, as well as a disk with drivers for the official service program for a certain brand of phone. The latter may be missing, but this program can be downloaded.

Let's look at this method using LG phones as an example. For them you can download the KDZ Updater application. The necessary conditions are:

• download the Android system update (archive KDZ_Update.zip);
• mobile phone charging level is 50% or higher;
• LG drivers installed;
• availability of a firmware file for a specific model in KDZ format;
• absence of any other program for LG (not counting the driver).

The procedure for updating software for Android through this program is as follows:

1. Unzip KDZ_Update.zip and transfer it to your computer’s system drive. Move the firmware file there too. Run the msxml.msi file from the archive.
2. Through the phone settings, enable USB debugging on LG. In my case, the fifth Android did not immediately provide such an opportunity. This does not mean that it is not possible to enable it. First, you need to find the build number in the phone information and click on it 5 to 10 times in a row. The notification “You are now a developer” will pop up. Now the “Developer Options” item will appear in the general settings. There you will find the “USB Debugging” item.
3. Then turn off the device and remove the battery (for some LG phone models this is necessary for flashing).
4. Press and hold the “Vol down” button and connect your smartphone to the computer. The message S/W Upgrade should appear. If it is not there, you should repeat everything, but with the battery inserted. Next, the battery must be in the phone in any of the cases.
5. Go to Device Manager on your computer. Disable LGE Mobile USB Modem.
6. In KDZ Updater, in the type field, you need to select 3GQCT from the drop-down list, and in phonemode - DIAG.
7. In the KDZ file field we enter the path to the firmware file or simply select it through the open files button.
8. If everything was done correctly, the user will see that the system is updated.

You should use the same method and, if necessary, roll back the Android version to any of the previous ones. Do not forget that the software update will lead to the fact that all files, contacts and SMS stored in the internal memory of the phone may be lost.

Before version 5.0, think carefully. There may be two reasons why you did not receive the update automatically. Either this was an error (during distribution, upon receipt, etc.), or the manufacturer did not plan to update the software for your device. And if in the first case the defect is easy to correct, then the second option makes you think. Of course, the point here is not that the manufacturer doesn’t care about your device or has forgotten about you. Everything is much more prosaic.

Every manufacturer, be it Samsung, Sony, HTC, LG or any other, remembers very well about each of its devices. But he also knows in detail all the technical characteristics of each model. Much better than you and me! And no matter how much OS developers talk about increasing the performance of gadgets after updating them, numerous tests and user reviews indicate either a meager or zero “increase” in operating speed. But most often, users report a deterioration in the performance of the device after the update. The explanation for this is simple: Android 5.0 Lollipop is brighter and more functional than its older brother, and this requires more resources to work. And all manufacturers also know about this, which is why they do not send an update to your device.

Therefore, let's start with some advice: if it seems to you that your device on Android 4.4 Kitkat is working at the limit of its technical capabilities, then most likely you don’t! Of course, you can experiment with deleting photos, videos, games and applications, installing accelerator programs, checking for viruses, and so on. But the risk of getting a “brick” after a forced update still remains!

It's worth remembering that there are a few things you need to take care of before starting the installation. Surely you are well aware of them, but, as they say, “Repetition is the mother of learning!”

First, you need to do Backup. After installing the update, there will be nothing on your device except the operating system itself and the programs installed by default. Therefore, SMS, applications, games and everything that you downloaded will have to be done on your own. Fortunately, there are a lot of special programs that will help you do this.

Secondly, if you decide to install custom firmware, of which there are an incredible variety now, then you will have to take care of Root rights. Just like with Backup, you will need special software.

Thirdly, before you start manipulating the system, make sure that the battery is fully charged and that you have a USB cable (preferably the original one) at hand.

Before moving directly to the Android update process, it must be said that there are not many options for doing this, only two: “over the air” (that is, via the Internet) and through a computer.

Option number 1. “By air”

As mentioned above, there can be two situations here. Either the update arrived automatically, or it needs to be checked and installed forcibly.

If the update came automatically, then there are no problems at all. You will see a notification that a new version of Android 5.0 Lollipop is available. Typically, the same notification will suggest “Update now” or “Delay update.” You know what to choose!

If your Android does not receive the update automatically, you can check for it manually. To do this, open the “Settings” menu, go to the “About device” submenu, then go to the “Updates” section. In the window that opens, tap on the “Check for updates” button. If the update is “found”, install it.

It happens that this method does not work. Then you can go another way. To do this, you must first erase the data from the Google Services Framework application. And you can find this application at “Settings” - “Applications”. After the data is erased, restart your phone and check again for updates.

Before moving on to the next OS update method, I would like to note that the options described above will install the official firmware on your device. Therefore, you don’t need to think about any other nuances. But it’s better to do Backup anyway!

Option number 2. Through a computer

This method will be of interest to those who want to install custom firmware, as well as to all owners for whom Android 5.0 Lollipop was not originally intended.

I would like to immediately note that for each specific device, be it a smartphone or tablet, the process of installing the OS via a computer is individual. Before you start installing the update, study the algorithm in detail in theory. Read forums, reviews, ask questions. Firmware assembly is individual for each device separately. Install only the one that is suitable for yours.

In essence, the update process via a PC comes down to the fact that you need to download the firmware to your computer and use a certain bootloader program to install it on the device. For many gadgets on the Internet there are detailed installation instructions, and even videos with visual reviews. Especially for popular models of the tablet and smartphone world.

The update method will depend on the specific device

We will focus on the main actions that will have to be performed, based on the fact that you have already downloaded the firmware, root, bootloader and backup programs, unpacked everything, installed it and are ready to start.

1. Switch the device to firmware mode (see the instructions for your device).
2. Connect to computer.
3. Launch bootloader and load the firmware into it.
4. , start the installation process and wait a bit.
5. After completion, the device will reboot and turn on with the new version of Android.

This is the structure of the process. In fact, for some manufacturers' devices, this process can be much more tricky. But it’s certainly possible to figure it out!

Conclusion

In conclusion, I would like to say thank you to those programmers who, despite all the restrictions of manufacturers, bypass the prohibitions and adapt the firmware for our phones and tablets. Also, the people who test these updates, find errors and test again deserve words of gratitude. After all, everyone wants to enjoy new features and new design, not just those who bought their gadget today!

Conclusion (alternative)

In the end, after all of the above, I would like to philosophize a little. Because a number of questions hang in the air:

• Why do device manufacturers only push updates to flagship devices by default?
• Why do they decide whether to update for us?

15 Hidden Android Features You Should Know About

Currently, the Android operating 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 features. The Internet project “Be Mobile” has studied “secret functions” and prepared a list of the most interesting of them.

1. Hidden mini-game

Starting with Android 2.3 Gingerbread, Google will place 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 are also usually associated with sweets: in Android 4.1 Jelly Bean there were flying jelly beans, in Android 4.4 KitKat there was an OS logo in the style of the Nestle sweet of the same name, and in Android 5.0 Lollipop there was a hidden Flappy Bird style game. Android 6.0 Marshmallow has not been left out either.

To access the mini-game, open Settings. Go to “About phone” or “About tablet”. Quickly click on “Android Version” several times. A 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.

Like Android 5.0, the mini-game in Android 6.0 is in the style of Flappy Bird, but the lollipops are replaced with marshmallows in the shape 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 hid this option quite deeply. It is activated in the menu “Settings -> Security -> Device Administrators” in the "Android Remote Control" section.

Check the box next to “Remote device search” and “Remote blocking”.

Activate extended rights for the device manager upon request. Now you can manage your device from google.com/android/devicemanager in your Google account or through the Android Remote Control application

People who are familiar with Android will easily recover deleted files if you do not encrypt your mobile device. To activate this option, open “Settings -> Security -> Device encryption”. Set up encryption.

3. Safe Mode

Another security feature of Android is “safe mode”. It deactivates all third party applications. Moreover, in “safe mode” you can delete them if for some reason they are incompatible with your mobile device, ended up in the boot loop by accident, or are Trojans or viruses.

To start “safe mode”, hold down the power button. When the menu for turning off the smartphone and activating airplane mode opens, hold your finger on the “Power off” item for a long time. Then confirm to boot into safe mode.

The smartphone will boot into “safe mode”. The icons of all third-party applications will be gray. If something happens, you can safely remove them.

4. Synchronization and push notification settings

When installing certain applications, you don’t think about permissions to send push notifications or any others. Over time, these applications begin to spam you with unnecessary information. Games especially suffer from this, but quite ordinary applications can also suffer from this. Luckily, 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 (“Short Notifications”), etc.

5. Advanced WLAN settings

On Android there is a settings section with additional Wi-Fi options that is completely invisible to most users. To get to it, you need to go to “Settings -> Wi-Fi”, then press the menu key and select “Advanced features”. Here you can turn off notifications about detected networks, turn off Wi-Fi in sleep mode, prohibit using Wi-Fi networks with a poor signal, and set up Wi-Fi Direct (direct pairing of devices without using an access point).

6. Setting up mobile Internet traffic control

On Android, you can monitor Internet traffic without third-party programs. For example, now many mobile operators 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 left, you can set limits.

For this purpose, there is a separate “Data transfer” item in the settings. There you can set a traffic limit, upon reaching which a notification will appear, as well as a limit, after which data transfer will be automatically turned off. For each application, separate statistics are kept on data in background and active modes, and a graph is built. Starting from Android 5.0, this interface is also available in quick settings by touching the mobile network icon.

7. Block calls from specific numbers

It happens that you need to block calls from a specific number. There are no special blacklists in Android, and applications available on Google Play implement blocking of numbers using dirty hacks and not always correctly.

However, you can block individual numbers in the basic version of Android; all you need to do is simply send unwanted callers to voicemail. To do this, click on the desired contact, then click the edit icon, then the menu and select “Voice only.” mail". There, by the way, you can set a separate ringtone for the unfortunate subscriber.

8. Disabling pre-installed applications

It happens that the manufacturer preinstalls many incomprehensible programs and applications that you do not use. They occupy a certain memory, and you dream of getting rid of them.

On Android, you can disable many pre-installed applications. To do this, go to “Settings -> Applications” and open the “All” tab. Now you can view the list of available utilities. Select the required application, and then click “Disable”. Now you can click on “Erase data”. For “frozen applications” that cannot be simply deleted, there is a separate “Disabled” tab. Unfortunately, not all applications can be frozen. Which ones depend on the manufacturer.

9. Expanding internal memory

Android has always had a problem with expanding the internal memory of a smartphone. The connected 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 really save the situation. Finally, with Android 6.0, Google finally decided to correct the situation. Now, after connecting a flash drive or SD card, the system offers two options. The first is to use it as removable storage. The second is to make it an internal drive.

In the second case, the smartphone will format the flash drive in the ext4 file system using 128-bit AES encryption and mount it as a system partition. Next, a test for reading and writing 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 specific application or load part of it depends on the performance of the disk subsystem. And all calculations are carried out outside the disk.

10. Quickly change letter case

It happens that the text has already been written and you need to change the case of individual letters or entire words. Android has its own secret about this. To change the case of letters or make words or sentences in an already entered message begin with capital letters, just select the message and press the Shift button one or more times until you get the desired result.

11. Quick access to settings

In Android 5 and Android 6, you can access quick settings by pulling out the curtain with two fingers. Of course, you can access Quick Settings the old fashioned way: by swiping down the screen twice from top to bottom. But this is not a secret at all.

12. Quickly switch to silent mode

You can quickly turn on 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”. options -> Gestures to zoom in.” Now you can enlarge any part of the screen by clicking on it three times. This feature may be especially useful among people with low vision and the elderly.

14. Disable adding shortcuts to the desktop

To disable automatic creation of desktop icons, launch the Play Store. Then go to settings and uncheck the “Add icons” option. Now, by default, program icons will appear only in the general list.

15. Hidden game in the Chrome browser

We conclude our selection with another hidden game, this time in the Chrome mobile browser. Try turning off Wi-Fi and mobile Internet on your smartphone (tablet). Next, open Chrome.

When you try to exit to any address, the browser will display an error with its code. A dinosaur will appear above the text. If you click on the dinosaur at this moment, the character will come to life and begin to move across the screen. It's like an old PlayStation: you can tap the screen to control a dinosaur as it jumps over cacti, and like any game like this, your goal is to survive and score as many points as possible. Of course, the game is quite primitive, but it hooks you for a long time. Tested for yourself!

READ ALSO: How to properly set your monitor screen resolution

By the way, this game has now become available for download on the Google Play Store and it’s called Dino Run - Dinosty.

2004-2018, Be Mobile LLC, 16+

Information and photographs presented on this site cannot be used for public reproduction without the written permission of the authors.

Source: http://yamobi.ru/posts/android_secrets.html

Cryptoworld

practical safety

15 tricks in setting up Android that will be useful to everyone.

In four years, Android has transformed from a small but ambitious project into perhaps the most complex and feature-packed mobile OS of our time. Android supports a huge number of technologies and functions, many of which are hidden from the user or hidden in places you wouldn't even think to look at. This article is a collection of tips and tricks that can be applied to any Android device without the need to root.



01. DISABLE THE AUTOMATIC CREATION OF ICONS ON THE DESKTOP

I think I’m not the only one who is annoyed by the way the market behaves when installing an application. For some reason he thinks that for any more or less 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 the Google Play settings (in the left panel) and uncheck the “Add icons” option. There you can also disable the forced password request every 30 minutes when purchasing applications, as well as the hated auto-update of applications.

02. DISABLE 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 manufacturing companies to include almost all the software it develops 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 disabled.

Go to “Settings → Applications → All”, tap on the desired software and click “Disable” (of course, you will be warned how “dangerous” this is). By the way, when you disable Google search, Google Now will disappear, as well as the search bar from the desktop (after a reboot), in its place there will be an empty area.

03. RESET TO 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 third-party applications disabled. Malware that is not very skillfully written (one that is not registered in the system partition) then falls off, like any software that interferes with the normal operation of the system. Safe mode can be used to bypass screen blockers, applications that cause the smartphone to freeze, or, alternatively, to identify who is actually eating up the battery - the next firmware or software update.

The mode is turned on in a rather simple, but not at all obvious way: by holding down the power button and then holding your finger on the “Turn off power” item. After rebooting, the culprit of the problem can be removed through “Settings → Applications”.

04. GET RID OF INSTRUCTIVE NOTIFICATIONS

“The construction of the castle is finished!” - how did you get these notifications? Everyone who is not too lazy is trying to notify me about all possible and impossible events: “Vasya Dzhubga replied to you on Twitter,” “You have 100,500 new messages,” “You won surgery to enlarge your right leg.” You swipe away one notification, and 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 “Stop” button. This is the 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 checkmark on “Block”. There you can also force the notification to be a priority 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 *#*#4636#*#*. Basically, there is various technical information like IMEI number, signal strength, current location or network type. But there is also a very useful function for some situations to force the smartphone to switch to the desired type of network (2G, 3G, LTE).

In conditions of poor 3G/LTE signal levels, the device tends to reset to 2G in order to save battery power and ensure subscriber availability. This behavior can be disabled. Open the service menu and in the “Set up preferred network type” item, select WCDMA only or LTE only. 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, you can also disable the radio module there altogether (until the next reboot, of course).

Smartphones based on Chinese MTK chips have their own and much more sophisticated service menu. His number is *#*#3646633#*#*. There is 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 call or, for example, changing GPS/AGPS settings. The menu itself is terribly illogical and contains so much varied information that I don’t even dare to describe it, but simply send the reader to three letters - XDA.

06. USE A STANDARD BROWSER

I don't know why users don't like Android's built-in browser so much. In my opinion, he is wonderful. Lightweight, fast, powered by the Chromium engine, can synchronize with a 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, which can be activated in the settings (only in Android 4.0–4.4).

Coy and everything else that the browser can do. This is much more convenient than the standard panel and regular menu, so I recommend trying it.

07. MANAGE YOUR CONTACTS FROM YOUR COMPUTER

Google has web services not only for remotely installing software, blocking and searching for a smartphone, but also for managing contacts. All people's contacts ever saved and synchronized when connecting a new smartphone can always be found on the page google.com/contacts. They can be viewed, edited, added and deleted. Moreover, oddly enough, it is essentially part of Gmail.

08. MONITOR YOUR PROCESSOR LOAD

Android has a built-in feature that displays the current CPU load and currently active processes on top of the screen. In theory, it is intended for application and firmware developers and is hidden from ordinary users, but no one is stopping us from activating it. But first you will have to reach the “For Developers” settings section, which by default does not exist at all.

Go to 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 “For Developers” item is now open, and we go to it. We rewind almost to the very bottom of the screen and in the “Monitoring” section we find the “Show CPU load” switch.

Turn it on and see a list in the upper right part of the screen. The first line is the so-called loadavg, which shows the number of processes that had to run or wait their turn to run in the last minute, five and ten minutes. To put it very roughly: if these values, divided by the number of processor cores, are above one, this means 100% processor load in the last minute, five or ten minutes, respectively. Below is a list of the most power-hungry processes (essentially, an analogue of the top command from Linux).



09. USE ADB TO BACKUP SOFTWARE ON YOUR COMPUTER

We have already written more than once about a wonderful tool called ADB, which can significantly simplify managing a device 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 useful things, ADB has recently made it possible to backup all smartphone settings and applications.

To use this functionality, install the universal ADB driver (goo.gl/AzZrjR), then download ADB itself (goo.gl/3P7klM), install the driver, then expand the archive with ADB, connect the smartphone to the computer with a USB cable, launch the command line and execute the command

If no devices are found, it means that ADB debugging mode is disabled on your smartphone. To enable it, go to “Settings → For Developers”, turn on the “USB Debugging” switch. Now we execute the previous command again and agree to 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 properly set up the 705 grater

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 increased battery consumption.



Android has the ability to selectively restrict applications from transferring data in the background, but it is located in a place where most users would hardly ever look. To prevent any application from using the Internet in the background, you need to go to settings, then “Data transfer”, scroll down the screen to the list of applications actively using the network (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 to “Limit background activity”. It is worth keeping in mind that the option will disable data transfer only over the mobile network, so data will continue to flow over Wi-Fi.

11. USE THE SEARCH BAR

Often, owners of Android smartphones neglect the search bar at the top of the main screen. This is really logical, given the ability to search by typing a request into the address bar of any mobile browser.

Meanwhile, the desktop search bar does much more than just redirect your request to google.com. It allows you to search contacts, applications, calendar events, bookmarks and web browser history automatically. For normal smartphone use, it may not be as useful, but when connecting an external keyboard, it is an indispensable tool. Just click and enter the name of the application, contact or anything else, and it immediately appears on the screen.

12. USE SMART LOCK

Smart Lock is one of those features that you don’t think about, but once you try it, you can’t 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 recently. The idea of ​​Smart Lock is extremely simple - it disables the PIN code or other lock screen protection if there is a specific Bluetooth device or map location nearby.

By default, Smart Lock is “sort 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 its white list. After this you will forget about her again. But only until you enable lock screen protection in the “Security” section of the settings. Now it will work as it should.

The Smart Lock settings themselves are in the same section, and, in addition to adding new Bluetooth devices, you can specify “safe places” there, along with a list of options based on Google Now “observations.” By the way, if you disable it, as described in the first tip, then this functionality will also be lost.

13. SAVE ENERGY RIGHT

Another notable innovation from Lollipop is its power saving mode. It migrated to standard Android from the firmware of smartphone manufacturers, who previously sold it independently. Now the function is available in pure Android - you use your smartphone to the fullest, and when the battery charge reaches 15%, the system suggests turning on the power saving mode, which turns off background data transfer, reduces the brightness to a minimum, turns off some sensors and reduces the screen rendering FPS to a couple of dozen frames per hour. give me a sec. For clarity, the status bar and on-screen buttons at the bottom of the screen turn red - so you don’t forget.

To save battery life on a smartphone with an AMOLED screen, you can set black wallpapers and use apps with black backgrounds.

The energy saving mode is customizable. Go to “Settings → Battery → menu → Power saving mode.” Here you can specify the condition for automatically turning on the mode (though the choice is meager: 5%, 15% or never) and, most importantly, turn on the mode right now. Very convenient if you have a long trip ahead without the possibility of recharging.

14. MONITOR 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 curtain, or rather, in the “second curtain” with There is one highlight to the quick settings options. The data transfer button in the center does not switch data transfer at all, but expands into an interface that allows you not only to view the current traffic consumption, but also to disable data transfer using the switch on top.

15. SHARE NOT YOUR PHONE, BUT THE APPLICATION

Especially for those who like to give their phone to other people, Lollipop has a Screen pinning feature that allows you to lock your smartphone on one application without the ability to close it or switch to another. Like many other useful features, it is completely invisible and hidden quite deep in the settings. To activate, go to “Settings → Security”, scroll almost to the very end and turn on the “Block in application” option.



Now, if you click the View running applications (Browse) button, an pushbutton will appear at the bottom of the current application's thumbnail. Once you tap the icon, the screen will be locked on the selected app and you will need to hold the Back and Overview buttons simultaneously to go back. In this case, you will have to enter a PIN code if it is set for the lock screen.

XX. USE ACITIVITY LAUNCHER

Any graphical Android application includes one or more so-called “activities”. Each of them is an application window (screen), for example the main screen or the 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; the rest are accessible only through the application itself and only if the developer himself allows this.

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. Activity Launcher does just that. Just install the application, select “All actions” in the menu at the top and find the software you need. All of her activities will appear on the screen, and any of them can be opened with a simple tap or placed on the desktop by holding your finger for a long time.

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 hotkeys for connected keyboards. You can use Arrow, 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 layout;

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

new 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 “Android Version” item several times, then hold your finger on the “Lollipop” that appears. Let's 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 voice commands themselves. Voice search allows you to perform smart searches on Google, where the system displays a specific answer on the screen instead of a list of links, and voice commands allow you to perform certain actions, for example, send an SMS or set an alarm. The list of commands is shown in the Google Now Voice Commands image. Voice search includes more than a dozen different types of questions:

Weather. What will the weather be like 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 is sunset today?

Computing. What is the square root of 2209?

Translation. How do you say "cucumber" in Spanish?

Sport. When does Spartak play?

Finance. What is the S&P 500 index today?

Data. 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, Google Now understands a large number of much less obvious questions in English. As an example we can give:

Should I wear a jacket today?

Android update doesn't arrive over the air? Is it possible to update the device, is there a new official firmware for it, and how can I install it myself? You will learn the answers to all these questions from this article.

It seems that updating Android is the simplest action that even a person who does not understand the system can handle. In general, this is true, but there are several important nuances that even many professionals have not heard about.

How do smartphones and tablets receive updates?

Users often wonder: how often do updates come? Unfortunately, there is no universal answer - it all depends on your manufacturer. Only gadgets from the Google Nexus line are updated regularly and in a timely manner.

It is simply impossible to update all other devices in such a short time - you need to wait until the manufacturers create their firmware based on the new version of Android, test them and only then start updating. Typically this process can take from 1 month to six months.

Often, many versions are simply “skipped”, that is, the device does not receive everything in order: for example, not Android 5.0, 5.1, 5.1.1 and 6.0, but only 5.0 and then 6.0. You must understand that each manufacturer has to support up to 30 models at the same time, and purely physically, company developers cannot have time to roll out new updates for each smartphone or tablet.



How long will it take for your gadget to be updated? Only the manufacturer knows the answer to this question. It is impossible to predict this when choosing a new device. It is logical that the more popular the model, the more advantageous it is in terms of updates. It is beneficial for the manufacturer to satisfy a larger number of users, so that they, in turn, remain loyal to the brand and buy its products again next time.

But how can you find out about the release of new system updates for your smartphone or tablet before the corresponding notification appears on the device? Just follow thematic sites, forums or groups on social networks, and also check the manufacturer’s official website for new images for manually updating the device (this process is described later in this article).

Checking and installing Android updates

After the announcement of a system update, it may not arrive to you immediately. Typically this process takes from 2-3 days to 2 weeks. The fact is that the manufacturer sends out updates gradually, so it turns out that your friend with the same smartphone received an update instantly, but it only reached you after some time.

When it’s your device’s turn, a new Wi-Fi connection will prompt you to receive a notification asking you to update the system.





Select System Update.



Click the "Check for updates" button.



And if an OTA update is available for the device, the “Download” button will appear.



System Update will download to your phone or tablet, after which you will need to click on “Restart and install”.



The installation process will begin, after which the device will reboot with the updated system.

How to speed up (force) receiving OTA updates

If the owners of your device have updated for a long time, and you still receive an update, you can resort to a method that few people know about.


Go to Settings → Applications → All tab. Open Google Services Framework. Select the "Erase Data" option.



After that, check again for updates according to the instructions above and most likely you will be pleasantly surprised. Sometimes it doesn't work the first time, and sometimes it takes several minutes before the OTA update appears.

How to update Android manually

In order not to wait for an update over the air (and it happens that it doesn’t arrive at all), I recommend installing the official firmware manually via Recovery.

First, a ZIP archive with this very firmware must be downloaded from the manufacturer’s official website to a smartphone, tablet and placed in any convenient place in memory. After that, go to the Recovery menu and follow the instructions.

1. To enter the Recovery Menu, first turn off the device.

2. Then turn it on, but simultaneously hold down certain key combinations. Depending on the manufacturer, this combination differs, but the most common are (in general, it is better to find information on the Internet on how to enter Recovery on your model):

• Volume up + power button
• Volume down + power button
• Volume up/down + power button + “Home”
• Volume up + volume down + power button

Navigation through Recovery (if it is not touch-sensitive) is carried out using the volume keys, and selection is made using the Power/Lock button.

The names of the options may be slightly different, but I'm sure you can figure it out.

3. Select “Apply update”.



4. Then select “Choose from internal storage” if you saved the archive with the firmware in the internal memory or “Choose from sdcard” if on a memory card.



5. After that, go to the desired folder where you saved the firmware and select it.



The update installation process will begin.



Once completed, return to the main Recovery menu and select “Reboot system now”. Your device will reboot with the updated firmware.

This is how I told you everything you need to know about Android update. If you are interested in any questions on this topic, ask them in the comments.

This article will tell you, including all the examples and details, how to install Android on your tablet, smartphone, or other devices.

There will also be a lot of advice on this matter.

Step #1. Installing and obtaining ROOT rights

• Click on this button and the program downloads;
• Click on the downloaded file and open the Kingo Android ROOT program. (Click "YES" if the system asks for permission to start.);



• Inside the program we can see that the device is not yet connected. We connect our phone via USB;



• We will also need to enable debug mode (in the program itself there will be pictures with instructions on how to do this). If the instructions are not enough for you, then you need to find the “Developer Menu” and enable the “USB Debugging” option;



1.6. After our program has seen the device, the “ROOT” button will appear;
1.7. Click on it. Ready! You have received ROOT rights to your device.



Step #2. Updating Recovery on your device

The next step will be to update Recovery.

Recovery or special boot mode is a special mode on the device, thanks to which you can restore the system or download updates for it.

Installing Recovery

To install Recovery we will use the application - ROM Manager, this program is specially made for easy access to the Recovery system.

• First, we must go from our gadget to the ROM Manager website;
• Click on the download button and download this application;



• Next, go to downloads and click “Install application”;
• Go to ROM Manager. And we immediately see the “CloclworkMod” button in the main menu.



Click on it and the application is updated to the latest version;

• The top line will contain the model name of your gadget. Click on it;



• Next, Recovery will be installed and downloaded to your device (This action requires an Internet connection);



• Recovery has been updated and you can move on to the next step with peace of mind.

Advice! Use ROM Manager carefully and follow the instructions, do not press unnecessary buttons, otherwise you can turn your phone into a brick.

Step #3. Data backup

Backup is the saving of your data on the device, it can be partial or complete. In our case, complete.

Starting a backup

For this we will also use the same ROM Manager.

• Go to ROM Manager;



• Then select the line to save the current ROM. We save the file so that we can find it at any time (we write all the names, save the file under a name convenient for us, and also set the current save date);



• After this, the phone/tablet will perform a standard reboot. All actions will take place as usual;
• Also, the backup copy will be saved on your device in a specific folder that you specify;
• The backup is complete.

Advice! Do not under any circumstances delete the backup you have saved. If you downloaded Android and something went wrong, you won't be able to do anything back!

Step #4. Download and Install Android

So we moved on to the Android download itself, all the actions that we carried out earlier were only preparations for installation.

• We find the program itself on the computer - Android. And we download this archive for ourselves;
• We connect our device on which we want to install Android to the computer (via a USB drive);
• Next, we copy the archive to our device, to the internal storage of the phone (Important! The archive does not need to be unpacked);
• Next, go to ROM Manager and go to the tab with the name of our device. Click on it, we see the “reboot” button, click on it. After this, the recovery is rebooted;



• We find in the application a return to factory settings. We carry out this action. Confirm execution;
• We do the same when we configure WipeDalvikCache;



• On the screen of your device there will be an item Choose ZIPfromSdcard, click on it;



• We type any name for our file, firmware, then click save;
• Click the “Yes - Install” button and carry out the operation;



• We are waiting for the started process to finish, this may take a couple of minutes;
• Select the “reebot” button, after which the device will restart. The reboot may also take a couple of minutes of your time;



• Ready! Now you have Android installed on your phone! Congratulations.
1. If you have previously flashed firmware on your phone, then you should not update the recovery;
2. In case of an error, simply roll back the phone;
3. Perform all actions with the phone fully charged! What will you do if your phone runs out of charge during this process?;
4. Also select the most current firmware for your device.