• Android 6.0 settings. Secrets of Android (Android): All hidden features and functions

    When Android updated to LolliPop 5.0, we all saw that a clunky OS can look stylish. Material Design, which came with the “five”, and now continues to develop. In Marshmallow 6.0, Android did not look any different - there is, of course, a difference between 5.0 and 6.0, but it is not as striking as KitKat and LolliPop had. But a lot of things have changed within the system itself. What exactly – we will discuss further.

    Loading applications in Android 6.0 now happens beautifully - programs seem to open from icons, regardless of where they are located on the desktop. In the menu of installed applications, everything is also different: now, instead of flipping through several pages of the menu in search of the desired program, you can simply scroll the list. Such new features of Android 6.0 may seem inconvenient at first: before, let's say, you knew exactly which menu page you needed to scroll to in order to launch an application - and many did this automatically, without thinking - but now you have to put up with quickly scrolling through the list and trying to get to the right icon the first time.

    In order not to search for a long time, you can move frequently used applications to the desktop, say, combine them into folders or install widgets - you will say, and you will be right. But Google also offers a third way: now the 4 most frequently used programs will hang in a separate block in the application menu. So to speak, the menu quick access. The order of programs in this “four” and its “composition” can change not only based on how often you use this or that application, but also when exactly you prefer to use them. Thus, if a smartphone/tablet is in your hands - not only for checking social networks and games, and you and your gadget live according to a schedule - on Mon-Wed-Fri you go for morning runs, on Saturdays you read books, and on Sundays you prefer to listen to random selections on Soundcloud - the system will take this into account, and in the application menu header every day will look different.

    Plus, applications in this menu can be searched by alphabetical index: if you scroll, sticking to the right edge of the display, you will see the alphabet. When there are really a lot of applications, this option can be useful. Although the easiest way is to search the desired program, using the search bar located in the same menu above the four favorite programs. Start entering the name - the system will find the desired program in the list of installed ones or in Google Play, if suddenly it is missing on your device.

    One more thing: new version Android offers to delete applications directly from the desktop. Let us remember that in previous versions of the OS it was only possible to clear the desktop of icons, and deleting applications was only possible from the menu. Now, when you hold an icon, you can select the option to delete - only the icon or the application itself.

    Notifications

    Here's what, and the update of this menu back in Android LolliPop confused many users. The fact is that the menu that allows you to give priority to certain applications to notify you about updates in fact was of little use to anyone - it was done, perhaps, with the best intentions, but it did not look like something practical. Now, being in the quick settings menu, the “stub” has every chance of becoming useful.

    The “Do not disturb” mode in the new Android has three variations: “Complete silence”, “Alarm clock only” and “Important only”, which determine when and which applications can notify you about something. Each column in Android 6.0 can be configured in meticulous detail, and this is the second point that makes Marshmallow almost the most customizable operating system. Rate:

    "Complete silence." It turns off all signals, including vibration and light signals, your phone number is still accessible, you can only find out that they are calling you by constantly looking at the black display of your smartphone while waiting for an incoming call. As in the other two menus, in this one you can set the deactivation time “Until I turn it off” or configure exact time"quiet" mode actions.

    Click “Configure” – “Important only”. In this menu of the new Android, you can set exceptions: which applications in this mode can inform you about something. Alarms, Reminders, Events can be turned ON/OFF, and for the Calls and Messages items you can specify from whom to receive notifications (From anyone, Only from contacts, Only from tagged contacts or From no one). In the same menu there is a “Repeated calls” item, when activated, even with the most strict “Do not disturb” settings, you will be notified of an incoming call if the persistent subscriber who tried to call you dialed you two or more times in the last 15 minutes. Very good: what if it’s really something very important?

    There is also a “Rules” item, aimed at those who live according to a schedule and know exactly what they will be doing next Tuesday at 19:00. In the “Rules” you can create or use a template to activate the “silence” mode automatically on a certain day and time. For example, you want not to be disturbed in the evening at weekdays from 22:00 to 07:00 the next day (except for the alarm, say). And here you are - please - sleep peacefully, putting your smartphone away from the bed.

    Or the second classic scenario: turn on silent mode during any events that you previously agreed to attend through the Calendar application. It’s also very convenient: your office is going to a movie in the evening, someone proactive sends out invitations to everyone on Google+, you accept the invitation, which is immediately synchronized with your calendar. And - woo-ala! – go to the cinema and don’t worry – the phone won’t ring during the show.

    The “Important Only” and “Rules” items are in general Android settings 6.0 Marshmallow, i.e. the entered values ​​will be valid for each type silent mode.

    Working with text inAndroid 6.0

    Tapping and holding on a piece of text of interest is nothing new. However, now the “Copy/Paste” menu and other functions do not pop up in the screen header, as before, but directly above the selected characters. Plus, new options have appeared in Android 6.0 Marshmallow: for example, “Translate” - the selected text can be translated into any of the languages ​​​​available in Google Translator, and with the press of one key you can replace your Russian language with the desired foreign language (just note that Google Translator, of course, is capable for many things, but he is not omnipotent and does not always translate the text correctly).

    Directshare

    There can be only 8 such “quick” contacts for sharing information, and a maximum of only 5 recipients are assigned to one application in this list. Yes, it would be illogical to transfer a little bit of everyone to the quick send menu, cluttering it with icons, but for some eight recipients may not seem enough. The disadvantage of this option is that this list The recipients may not be the ones with whom you would like to share something: for example, the last active chat you had was with the boss, and his icon appeared in this menu. You cannot remove him from the list - he writes so much to you! - but dropping links from the network is not at all part of your circle of business interests with him.

    The function, it must be said, is still at the finalization stage and has every chance of becoming usable. All that remains is to give more applications synchronization with Direct share and allow the user to edit the quick access list.

    Device Memory Manager

    It’s not a fact that 90% of users will ever look at this menu item, but by going to Settings - Device - Memory, you can see which applications have used the memory of your device at one time or another and how much they loaded the RAM.

    And in the “Storage and USB drive” menu you can now find a file manager. It's not omnipotent - it can only move, delete and send files to selected contacts - but it's the first such built-in option in Android.

    Application Settings

    Another rather interesting point - additional settings Applications where you can, for example, change permissions installed programs or set/change default applications. In the “Links in Applications” menu, you can configure which programs open links.

    Nailprograms: Google Now on TapAndroid 6.0

    The coolest thing, at the time competing with the new capabilities of Siri. So, now, no matter what application you are in and no matter what you do, hold the physical or touch button You can call the Now on Tap function at home. It will evaluate the contents of the page and give you additional information about the most important object search. For example, we listen to music. In Google Music, hold down Home and get a choice of: the artist’s pages on social networks, the address of his official website, links to albums, news, concert schedule, etc.

    And so with absolutely any application. If you receive a message mentioning the title of a film, press Home and receive a synopsis, links to trailers, a promo site, and a schedule of shows at a nearby cinema.

    The only “but”: for now, the Now on Tap option only works if the system language of the smartphone is set to English. But at the same time, the new product recognizes not only ENG, but also copes well with Cyrillic (and here is the proof below).

    We repeat: for the option to work for now, you need to select English as the system language and, of course, turn on Wi-Fi or 3G.

    Camera andUSB

    Android 6.0 Marshmallow now supports USB 3.1 Type-C, i.e. new devices with this operating system will not only have a universal charging interface, but will also increase the data transfer speed (up to 10 Gbps, just a second!).

    The camera interface in Android 6.0 Marshmallow has also been changed: for convenience, some settings have been placed directly on the display and, in general, everything has become more convenient, although nothing major has changed, by and large. For now, however, only owners of the Nexus 5X and .

    Conclusions

    This is not “another Android”, but a system worth waiting for. Even though we saw its visual component last year, with the official release and Material Design, the inside of 6.0 now also looks amazing! Thanks to new, broader settings, you can reduce battery consumption, optimize device memory, find anything with Now on Tap, share information directly with open pages browser, set the automatic activation of the “Do not disturb” mode, synchronizing it with your Calendar or a banal daily routine. In a word, a great new thing.

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    Elizabeth

    Without a twinge of conscience, I ask for “phone number” from guys and girls I don’t know well. To check whether the lock button fits comfortably under your finger and whether the autofocus works quickly :) I would like to visit MWC and conduct a live blog from the thick of things.

    Here we are, finally, getting to the sixth version of the most popular mobile platform. The interface is not too different from the fifth (Lollipop), but Google has added many new features here that many may not even be aware of. That is why we decided to compile a kind of guide to the main features of this OS, so that every user can fully enjoy all the delights.

    How to use screen search

    Google Assistant provides users with all the information they need every day, but with on-screen search, you can get detailed information about a word or piece of text you don't understand in the blink of an eye. Many people are probably familiar with the situation when a message indicates a meeting place that they want to know more about, or it is not familiar at all.

    Previously, you had to close the application, then enter the name of the place (for example, a restaurant) into the search engine. Now this is in the past, because you can get necessary information you can do it directly in the application by clicking on the “Home” button. Google will automatically show the route to the place, the menu of the establishment and give out phone numbers.

    But that's not all. Screen search is compatible with most applications. When watching a movie, you can use this feature to find a trailer on YouTube or a movie portal page with information about the movie, as well as links to actors and actresses.

    Suppose in Google feed+ or Facebook you saw a post mentioning a movie that interested you. Searching the screen will help you find all the necessary information about it. In the same way, you can search for information about places, TV shows, songs that are mentioned in the text on the screen.

    How to Manage Low Power Mode in Android 6

    Doze is a new charging saving mode on Android 6.0 that significantly increases battery life. The bottom line is that if the gadget is not used for a certain time, sleep mode is activated and application activity decreases.

    However, don't worry about missed notifications: if the developers have provided this option, you will still receive notifications and messages from the application.

    You can disable, so to speak, “falling asleep” applications manually. To do this, open “Settings” → “More”, select the “Battery” section. Next, click on the three dots in the upper right corner of the screen, look for the “Battery saving” item, go to the “Do not save battery” tab.

    We find in the list an application that should not be affected by the energy saving mode. Remember that the more unoptimized applications, the more load on the battery, so make exceptions only for really important ones.

    How to track the most power-hungry apps

    Sometimes the gadget can slow down without apparent reason. But it is possible to identify the most resource-intensive applications thanks to the new, simply named “Memory” function. We go to “Settings” and find the section with the same name.

    Here you can track the average amount of RAM consumption over the last three hours, six, twelve hours or for the whole day. And the “Memory usage by applications” option will show how much RAM is used by each application. Actually, this is how applications that consume too many system resources are calculated.

    How to use Google Translate in other applications

    Those who frequently use Google will love the new feature. In any application, select the text that we want to translate, and context menu select the “Translate” option. You no longer need to copy text from the application and then paste it on the web page with the service. The option is available in any application that supports text selection.

    How to use the direct sharing feature
    "Easter egg" from the developers in the form of a game in Android Marshmallow

    Google hides so-called "Easter eggs" in every Android versions, and Marshmallow was no exception. The secret here is similar to the one in previous version. In general, this is a copy of the game Flappy Bird, in which you need to fly between obstacles without hitting them. In the last part it was candy, in this part it was marshmallows. You can also now add up to 6 players.

    To open the game, go to “Settings” and click on the “About phone” line. Then quickly and several times click on the “Android Version” item until the letter “M” appears in the center of the screen. Click on it and see marshmallows with antennas. And again quickly click on the screen (at least three times), after which we simply hold our finger on the drawing until the game starts.

    How to Customize the Quick Settings Panel in Android 6

    If you swipe down on the screen with two fingers, the Quick Settings panel will appear. It looks just great. And it can become even cooler if you customize it for yourself. Fortunately, Google has finally added this feature in the sixth version of Android. However, before this you will need to unlock the System UI Tuner (advanced settings).

    To do this, hold the gear icon in the right top corner. After a couple of seconds we release. Next, a message will pop up stating that System UI Tuner has been added to “Settings”.

    We climb into them and see new line“System UI Tuner” at the bottom, open quick settings. Here we can drag and delete any panel items. In addition, you can add new options.

    How to enable display of battery charge percentage

    It’s convenient when the battery status is displayed in the status bar, but many people want to see the level. This is done through additional section“System UI Tuner” settings (we have already enabled it in the previous part of the article). So, in the “Settings” menu, click on “System UI Tuner”, then set the switch to the on position next to the line “Show battery level as a percentage”.

    How to turn off all sounds on your smartphone using the volume button

    It was not so easy to “shut up” your gadget on Android Lollipop. Fortunately, Google has returned the ability to switch to silent mode (which does not apply only to the alarm clock). Simply reduce the volume to the very minimum using the volume button.

    How to use Do Not Disturb mode

    Google remade previous version Android, which in Marshmallow is called Do Not Disturb mode. It can be found in the quick settings panel. There are three options for this mode:

    1. "Complete silence"
    2. "Only an alarm clock"
    3. "Only important ones."

    Any selected one will remain in effect until the function is disabled by the user or automatically in accordance with given time. For the first two options, the name speaks for itself, and when you select the third option, you are given the opportunity to make an exception for certain notifications and contacts.

    How to Manage App Permissions in Android 6

    In our opinion, the best thing about the sixth version of Android is the ability to issue permissions separately. In other words, applications can be deprived of specific rights to receive data from the gadget. For example, if you think that some game does not need access to Contacts, you can easily not give it.

    Of course, you will have to accept the request during installation. But after that we head to “Settings”, where we find the “Applications” section. Now we choose the game you want or application and click on the “Permissions” line. On the next screen we see a list of all permissions of the selected application; opposite each option there is a switch. You know what to do. In some cases, revoking certain rights can cause errors in the application, but permissions are just as easy to grant as they are removed.

    You can also view all applications sorted by type of permission granted. Go to “Settings” → “Applications”, click on the gear icon, get into additional settings, now click on the “Application Permissions” item. Here is a list of applications with access to specific components of the device, for example, Camera, Microphone or Contacts.

    How to enable app association with links

    On Android 6, you can set certain links to always be opened by the selected app. This feature is present in any version, but previously it was suggested to select from a list or set this option by default, but it also did not always work as needed.

    Version 6 has a little more options for this feature. From the “Settings” menu, go to “Applications” and click on the gear icon. Next, click on the line “Links in applications”, a list of all applications and the links that they automatically open will appear on the screen. Here you can link web addresses to certain applications and choose whether the application automatically opens links or confirms the action manually each time.

    How to search files

    We like ES File Explorer in every way, but navigating through folders and Android files Marshmallow can be used without it. We go to “Settings” → “Memory”, at the bottom there is an option “Search”, click on it. A tree of all files and folders will open with a convenient display. You can sort the list by name, date modified, and size by clicking on the gear icon. To search for a file, click on the magnifying glass.

    How to highlight text

    Selecting text on a touch screen is almost always implemented clumsily, however, thanks to innovations from Google, the process on Marshmallow has been significantly simplified. As before, press and hold the text that we want to select, but now for automatic selection you can move your finger across the screen.

    How to adjust volume

    Controlling the volume on the sixth version is easier than on the fifth. Press the volume button and see the volume scale on the screen. The arrow in the upper right part of the screen is responsible for additional settings (volume system sounds, music, video and alarm). They are located along the path “Settings” → “Sounds and notifications”.


    This year the company has already shown the 6th version of its mobile operating system. Android systems. It was called Marshmallow. This is exactly what M stands for, about which fans have been speculating and making bets all summer. Despite the fact that this is not 5.2, but the whole 6.0, there are much fewer new features and noticeable updates than there were in 5. But this is not surprising, because 5 set a new direction, and 6 simply strengthens its position. So, what's new in "Zefirinka"?

    Google Now on Tap

    This is probably the main feature that the creators boasted about and the fans were waiting for. It analyzes the contents of your screen at a particular moment and offers interesting features. If you're browsing the latest movies in the app, Now on Tap will show you a list of upcoming shows. By listening to music, you can get comprehensive information about the artist, and by communicating in the messenger about a specific restaurant, you can book a table there or call. Thus, Google knows even more about you, but uses it only to your advantage.

    Support for new standards and technologies

    Here it is worth mentioning two innovations at once. Fingerprint sensors, which were brought to the market Apple company and USB Type-C, which everyone has been talking about for a long time. Many companies, including Samsung, have already installed fingerprint sensors in their devices, but they used their own developments, but now this function is native, that is, any manufacturer can add a sensor to their smartphone and not create special software for this. USB Type-C is a new standard that will finally rid everyone of the inverted cable problem. Now the cord can be inserted in any direction without wasting precious time. It will take at least a year until this technology comes into widespread use, but attention Google already says a lot.

    Setting application permissions

    Surely, many users, when installing new applications, wondered why a particular program needed so much access to personal data or individual smartphone functions. If access to the camera for an application for creating photos can be explained, then the permission to view SMS for the next game looks quite strange. Now any user can control what functions each application installed on their mobile device will have access to.

    Doze – another step towards effective energy saving

    The new power saving mode uses your battery smarter. The smartphone understands when you are not using it and turns everything off as much as possible. background processes. Due to their inactivity, the charge is mainly saved.

    Chrome Built-in

    This innovation will appeal to both developers and fans. Chrome browser. Thus, creators of applications that require opening web pages will no longer have to embed or create third-party solutions. Google's browser will play this role. In addition, it will integrate well, and the user will not even notice when the web page is actually open, and when the content of the application itself is on the screen.

    New features for working with a memory card

    Google, like Apple, actively fought with memory cards, but at some point they stopped and reached the point where now on any device with Android control 6 Marshmallow you can use the memory card as a system volume. This is a useful feature for those who do not have devices with large quantity built-in memory.

    Android Pay, improved text tools, themes and more

    Launches with Android 6 payment system Android Pay, which, unfortunately, is not yet available to us. For those who often copy, cut and paste text, the developers have simplified this process a little by adding a context menu with commands right above the selected text. Also in the settings, users can choose a dark or light theme for the OS. Smartphones running Marshmallow can now act as chargers for other devices. Now, finally, users can do backups systems without help third party applications.

    It's safe to say that Marshmallow is a high-quality update for the Android operating system that simply improves the user experience, but does not introduce radically new features. And that's right, considering that global update It was just a year ago.

    Now update and install the operating system of your smartphone or tablet to latest version it just got easier. Now to install new firmware, just download Android 6.0 from our website, follow the instructions from the downloaded archive, download and install the application on your smartphone or tablet with the Android operating system.

    If the search giant Google was quite delayed with the launch of Lollipop for Nexus, then Android 6.0 Marshmallow began to fly away on time. Already, some smartphones and tablets are receiving the coveted updates and introducing users to a number of useful changes, one part of which is aimed at internal changes to the system, and the other at external ones. We will now talk about all the significant innovations discovered in “Zefirka”.

    Without lengthy introductions and lyrics about the main accents of the “six,” let’s get straight to the point. The first thing users will see after installing Marshmallow is a new system boot animation demonstrating the formation of the word Android.

    Lock screen

    Next we go to the lock screen, which will surprise you with a new font, which is also used in the case of several widgets for the desktop. He fits perfectly into the overall visual style system and does not look like something from a completely different opera.

    One quick launch icon has also changed: on the left there is now a microphone instead of the “Dialer” Google Now For voice requests, the Camera remains on the right. In Lollipop they were activated by swiping right or left, but here you need to swipe from the corner of each icon, which is less convenient.

    If the search engine on the left does not suit you, there is an opportunity to return the usual “Dialer”, to do this you need to go to application settings, select default applications, go to “Assistant and voice input" and change the Assistant value to "no". However, it is worth understanding that choosing “Dialer” completely disables Google Now.

    Among the new functions, it is also worth noting the ability to leave some kind of arbitrary inscription, which is set in the Security settings item. It may well serve as a reminder or warning.

    Application menu and widgets

    All installed applications are now displayed in a vertical list, sorted alphabetically. You can quickly find the game or program you need through the search bar at the top or, for example, by holding down the scroll slider - pull it down and it will show all the letters involved. The 4 most frequently used apps are also displayed at the top of the list.

    By the way, this type of menu became available to some Nexus users back on Lollipop; all you had to do was update Google app. This also applies to widgets, also sorted in alphabetical order. Among them, some new elements have appeared, for example, audio search on Google Play - an analogue of Shazam. Just bring it to your desktop and click to listen and determine the composition.

    Curtain and volume

    The standard curtain of quick launch icons finally has a silent mode activator " Do not disturb", which can be turned on certain time or indefinitely, until shutdown. At the same time, a profile of complete silence or with exceptions for alarms and important reminders/notifications/calls is available.

    (left - Android 5.1, right - Android 6.0)

    The set of quick launch icons can be customized using System UI Tuner, which we wrote about in. The same function, by the way, allows you to select the icons displayed in the status bar and enable a display of the battery charge level in percentage. The last option is not particularly clear.

    "Dialer"

    The application for making calls has changed slightly in appearance, but its main change is the option to send an SMS message, which is displayed when dialing a number. Its appearance seems quite logical and natural.

    Now on Tap

    This feature is one of the main functional innovations of Android 6.0. It is a system of contextual automatic search information based on screen content. That is, in essence, predicts possible search queries by some elements displayed in at the moment on the display.

    Kinopoisk Twitter and Now on Tap results

    For example, when listening to a musical composition in the Now on Tap player, it will offer you to buy it on Google Music, show information on the artist or album, send you to the artist’s official website, or show latest news. Similarly, with text data in letters or tweets about some films, flights, holiday events, and so on - almost everything that may additionally interest the user is taken into account.

    watching the actors of the film "Pan" and going to the Radiohead YouTube channel

    Launch of Now on Tap carried out by long pressing the “Home” button However, for now, owners of devices with Android 6.0 will have to change the system interface to English to demonstrate the capabilities of the function - Russian is simply not supported yet. Let's hope it doesn't last long.

    Working with text

    The so-called smart highlighting text, making it much easier to copy, share, translate or web search for selected words - all these actions are immediately displayed in the context menu when selecting words or entire applications.

    (left - Android 5.1, right - Android 6.0)

    Settings: Applications

    In the settings item “Applications” appeared ability to set access rights specific applications to SMS messages, calendar, contacts, camera, microphone and so on. To enable or disable it, just move the switch to the desired position.

    A link graph immediately appeared in the settings, demonstrating applications that open certain links from a browser, Twitter, mail, or, for example, a simple SMS message. Available to choose from automatic start or request confirmation.

    Here you can also set default applications, allow or deny access to certain tools. system settings or get acquainted with those tools that do not save battery power on your device. By default, this is Google Play Services only.

    Settings: Storage and USB Drives/Memory

    This settings item, as before, demonstrates what and how much memory is occupied. The design of the section has changed slightly, but the essence is the same - the total size of images, videos, audio, applications and other things is calculated.

    New in the settings is the “Memory” column, which includes data on RAM usage. The average amount of RAM used for a specific period of time (3, 6, 12 hours or 1 day), the available memory size and the number of active applications are displayed.

    Settings: Battery

    The design of the battery usage section has changed slightly, and the data on the gluttony of a particular application has become more detailed. Plus, the previously mentioned charge saving point, which displays apps and tools that go into standby mode under certain conditions to reduce power consumption.

    Settings: Backup and reset

    The data backup option that appears here will allow you to store it on Google servers content from applications, access point passwords and other settings. This whole thing works only partially so far, since much depends on the program developers themselves, who must ensure the functioning of such a backup.

    The option to reset all network settings immediately became available, this applies to mobile networks, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi.

    Wallpapers and animation

    In Android 6.0 Marshmallow, many animation effects have changed, including when opening/closing applications, minimizing windows, various swipes, displaying curtains and much more. And, of course, we can’t help but highlight the set of new wallpapers in the Material Design style.

    Easter egg

    The role of an Easter egg, launched by the same taps according to the system version in the settings, was a mini-game a la Flappy Bird. You will have to control a small red android, and marshmallows on sticks as obstacles. By the way, this arcade game turned out to be not much simpler than the original from the Vietnamese developer.

    Overall, Android 6.0, tested on the Nexus 5, leaves a pleasant impression. The system began to work a little faster, and the animation seemed smoother. Pre-installed applications less - the same Google settings added to the list general settings, which looks quite logical even from a search point of view.

    Regarding autonomy, there are also positive changes - total time work with mixed use increased by 15 percent - a trifle, but nice. In standby mode, charge savings are significantly better only when communications are turned off - overnight, for example, the battery drains by only 1-2 percent. If Wi-Fi and mobile transmission leave data active, charge losses increase significantly - the work of the vaunted energy saving technology is practically not felt.

    In addition to autonomy, Marshmallow also did not live up to expectations in the Camera application, which simply remained the same, although it was assumed that with the system update it would also be updated. However, this may be a matter of time, because for Nexus 5X and 6P latest version already available.

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

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

    Lock screen

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

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

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

    Desktop, multitasking and notifications

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

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

    The desktop settings management menu is called up by a long tap on any free area of ​​the screen. The menu contains three items: WALLPAPER – allows you to change the desktop picture; WIDGETS – needed to add widgets to the desktop; and SETTINGS – a shortcut leading to Google Now settings.

    The multitasking menu is called up by pressing the corresponding button. The list of running applications is displayed in the form of cards located one after another and scrolls vertically. Some applications may be represented by several cards, for example, in the case of Google Chrome Each browser tab has a separate card. Closing the application is done by pressing the corresponding button or swiping to the side; there is no dedicated memory clearing button, but based on the principles of multitasking in Android, there is no need for it. Today, the mechanics of multitasking in Android look nice: first, a return to previous application, for example, when the user left the VKontakte application by clicking on a link, it is performed using the back button on the screen, and there is no need to call up the multitasking menu; secondly, the multitasking menu itself is called up in one tap.

    The principles of working with notifications were seriously redesigned back in Android 5.0. Firstly, a list of interactive notifications appeared on the lock screen. Secondly, the classic incoming call interface on full screen appears only if the device is locked; in all other cases, when incoming call, a small card appears at the top with information about who is calling and two buttons: “Close” and “Answer”. But the interface for selecting notification modes, which appeared in the fifth version of Android, has been greatly simplified; if, after the notification volume is turned down to a minimum, you press the button again, the “Do not disturb” mode is activated. You can change the behavior of your smartphone in Do Not Disturb mode in the corresponding section in the Settings application. The ability to change the volume separately for the alarm clock and multimedia has been added to the interface.

    Controls, keyboard

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

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

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

    Search and Google Now

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

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

    Settings

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

    1. WI-FI – the main screen of the section contains wifi switch, list available networks and a button that calls additional functions:
    2. Bluetooth – the main screen of the section contains a Bluetooth switch, a list of available devices with the ability to search by name, and a button that calls additional functions:
    3. Data transfer – the main screen of the section contains: Mobile data switch; Limit switch mobile traffic with the ability to set a limit and warning; detailed statistics on traffic use by applications with the ability to select a period; and a button that calls additional functions:
    4. Also – additional settings for wireless networks.
    5. Screen
    6. Sounds and notifications
    7. Applications – on the main screen of the section there is a list of all applications installed on the smartphone.
    8. Storage and USB drives – the main screen of the section contains statistics for permanent memory and the Open button, which sends it to a simple file manager.
    9. Battery – the main screen of the section contains: the current charge level in percent; estimated remaining time battery life; basic statistics on battery usage various applications and devices; and a button that calls additional functions:
    10. Memory - the main screen of the section displays brief information about use RAM. The additional screen displays more detailed statistics for different periods of time by application and service.
    11. Users – the main screen of the section contains a list of users with the ability to add new ones and a button that calls additional functions:
    12. Contactless payment – ​​in this section you can set up payment via NFC. Android Pay is pre-installed into the system, and it is also installed as a payment service by default.
    13. Location
    14. Safety
    15. Accounts – contains a list of accounts created on the device with the ability to delete and add new ones
    16. Google Settings – a section that contains all the settings for a user’s Google account
    17. Language and input
    18. Restore and reset – this section exists to reset the device settings to factory settings with the ability backup all data
    19. Date and time
    20. Specialist. capabilities – features that facilitate interaction with the device for people with disabilities are collected here
    21. Print – displays a list of print services and allows you to add new ones
    22. About the phone

    Basic Applications

    Telephone– on the main screen of the application the following are displayed: a search bar with buttons for voice search and calling up application settings, at the bottom, a button for calling the dialer. The Speed ​​Dial tab contains cards of frequently dialed contacts, the Recent tab contains a list of recent calls, and the Contacts tab contains all contacts. In the application settings you can manage quick response templates and the list of blocked callers.

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

    Messenger (Messages)– the main application screen contains a list of dialogs, search buttons, settings and creating a new message. The application looks as simple as possible and has primitive functionality. What’s unusual is how the application assigns each dialog its own unique primary color.

    Gmail– starting from version 5 of Android, the main application for working with by email becomes Gmail. Now you can add to it mailboxes not only from Google, but also from others postal services. The main screen displays a list of letters, buttons for searching, settings and creating a new message. Swiping from the left edge of the screen brings up the side panel, which contains a list of folders and a settings shortcut. The settings are as simple as possible.

    Google Chrome- is system browser default. A special feature of its work is the ability to set the display of tabs in the multitasking menu in the form of separate cards. Otherwise, it's the usual Chrome. On to the pros of this browser integration with Google services and ample opportunities for synchronizing tabs, forms, passwords, etc., the disadvantages are that they are not ideal user interface and gluttony for system resources.

    Watch– includes: alarm clock, world time, stopwatch and timer; added Night mode.

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

    Google Photos is a client application for the service of the same name from Google, at the same time it serves as a system gallery.

    Calendar– the main view of the application is the Schedule, where all events are listed in one list, which is interesting: the beginning of each month in this list is titled with a nice picture reflecting the main essence of this month. To look at the month, you need to tap on the name current month in the title. The view can be changed to Day, 3 days, Week and Month. The add event button appears in the lower right corner.

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

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

    Downloads – the simplest manager downloads

    Branded Applications

    Play Store is an application store client and the main branded application from Google. It allows you to purchase, install, and update third-party applications. The “Games and Applications” section is a virtual showcase where various product selections are displayed, for example, New Products or the Most Popular Games, in the form of thumbnails of applications heading the corresponding selection and links to the entire list. The “Entertainment” section is also a virtual showcase, but it presents films, music, books and the press, also in the form of selections and banners. For user convenience, the “My Applications” section consists of two lists: Installed and All. The “Wish List” section shows all products the user has ever marked as desired.

    Play Games is a client application for the service of the same name. The “Home” section displays basic data about the user: name, level, how many experience points you need to gain to move to the next level. Below are lists of games: recommended games, games the user is playing, and what friends are playing. The “My Games” section contains three tabs: recent, all, and installed. The “Inbox” section in three tabs displays a list of invitations, a list of gifts and requests, and a list of quests. The “Players” section in two tabs displays a list of Added players and a list of Acquaintances – friends of friends. The “Find Games” section also contains three tabs: Recommended, Popular and Online games.

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

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