Tag Archives: Lollipop Tour

Third Party keyboards have been a mainstay of the Android app eco-system since Android was in its infancy. With the release of the Google Keyboard, and the subsequent updates which brought gesture typing, emoji and introducing personalised spelling suggestions, the Google Keyboard somehow has become good enough to use up …

We’ve been having a look through Android Lollipop, or at least the latest Developer preview since Google released images for the Nexus 5 and Nexus 7 (2013) on Saturday morning. It’s a complete new visual style and part of that is the new wallpapers that have been included in the …

Google Search is a key component of Google’s Android strategy, it’s part of how they monetise Android and in Android 5.0, Google has given the app a makeover to include Material Design stylings as well as adding multi-account support. In Google Search, the cards now come up with most cards …

We’ve written a lot about what’s new in Android L from an end-user’s perspective, and there’s an awful lot. However, there’s a lot of changes behind the scenes as well, and while a lot of them aren’t really very interesting, this one certainly is a breath of fresh air. Google …

Android 5.0 promises to add a few extra pieces of security to the Android and indeed Google eco-system as a whole. From encryption to trusted Bluetooth devices, your Android device will be even more secure than it has been previously as well as being easier to access. Further down the …

Android Notifications have always been the best; they’ve been copied or at least mimicked by almost every mobileOS currently in use. In Android 5.0, they’ve been refined thanks to the introduction of Material Design, so they look different, but offer mostly the same functions. In Lollipop, the notifications now appear …

One part of Android which has been lagging behind the competition has been in the accessibility options for vision impaired users. In Android 5.0, Google has addressed this adding in accessibility options for people with ‘low vision’ or who are colour blind. The accessibility options introduced in Android 5.0 include …

We all know the scenario: a friend needs to make a quick call, and asks to borrow your phone. Your younger sister has asked to play Angry Birds, but you don’t want her browsing your photos. Your parents are checking into a flight, but you don’t want them to accidentally …

Did you miss out on the Flappy Bird craze? Fear not – Android 5.0 (or at least, the updated developer preview) has a Flappy Bird clone built in, taking over from the Webdriver Torso easter egg in June’s preview build. It’s actually a double easter egg – the first is …

The recent apps menu, which was first introduced in Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0) is a great way to access all the apps running on your phone, making multi-tasking easier and in the long run making you a lot more productive. In Android 5.0 there’s been some changes to the …

Android’s new device setup process has long been in need of a visual overhaul to make it friendlier and less daunting for non-technical users. Since the day of Ice Cream Sandwich, we’ve had a dark skin in line with the Holo theme of the time that, while straightforward, wasn’t particularly …

Android has long had the ability to manage multiple users on a single device, but it’s been hidden from phone users and only exposed on tablets. In Android 5.0 Lollipop, this changes. Google’s rationale for the restriction of this feature in the past was that phones are a personal device …

Ever since the introduction of the Quick Settings screen in Android Jelly Bean, we’ve been complaining about the feature. Google’s original vision of Quick Settings was a confused mish-mash of toggles and shortcuts to settings screens, and offended the Android world for one main reason: the settings couldn’t be customised, …

One of the areas in which the “stock” AOSP Android platform has fallen behind OEMs’ customisations in recent years is in preserving your battery. Google has been seeking to tackle battery life across the board in Android 5.0, but for those times when you’re running low on power and just …

One of the biggest complaints in Android’s new device setup process over the last few years has finally been addressed – Android Lollipop has a new way to restore apps and purchases from old devices. The updated and redesigned setup process allows you to choose the device from which you’d …