We decided to figure out what features Google added to the new version of Android 6.0 Marshmallow. Most of the new products turned out to be deeply hidden in the operating system.

The lock screen has become cleaner

Google has tried a lot of different things with lock screens in recent years. There were good ideas, but more often for some reason they were bad. Luckily, the developers decided to keep the lock screen simple and useful.

Marshmallow's lock screen system is just that: the clock is larger, so you don't have to strain to know the time when you glance at your device. The notification panel has been improved with the addition of a quick settings drop-down menu. The dialer shortcut located in the bottom left corner has been replaced with Google Now, so you can now launch a voice search without even unlocking your device. And if you set up protection using a password or graphic code, the system will offer you a convenient panic button, which can be useful if you find yourself in an emergency situation.

We've never been crazy about widgets and other things that clutter up the screen while you're locked, so we're glad they're gone from Marshmallow.

Copy and paste made easier

Android was one of the first mobile operating systems to feature copy and paste capabilities - and now Google is jumping in over its head again.

In Marshmallow, Google uses a copy and paste feature that is simpler and more convenient than what we've seen before. Latch pressing now works faster and you don't have to wait for the action selection window to appear. Additionally, Google has gotten rid of the clunky edit menu, replacing it with more obvious options that appear right next to the text you select. And if you have Google Translate installed, the copy and paste settings allow you to instantly translate text. This feature alone makes life easier.

Settings menu - more informative

Each new version of Android has a slightly more user-friendly settings menu. Unfortunately, for now this can only be considered a sign that Google is still determining how Android should be structured.
For example, if you scroll down to the About Phone tab in the Settings menu, you'll find a section that tells you when you last received system security updates. It's nice that such operating system transparency is becoming generally accepted. However, the developers also pursued their own goals, in particular, trying to dispel myths from the “Android is unsafe!” series.

The rather strange Google Settings app has also disappeared. Instead, a menu item appeared in Settings. It seems this decision was obvious before, but better late than never. You can also go to the new Memory Management menu to see how much RAM your device is using and whether it's running normally.

Now on Tap is now tracking you. And it's not that bad

If you've always wondered why you're being asked to give Google access to your information, you'll find the answer in Google Now on Tap. Not only is this one of Marshmallow's best features, but it's also a reminder that Apple's Siri and Microsoft's Cortana still don't get the job done.

The Now on Tap API examines everything you see on your screen and offers relevant search results. Hold the Home button to turn on Now on Tap, and the feature will do its best to get to know you better.
For example, in a news story about a Marshmallow update, Now on Tap was able to ignore references to numerous Android models from OEM partners, recognizing that the context of the article was about when the update would be released for those devices. The feature also provided us with links to additional materials.

Now on Tap works with third-party apps too. For example, on Instagram you need to tap the screen 2-3 times to open Google Maps and continue to the place where your friends have checked in. But now, with Now on Tap, all you have to do is hold down the Home button when a photo is shown on screen, and you'll get a quick link to view the street where it was taken. If you select this option, Google will show you a real photo of the place you are interested in. It's much easier.

But our favorite experience was using Now on Tap in conjunction with the reminders service, where Google Now simply doesn't work. For example, many girls like to take care of themselves on the weekends, but they often forget when it is time to dye their hair and when they need to go for a manicure. Now you can hold down the “Home” button while directly in the mail application and quickly add an event reminder to your calendar. All you need to do is make two clicks!

Now on Tap works from the moment you enable it, just like Google Now works from the first moment you sign in to your device. The idea here is this: if you use a Google phone, Google's search engine will provide you with more contextual information. And it seems to make life a lot easier - no more copying words and other things and then just pasting them into other applications.

Applications can be controlled

App permissions have been one of the most emotional topics for several years. In Android 4.3, Google introduced App Ops to help users find out which apps were taking on too much, but it was quickly abandoned because it wasn't useful. Today, if you don't like an app having access to an important part of your OS, the only option you have is not to install it.

Marshmallow really helps solve the dilemma of separate app permissions. The Play Store will no longer prompt you to approve all permissions before installing an app at once. Instead, the app will ask you for permission when it needs to access some part of your device, such as the camera. And now only you will decide whether to allow it or not. If you deny an app, its features that depend on that permission will not be active - but everything else will work.

Control over your personal Android operating system is no longer an illusion. Giving permissions to applications is a very important point because they communicate in what context they need something. In addition, permissions create a new level of confidence for those users who would otherwise refuse to use Android due to the latest security issues.

Data is backed up correctly

Android was a really bad operating system for those who change devices frequently. This was true before the advent of Tap & Go in Lollipop - before, switching from one test device to another was a real hemorrhoids.

Luckily, though, Tap & Go made it easy to transfer your apps to a new device, but unfortunately your data didn't move with them. And although Android had a backup solution, it never worked properly since the days of Froyo.

Marshmallow offers an Auto Backup feature and it seems to work. Here's how the solution works: Marshmallow uploads all application data to Google Drive, including user-created items such as accounts and settings. The system stores all your call logs and Wi-Fi passwords, and this data is not taken into account and may exceed the storage quota. By default, an automatic backup will be created every 24 hours when the phone is not in use and connected to Wi-Fi. You can check whether you're backed up through the Google Drive app, but you can't control what data is saved or what apps are backed up.

Currently, backups can only work on Marshmallow devices - which is odd since Google will be updating this API through Google Play Services. However, it looks like this feature is not finished yet, and we will take another look at it in a while.

Battery power is used more efficiently

Although the name Doze sounds like cough syrup, it's Marshmallow's new and truly impressive battery-saving feature. When you leave your phone or tablet on the table in the kitchen or anywhere else, the device goes into hibernation mode. That is, the same battery charge is actually retained as when you left the device. Network access services and background processes are combined and run intermittently - only high-priority tasks are executed as usual. As soon as you turn on the device’s display, all notifications will “pounce” on you at the same time, as if your device was discharged and just turned on. This is an amazing feature, and we were really impressed by how little power the Nexus 6 consumed after being left on all night. With Wi-Fi turned on, it used only 2% of the energy, and with LTE mode turned on, the system consumed only 10%.

Doze uses an accelerometer to detect when you're sleeping, so it won't turn on if you're walking or driving. To activate it, the device must be at one point for a certain time. High priority messages, such as those from apps like Google Hangouts, will still arrive and won't let your device sleep until you turn off notifications. Google has given developers the power to decide whether their app notifications can break through Doze mode. But we're hoping that messages like bonus coin offers in Pokemon Shuffle won't show up on the device when it should be "resting."

You can disable autorun of pre-installed software

Tired of pre-installed apps popping up on your device every time you reboot? Marshmallow has an App Standby feature that can help you disable them. In Marshmallow's developer options, you can simply deactivate unnecessary applications, and they will no longer launch. We wouldn't recommend this feature unless you're confident in what you're doing, but it can be really useful for those who are seriously plagued by bad third-party apps on Android phones.

There are other options in this section that will help you customize how apps run on your device. Marshmallow is able to terminate an application a minute after you switch to another, and also determine how many background processes can be running at the same time. We're thrilled that users now have the ability to work with these Android customizations, but at the same time, we wonder how all this will work on third-party Android devices when software updates arrive.

Fingerprinting for all money

Fingerprint scanners on Android devices are nothing new. Samsung, HTC, Huawei and even Motorola have had them for a long time. But it took a long time for Android to have its own fingerprint API library, and now developers can easily build these functions into their applications, for example, for mobile payments.

Currently, only the Nexus 6P and 5X support native Marshmallow fingerprinting, and we'll be sure to tell you how the library works once we get our hands on those devices. In addition, it will be very interesting whether players such as LG, HTC and others will use the new API or continue to work with their own.

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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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!

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

At first glance, the new global update to Android 6.0 Marshmallow has no visible changes. The Material Design concept has been fully preserved, and the distinctive features lie in the details. We have collected the most important innovations, which we invite you to familiarize yourself with.

Fingerprint support

Devices with fingerprint scanners have been actively sold for several years. Previously, software for this had to be developed from scratch, and the company’s budget directly affected the quality of implementation. Google engineers have added the technology to the system, and developers will receive the necessary tools, which will speed up and simplify the implementation of a fingerprint scanner in applications.

New Doze energy saving technology

Doze technology aims to extend battery life on a single charge. When the device is stationary, deep sleep mode is activated. At this moment, the background activity of applications is turned off, but notifications, calls and alarms are still received. The system uses motion sensors to calculate the “resting state”.

USB Type-C support

The introduction of the new USB standard into the firmware will bring a number of additional features:

1. Advanced charging mode with a current of 1.5 and 3 A at a voltage of 5 V, which will increase the charging speed of the device.
2. It will be possible to charge other smartphones, tablets and accessories. This is especially useful for devices with a battery capacity of 4000 mAh or more.
3. Connecting a MIDI keyboard, which will expand the multimedia capabilities of Android.

Changing application permissions

During the installation of applications, it was necessary to confirm the requested rights without exception, even if access to some items was in doubt; in case of refusal, the installation was canceled. Owners of gadgets running MIUI firmware or with superuser rights (ROOT) disabled permissions using built-in or third-party software, and Android M users can now do the same.

Enhanced Factory Reset Protection

Google has made it impossible to use the device in the event of an emergency data wipe, unless after downloading you enter the account information that was before the reset. Read more about this in the separate article “Factory Reset Protection - a new security system in Android 6.0.”

Arrangement of clipboard elements

Previously, cut, copy, paste actions were displayed at the top of the screen, now directly above the selected piece of text.

Integration of the Chrome browser with other programs

If there are links in the application, Chrome will automatically load them, after which opening the page will be instantaneous.

Menu and application search

Scrolling in the application menu is now vertical instead of horizontal. Sorting by alphabet, and for orientation, an enlarged letter is displayed on the edge; grouping by folders is not yet available. An application search appeared at the top, and below it were shortcuts to four frequently used utilities.

Backing up information

Another function borrowed from MIUI is backing up information to the cloud. Now users will save Wi-Fi network passwords, call logs, as well as applications with settings saved to Google Drive. The process is automatic, and the backup copy will not take up disk space, but large files and those prohibited by the developers will not be saved.

Multi-window support

The technology is still in development and will not appear in the client version, with the exception of some models of smartphones and tablets. But the very fact that multi-window development has begun gives hope that functionality and stability will increase in Android N or O. At this stage, the Google option displays up to 4 applications on the screen, for which the screen is divided into equal parts, without the ability to resize. Perhaps electronics manufacturers will pick up the idea and implement it in their own design.

Android Pay

The new payment system will allow you to link a bank card and make contactless purchases using a smartphone. No confidential information will be transmitted during payment, and for reliability, the system is linked to a fingerprint scanner. Google promised to operate 700,000 payment points, the bulk of which are located in the United States. Android Pay will work on devices with Android 4.4 KitKat installed and equipped with an NFC chip.

Quick Launch Shortcut Editor

System UI Tuner is a new tool for choosing quick launch shortcuts in the status bar. Customize the position, icons for accessing functions, and the remaining charge level in percentage.

Adoptable storage

8 or 16 GB of internal space limits the installation of games and programs, or downloading a “large” number of files into the device’s memory. Android M has added “Adoptable storage” technology, which will make MicroSD part of the system partition. But since the difference in the speed of information exchange between internal and external memory is 10 times different, the performance level will decrease.

Other

The new operating system also received a number of “minor” changes:

1. An item has appeared that analyzes RAM consumption by applications, with a detailed description of memory usage for 3, 6, 12 and 24 hours.
2. The design of the battery consumption display has changed, and energy saving and battery saving modes have appeared.
3. In wireless Wi-Fi router mode, Internet distribution is available in the 5 GHz frequency.
4. Native support for 2 mobile operator cards.
5. Choice of design colors: white and black.
6. New animation effects will appear.
7. Separate volume controls for ringer, notifications and alarm.
8. Send a message when dialing a number.
9. Selecting applications that open links from a browser, social network client, etc.
10. Set text for the lock screen to serve as a reminder or information.

Conclusion

In Android M, users have more control over applications and more system settings, without the need to use ROOT or third-party software. We can only hope that manufacturers will pick up the innovations embedded in the OS and implement them in new or existing devices.

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 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 using a Pattern key; set a password or PIN code; or through the Smart Lock function, which allows you to unlock the device when connected to a 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: a status line - it contains the name of the operator, cellular network signal indicators, Wi-Fi and battery level (without the ability to display the 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: firstly, returning to the previous application, for example when the user left the VKontakte application by clicking on a link, is done with the on-screen back button, 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 full-screen interface for an incoming call appears only if the device is locked; in all other cases, when there is an 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

Controlling a smartphone 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 (hardware support required), 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, and to be precise with the personalized Google Now search service, which provides information in the form of cards based on context: current location, calendar information, search query history, movement history, history of visited pages, etc. etc. The Assistant is launched by scrolling to the left of the main desktop, and at the top of all desktops there is a search bar that cannot be removed. In addition, the search can be initiated from any screen by dictating a request after the phrase “Ok Google”.

In the sixth version of Android, the 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; the 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 a W-Fi switch, a list of 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; Mobile traffic limit switch 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 battery life; basic statistics on battery usage by various applications and devices; and a button that calls additional functions:
   
10. Memory – the main screen of the section displays brief information about the use of RAM. An additional screen displays more detailed statistics for different periods of time for applications and services.
    
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 to factory settings with the ability to 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 dialogue its own unique primary color.

Gmail– starting from the 5th version of Android, the main application for working with email becomes Gmail. Now you can add mailboxes not only from Google, but also from other mail 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 sidebar, which contains a list of folders and a settings shortcut. The settings are as simple as possible.

Google Chrome– is the system default browser. 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. The advantages of this browser include integration with Google services and ample opportunities for synchronizing tabs, forms, passwords, etc., the disadvantages are an imperfect user interface and a glutton for system resources.

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

Camera– the application interface has been seriously redesigned. On the main screen there is a viewfinder and buttons for the shutter release, switching to the front camera, gallery, turning on the timer, activating the flash, switching 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 of the current month in the header. 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. The side menu contains buttons: a button for displaying traffic jams, public transport routes, bike 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 download manager.

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 wanted.

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 is a music player and, at the same time, a client of the cloud music service of the same name. 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 “Automixes” function, it greatly simplifies the creation of playlists from a large number of tracks. To create an automix, you just need to 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.

Few people know, but Android 6.0 Marshmallow, in addition to the developer menu, contains one more hidden settings screen- System UI Tuner. Using it, the user can slightly customize the system interface and even launch a demonstration mode.

To activate the System UI Tuner, just pull out the quick settings curtain and hold down the gear that opens global settings. It will begin to rotate, and after that a notification will appear congratulating you on adding a new item; you should look for it in the “System” section.

At logging into System UI Tuner A message immediately pops up warning that the options hidden in this menu are not for everyone and activating them can lead to negative consequences. These settings cannot be called extensive, because they only have four items: “Quick Settings”, “Status Bar”, “Show battery level as a percentage” and “Demonstration”.

The most useful for the user, of course, is the first one, because it allows you to rearrange and add items in the quick settings curtain. The process is extremely simple and self-explanatory; it also includes removing options. “Status Bar” allows you to hide the display of any indicator in this line, and there are a lot of them. The name of the third item speaks for itself, and the fourth launches a special demo mode of the system. The latter is designed for app explorers who frequently take screenshots - it always keeps the time and battery level the same, and pop-up notifications are disabled.

Judging by the presence of a hidden System UI Tuner, Google engineers are thinking about giving the user the opportunity deeper customization of the bare Android interface. Apparently, they are aware of the significant lag in this area of ​​their own shell compared to third-party ones, but this does not mean that the company will ultimately decide to take such a step.