[Sony Cross-Device General] Pandemic:
16 Things You Can Do In Android Lollipop That You Couldn't Do In KitKat !

After what feels like a long time since we saw the L Preview first appear, Google is now rolling out the final version of Android 5.0 Lollipop to its existing Z series.

You get to know the best version of Android yet by working through this selection of tips and tricks,

covering all of the new features, major and minor, that are built into the operating system.

1. Tap and go

When you're setting up your new Lollipop device for the first time, you'll be presented with the option to "tap and go."

This NFC-and-Bluetooth-powered data transfer lets you move all

of your Google Account details, configuration settings, data and apps

over to a new device just by placing your old phone or tablet against it.

Widgets and wallpaper are swapped over as well.

2. Use the flashlight

Flashlight apps have always been popular on Android,

so Google has decided to roll one into Lollipop to save you the trouble of having download a third-party one.

Pull down the notification drawer then tap the top bar to

reveal the flashlight app alongside other options like airplane mode.

The app will only appear if your device has an LED flash alongside its camera.

3. Prioritize your apps

Android 5.0 Lollipop lets you set up a list of important apps that

are allowed to disturb you even when most aren't.

Head to Settings -> Sound & notification -> App notifications

and you can choose to block each app or mark it as a priority one. Tap the volume slider on your device to activate priority

mode indefinitely or for one hour (a circle with a stripe inside will appear in the status bar).

4. Deal with notifications from the lock screen

In Lollipop all of your app notifications appear on the lock screen ready

for viewing. Not only that, but you can interact with them as well.

Swipe to dismiss, tap to reply and so on,

depending on the app in question.

A double-tap gets you into the relevant app.

Head to Settings -> Sound & notification ->

When device is locked if you want to hide sensitive alerts.

5. Pin apps

If you want to hand over your device to one of your kids or a friend,

you can "pin" them inside one single app.

First, activate the feature via Settings -> Security -> Screen pinning.

Then, when you activate the multitasking screen via the

square Overview button, you'll see a pin icon

appear in the lower right-hand corner

of the bottom app (drag it up if you can't see it).

Holding down the Back and Overview buttons is enough to

exit the pinned mode and get back to other apps. When you activate the pin,

you'll be asked if you want to use a code or pattern to unlock it.

This is tied to the same protection applied to your device,

so if your lock screen isn't protected by a code or

pattern then the option won't appear when you're pinning apps.

6. Jump to app settings

The lock screen really has been given a major overhaul with

the Android 5.0 Lollipop update,

and the improvements include the ability to jump

straight to an app's settings or information panel right from

the lock screen. Long-press on

any notification and (depending on the app) you'll see a cog icon (the app settings shortcut)

and an info icon (the app notification settings shortcut).

7. Predict battery life

New to Android 5.0 Lollipop is the ability to see how much time is

left before the battery runs out of juice,

or how long you need to wait before your device is fully charged up.

Tap on the battery icon in the notification drawer to see either

reading (the time-until-charged information also appears on

the lock screen a few minutes after you've connected

your device to a power source).

8. Search settings and networks

Google's search bar is getting more ubiquitous with each

passing version of Android, and in Lollipop

it's made it into the Settings app.

Tap the magnifying glass icon to use it.

It can be a quick way of finding a particular option

you're looking for, especially if you don't already know what menu or

heading it's under. You can use the same feature

to bring up saved Wi-Fi networks too.

9. Enter Guest Mode

Sharing devices with other people

(friends, colleagues, family members, distracted children)

can be a real pain, but Lollipop's new Guest Mode eases it somewhat.

You can access Guest Mode by dragging down

the notification drawer, tapping on your user account avatar,

and then selecting Add guest from the menu

(or just Guest if you've been through the process before).

10. Improve text legibility

If you were wondering if the Accessibility

menu within Settings would get overlooked

in the Android 5.0 upgrade, there's a new experimental feature

here called High contrast text.

Essentially, it gives white or difficult-to-read

text a black outline when it's being viewed on a light background.

It's applied to the "OK Google"

text inside the home screen search bar, for example.

11. Chromecast more quickly

There's an official Chromecast app from Google that

lets you screencast from any device running

Android 4.4.2 or higher, but the functionality

is built right into Android 5.0, which is great

news for anyone with one of the compact streaming

dongles to hand. It's right in the notification

drawer—tap on the Cast screen icon to locate your Chromecast and begin screencasting.

12. Add trusted devices

A trusted device is a specified Bluetooth or

NFC-enabled gadget that will automatically

disable the security code or pattern on your your

Android phone or tablet when it's in range.

This means you don't have to fiddle around

unlocking the Lollipop device when you're at home

or in the car, for example.

Head to Settings -> Security -> Smart Lock to set up the feature.

13. Hang a 'do not disturb' sign

This works a little bit like the priority app notifications we

mentioned earlier, but it's based around times and

days more than apps.

Go to Settings -> Sound & notification -> Interruptions

to set it up—it's perhaps best used overnight when

you don't want to be disturbed, but there is the

option to let certain contacts through as well as messages and alarms, if necessary.

14. Get back to your apps after a reboot

If you reboot your device in any version of

Android before 5.0, all of your recently opened apps

will disappear. In Lollipop, they're still present

on the Overview screen,

so you can quickly get back to a previous conversation

or website if you need to (not all apps

will remember exactly where you were in the app).

To remove a card from the list, swipe it away to the left or right.

15. Play Google's Flappy Bird clone

Like earlier versions of Android, Lollipop has an

Easter egg to unlock. Go to Settings -> About phone

then tap quickly four times on the Android version entry.

Once the Lollipop graphic appears, tap quickly on it several

times then finish with a long press to launch a

clone of Flappy Bird with an Android robot in place

of the bird. It's just as frustrating to play as the original too.

16. Save the battery

Android 5.0 Lollipop includes a built-in battery saver mode

that you can get to kick in at 15 percent battery,

5 percent battery or never (you can also switch it on and off manually).

It cuts off some background syncing

and vibrations and makes various other tweaks as well.

If you select Battery from the Settings app you'll find

the battery saver on the menu behind the three vertical dots.

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Credits: David Nield

For this info !
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