In the past, if you didn’t want an app showing notifications on your Android device, you had to either long-press on a notification from the app, then head into the app’s specific info page, and disable notifications or take the longer route to unchecking its notifications powers through Settings>App manager. Either process wasn’t a bad one by any means, but Google appears to want to give you more specific notification control in Android L with the introduction of notification management through the Sound section in Settings which has been renamed “Sound & Notifications.” (more…)
Android
Android L Features: Heads-Up Notifications Will Eventually be Awesome
One of the more iOS-like features introduced by Google for Android L during last week’s I/O, were Heads-Up notifications. Think of them as floating notifications that appear at the top of the screen no matter what you are up to. Not only do they allow you to quickly glance at things like incoming messages or calls, but should a developer build in actionable buttons, you can interact with them as well, without ever having to pull down your notification shade. (more…)
Google Music Update 5.6.1608P Moves “Downloaded Only” Toggle to Slideout Menu
A new update to Google Music is rolling out today as build 5.6.1608P. The update isn’t massive by any means, but does include a couple of tweaks here and there to the layout.
First, in the slideout navigation menu, you will see a new toggle for “Downloaded Only” music, which is a way for Google Music to only show the music that you have stored on-device. This option used to be tucked inside of a drop-down menu at the top of the app, a menu that is now gone completely. The app now shows a “Downloaded Only” text bar when the option has been toggled, as well. Finally, in playlists, the “pin” button seems to have been swapped out for a “download” icon. (more…)
Android L Features: Android Beam Now a Part of Share Menu
In Android L, Google has included Android Beam in the sharing menu, making it arguably easier to share items using NFC.
When you go to share an item now in the L version of Android, you will see an icon for Android Beam, along with your icons for Drive or Box or Dropbox or any other app capable of sharing. Once Android Beam has been tapped, your device will tell you to “Tap another device to complete,” which then sends the item as soon as the second device is touched. (more…)
Google Aims for Consistent UX With Android Wear, TV, and Auto
Last week at Google I/O in San Francisco, Google laid out plans for three new and separate platforms; Android Wear, Android TV, and Android Auto. What differentiates these platforms from past iterations we have seen, such as Google TV or any smartwatch currently available on the market powered by Android, is pretty major though.
From what we have seen in the past from Android-powered smartwatches, the company that creates the watch, creates the overall experience. For example, Samsung’s Galaxy Gear ran Android, but the company limited its use to only Samsung devices, plus had entire control over the way consumers interacted with the watch, which essentially hindered most basic functionality. (more…)
Android L Features: Battery Saver Tries to Extend Battery Life
One of the many new features introduced with Android L is Battery Saver, a setting that attempts to lengthen the single-charge life of your phone when a charger or outlet is nowhere near. Other manufacturers like Samsung and HTC (Extreme Power Saving Mode) have built battery saver-like features into their phones for quite some time now, but this is the first time Google has done it with stock Android. (more…)
Google Voice Transcriptions to Improve With Your Help
Google I/O may have come and gone without a single mention of the status of Hangouts and Google Voice merging together, but on Friday, we learned from a Google Voice team member that the service isn’t dead just yet. In fact, Google plans on improving it, at least on a voicemail transcription front.
For those new, voicemail transcription is the automated service that attempts to transcribe voicemails into text so that you can read them at anytime without actually having to play the message aloud. Google Voice has been notoriously average with its transcription, so this move to improve it makes a lot of sense, even if the product’s life seems to be up in the air. (more…)
Android L Features: Keyboard Switching Now Happens in the Navigation Bar
If you have ever installed a third party keyboard on an Android device, like the new Android L keyboard, then you have probably seen the input menu that appears in the notification area that allows you to change keyboards on the fly. This menu shows as a notification that when tapped, will let you quickly choose a different keyboard than the one you are currently using. Thankfully, this menu only shows when you have activated or tapped inside of an input box. It is a handy shortcut, though probably not the best location for it.
Guess what? It has moved in Android L – for the better too. (more…)