10 Things Android
Lollipop can do but Android KitKat cannot
We might have not been
this excited as children to have a candy lollipop as much as we are to have the
latest Android 5.0 Lollipop update installed on to our devices.
The time finally
arrived when our Android OS would get a quick makeover and offer us with either
some simple; or extravagant changes. But are these changes going to make our
lives easier? Is Lollipop far advanced than KitKat? We check out some of
the prominent changes that have been brought about in the latest update.
1. Inbuilt Flashlight
It would always be
puzzling as to why Google did not pin a flashlight in our notifications panel
just like iOS has in its control center. Lollipop brings out that change.
Without installing any third-party apps, users can simply use the flashlight by
pulling down the notification panel. Make sure your smartphone has an LED
flash.
2. Battery
changes
Battery seems to be
given priority in Android Lollipop. No longer do users have to lay bets on how
long their battery would last for. The new OS has two new and much needed
features which were not available on KitKat. It shows you how long it would
take to charge your phone and a small graph showcasing how much time is left
before the battery runs out. After you have plugged in your phone for charge,
your home screen will show you the time until full charge.
3. Guest user
We all have people
around us who lay their hands on our phones. Thankfully, Android Lollipop helps
us with this issue. Just like different Users in Windows, Lollipop gives you
the liberty to add guest users or even create a profile for a friend/relative.
This way, you can limit the amount of information that others can view. You can
add a guest by simply going to Settings – Users – Add Guest.
4. Flappy Bird easter
egg
If Flappy Bird wasn’t
frustrating, Lollipop offers you a modified version of the game. Instead, here
you have an Easter egg to unlock. Users can go to Settings – About phone and
click several times and you will get the android robot in place of the bird.
5. Notification
panel
Needless to say, the
notification panel has been made too simple for the user. It’s simplicity in
design is the plus point. Unlike KitKat, the most useful feature added here is
the ability to view your detailed notifications on your lock screen. Though
this might be a problem around work spaces if you leave your phone unattended,
anyone can have a look at your notifications even though your phone is locked.
It can be disabled by going to Settings – Sound and Notification – When device
is Locked – Don’t show notifications at all.
6. Trusted Places
Trusted Places is a
smart feature which has been added in to Lollipop. Though most of our phones
have passwords, it would be a task to disable it when we enter familiar
premises such as our car or home. Trusted Places is a feature where a user can
declare certain locations as safe and they wouldn’t need to unlock their phones
once they enter those spaces. You can set the location by heading to Settings –
Security – Smart Lock.
7. Soft key redesign
Soft key buttons
receive a change in this update and it is a rather, a surprising change. The
icons are smaller and look compact. A very simple yet pleasant design.
8. Multitasking
Multitasking has
completely changed in Android Lollipop. The feature allows you to scroll
through your notifications in a simpler manner. It is easier and allows you to
see more details even before you enter the app.
9. Prioritize apps
It can be super
annoying if your phone is filled with umpteen apps and throughout the day, you
are bombarded with notifications. Lollipop gives you the liberty to prioritize
your apps so that you can receive notifications from the ones you want. It
works out perfectly during sleep hours as you can only receive notifications
from important apps and not games or check-in notifications.
10. Quick access to
Chromecast
No need to install any
third-party apps once you have the updated your phone to Lollipop. There is an
official app now from Google to solve our problems. For the people who love to
stream media from dongles, it is as simple as going to the notification panel
and taping on Cast Screen.