Android Nougat: What’s new in Google’s new operating system and how to get it

August 24, 2016

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Google has released the seventh version of its Android mobile operating system, named Nougat.

The new software includes tweaks that Google says will improve battery life, allow users more options for customising the phone, and improve productivity.

However, the update is at first available only for the Nexus line of phones and LG’s upcoming V20 phone. Devices from Samsung and others are likely to get the updates in the coming months.

Here’s what’s new:

Table of Contents

Better notifications

You will now be able to reply to messages and emails directly from the notification itself, preventing you from having to open an app simply to send a “sounds good” or “see you then”.

This Direct Reply feature is up to the individual apps to implement: although Google’s own apps such as Hangouts will have the feature from the start.

Android Nougat's Direct Reply feature — Nougat’s Direct Reply feature CREDIT: GOOGLE

You can now also long press on notifications to choose to hide them in future.

Quick settings

The Quick Settings menu that emerges when you pull down from the top of the screen has been tweaked to allow you to choose the most relevant settings.

When you swipe down, instead of seeing the whole menu, you’ll see just the icons for Wi-Fi, mobile data, battery, do not disturb and flashlight. You can then open up the full menu by clicking the down arrow and choosing the settings you use the most. If you turn Bluetooth on and off a lot, for example, you can bring that up near the top.

Multitasking

Android Nougat introduces a split-screen view that, for example, allows you to watch YouTube in one window and Twitter in another. Simply hold down the recent apps button to launch the current app in splitscreen mode.

Android Nougat's new splitscreen mode — The new splitscreen mode

You’ll be able to select a second app to splitscreen with and can slide the divider to change how much screen is taken up. This works especially well if you have the phone in landscape mode. Some manufacturers who put extra features on top of Android, such as Samsung, have included this for some time, but now it is being made universal.

Double tapping the recent apps button switches between the two most recently-used apps.

Battery life

Google has improved Doze, the battery-saving feature it introduced with Android Marshmallow last year that limited the battery usage of some apps when they weren’t being used.

When the phone’s screen is turned off, or it is being moved around as if in a pocket or bag, apps will be put into a further “deep doze” mode to save even more juice.

Everything else

72 new emoji have been introduced, including clown face, bacon and facepalm
Nougat has more support for virtual reality and high-speed games thanks to two new platforms: Daydream and Vulkan
Further software updates will install a lot quicker

What devices are available and how do I get it?

Over the coming weeks, Android Nougat will be available for:

Nexus 6
Nexus 5X
Nexus 6P
Nexus 9
Pixel C
Nexus Player
General Mobile 4G

Google’s upcoming phones will also come with Nougat, as will the upcoming LG V20. The update will gradually be made available to newer devices from other manufacturers in the coming months, although it is unclear which phones will get the update and when.

How to get it

You should get a notification when your update is ready, but to check, go to Settings, About phone/tablet, System updates and Check for update.

If you don’t want to wait, you can enroll in the Beta programme now at this link. Sign in with the account connected to your phone and you should get a notification almost instantly allowing you to download Nougat.

[Source:- The Telegraph]