Here’s what changed in Android 5.1 Lollipop

Here’s what changed in Android 5.1 Lollipop

Google has finally announced the long awaited Android 5.1 update after its not-so-secret debut on Android One devices in the Philippines. This new build of Lollipop is rolling out to Nexus devices right now, but what’s in it? The official changelog was severely lacking in detail, but now that it’s hitting devices we can see all the tweaks to this version of Android. Let’s check it out.

Improved Interruptions

Google implemented a new system of notification modes in Android 5.0 known collectively as Interruptions. You can choose, all, priority, and none as notification modes. This is independent of the volume, but it can be a little confusing. Android 5.1 cleans up the feature a bit and adds some much needed options.

One of the main issues with Interruption modes in 5.0 was that there was no silent mode that could still let alarms through. The “None” setting would keep the phone quiet, but blocked alarms. Your only option was to set no apps or contacts to Priority and use that mode if you wanted alarms, but this limited the system’s usefulness. Android 5.1 solves this problem by including a new setting for both Priority and None that lets you automatically disable them at the next alarm time. It’s right there in the volume panel under the timer for each setting.

Lollipop also included the option to schedule downtime when Priority interruptions would be activated. That’s a thoughtful addition, but now in 5.1 you can choose if your downtime triggers Priority mode or None. Again, this allows you to use priority mode as it was originally intended, as a way of filtering out less important notifications when you need to focus.

Lastly, when you access the notification modes by hitting the volume toggle, there is now an icon for each notification mode that matches the status bar icon. No more wondering what that star at the top of the screen means.

The infamous memory leak

Android 5.0 included a number of memory optimizations that built on the work done on Android 4.4 KitKat. That version of Android was lauded for its ability to run well on devices with less RAM. Android 5.0 was supposed to continue that tradition, but there was a nasty memory leak. It became one of top items in the Android issue tracker as soon as Lollipop was released late last year.

The symptoms of this memory leak included sluggish home screen performance and apps closing in the background, even when they were playing audio. It affected all sorts of devices, but those with 2GB of RAM or less were more affected. Not everyone experienced these issues, but it was maddening for those who did. Google previously marked this issue as solved and scheduled for a future release. It appears that Android 5.1 is that release.

As of Android 5.1, the memory leak has been fixed and all is once again right with the world. Just in time too. The Lollipop release for Android One devices (which have more modest specs) was long overdue.

Device Protection

Google is making changes to the way a lost or stolen Android device is managed with a new 5.1 feature called Device Protection. This will only be available to phones and tablets that ship with Android 5.1, plus the Nexus 6 and Nexus 9. It’s essentially Mountain View’s version of Apple’s iOS activation lock. Device Protection turns the device into a brick if it leaves your possession.

Android already had support for remote locking and tracking of a stolen device, but Device Protection is more robust. When activated, this feature prevents unauthorized parties from using your device even if it is reset to factory defaults. The only way to unlock it is to log in with your Google account.

Device Protection only works if you have a secure lock screen enabled. If you want to sell your phone, simply remove the Google account from your device, then reset. This feature will make Android devices much less tempting targets for thieves. There’s no point stealing something no one else can use.

Heads-up notifications are fixed

Google had a noble vision for notifications in Android 5.0. Apps could produce a “heads-up” notification for important content that would slide down from the top of the screen on top of everything else. The problem, however, was that you couldn’t just make the notification go away without completely dismissing it.

So your options were to deal with it right then and there, dismiss it with a swipe and remember to go back to the app in question later, or wait for 10 seconds for the banner to retract on its own. 5.1 fixes this.

Now you have the option to swipe to the side to clear the notification, just like you would in the notification shade. However, you can swipe up to hide the banner, basically sending it back to the main notification area. Problem solved, and thank goodness.

VoLTE and dual-SIM

Two less significant additions to your daily life include native support for VoLTE calling and dual-SIM. The VoLTEfeatures will work on carriers like T-Mobile and Verizon to enable much higher quality voice calls. It also paves the way for finally moving away from 3G cellular technologies.

Dual-SIM support has existed on Android before, but now the APIs for it are built into the core of the platform. OEMs won’t have to roll their own implementation for running multiple SIMs. There’s also some cool color-coding in the dialer so you know which SIM you’re using to place a call.

Will you ever get it?

Nexus users should have the update within a week or so. There are also system images going up on Google’s developer site that can be used to restore to factory defaults. Everyone else will need to wait on OEMs to roll the 5.1 code into their ROMs.

Some big devices like the Galaxy S6 are going to ship with 5.0, but by the time the LG G4 comes out, it might run 5.1. We’ll have to wait and see. Most recent devices should see a 5.1 update within a few months. If you phone or tablet is from 2014 and you already got a Lollipop update, it’s unlikely you’ll get a bump up to 5.1 any time soon.