Android 5.o Lollipop – the sweetest release yet, is finally beginning to find its way to most of the Android devices through the official OTA route. The new ‘Material Design’ is amazing which brings a totally new look and feel to Android. There are a lot of new features in the Android 5.0 Lollipop. We have covered a few of them like the Screen casting feature earlier.
Today we will talk about a few of the lesser known new Android Lollipop features that you might probably not be aware of.
1) Play Flappy Android
I am sure you must have played the famous ‘Flappy Birds’ game. An easter egg in Android lollipop lets you play the Android’s version of Flappy Birds. To play the game, go to Settings – About Phone and repeatedly tap the Android version. You will see the Lollipop on your screen which will change its colour when you tap on it. Long press the Lollipop to launch the game. I feel that this game is even more difficult than Flappy Birds!
2) Wake your Android phone by double tap
This feature is only compatible with a few smartphones that have the compatible hardware. With this feature, you can wake your phone by double tapping the screen instead of pressing the power button. Do try it out on your Android phone to check if you do have the compatible hardware.
3) Search within settings
There are a lot of options and sub-menus in the Settings app. It can be difficult to find what you are looking for at times. To make things easier, Google has added a search options within the Settings. Just tap on the magnifying glass and start searching.
4) Monitor your Wi-Fi data usage
We all know that you can set cellular data limit to monitor the data usage on you Android devices. With Lollipop, you can monitor the Wi-Fi data usage as well. Just go to Settings – Data Usage – Network Restrictions. You will find the name of your Wi-Fi network here which needs to be set as metered, post which you can monitor the data usage for both your cellular and Wi-Fi network.
5) Use the built-in flashlight
Flashlight has been integrated into the Android Lollipop directly which saves you the hassle of downloading third-party apps. To access the flashlight, open the Quick settings by a two finger swipe from the top
6) Turn on the battery saver mode
Most of you might have noticed the battery saver alert if you have 15% battery remaining on your Android phone. The alert is also received at 5% battery. This feature can extend Android’s battery life by up to 90% as claimed by Google. You can enable/disable the battery saver feature manually as well. Go to Settings – Battery. Tap the Menu button and select the Battery Saver. You can now set the threshold to turn this feature on automatically or turn in on manually.
7) Pin an app with screen pinning
Screen pinning allows an app to run all the time i.e. it locks the display in a single view. You cannot close the app without a pattern or a button press combo. To enable screen pinning, go to Settings – Security – Screen Pinning and turn in On.
To pin an app, tap the overview button (Square button) and tap on the pin icon. You can choose a pattern while pinning so that you are asked for the pattern before unpinning the app. To unpin the app you need to tap the back and the overview button at the same time
8) Unlock your Android phone with bluetooth
Android Lollipop allows you to set up a bluetooth device as your phone’s key. Once you set it up, your Android phone will remain unlocked till the bluetooth device is in the phone’s range and is paired. To set it up, you need to pair your bluetooth device first. Once paired, go to Settings – Security – Smart Lock. Authenticate with your PIN/pattern and tap ‘Trusted devices’. Hit the Plus icon, select ‘Bluetooth’ and choose the paired device.
These were some of the best, lesser known new features of Android Lollipop. If you have come across any more hidden features, do share it with us in the comment section below.