The Android Nougat mobile operating system (version 7) came up with a number of major changes over the Marshmallow mobile operating system (version 6) for which it has gained enough popularity in the market, especially among the critics and the tech-freaks.
Before you go ahead and download the Nougat OS on your smartphone, you should know a little about the unique features that are going to come with it. This compilation has 8 of those unique features in thorough details. Let’s take a peek at them without further ado.
#1. The new Android OS comes with an improved “Doze” mode for improved battery life
The Android operating system had already included the Doze mode in Marshmallow to improve your phone’s battery life. The latest Nougat just improved it further.
So how does the Doze mode work? The Doze mode usually kicks in as soon as the screen goes off to save the battery as much juice as possible in the mean time. Think of the whole thing as some form of a cryosleep.
In case of Marshmallow, the Doze mode kicks into existence only if the phone’s void of ANY form of movement. For example, it would definitely not work if the phone’s bouncing along in the pockets even with the screen switched off. It should be completely stationary for the mode to work.
Whereas in case of Nougat, the Doze mode will continue to work even when the phone’s constantly on the move. Useful and unique; there’s simply no doubt about it.
#2. Supports the split-screen mode
The split-screen functionality might not have that much novelty because it was already available in several OEM versions (for example, The Galaxy Note had already supported the split-screen functionality for several generations at a stretch). But frankly, it was never available in stock android versions.
The stock version of Android Nougat comes with an in-built split-screen functionality mode and it works in both portrait as well as landscape modes.
#3. Improved notifications
Notifications on Android 7 have gone through a complete revamp. They are wider in comparison to Marshmallow and fill your device’s entire screen, thereby improving their readability a lot almost by a level or two.
Depending on the app (By that, I definitely mean the one from which you are receiving the notification), you sometimes might be provided with an option to provide your reply through the notification itself. Things like that can save you a whole lot of time and help you manage resources better.
#4. Improved toggles
You don’t have to opt for 3rd party toggle widgets as long as you have Android Nougat installed on your device.
Android N comes with its very own toggle widget (which is also known as the quick settings menu). You can access the same by just swiping down the drop down menu from the top of the screen.
Nougat also gives you options as to what toggle widgets you want to appear. You’ll have 2 toggle menus:
- A quick view (This one gives you an incomplete view of all available toggles)
- A complete view (This one gives you a complete view of all available toggles)
#5. Android N comes with a secret ‘UI Tuner’
If you want to enable the secret “UI Tuner” menu, you’ll have to long press the gear icon in the drop down system tray first to enable the secret “UI Tuner” option in your phone settings.
Okay, here’s how you do it in a systematic way:
- Swipe down the shaded notification menu from the top of the screen.
- Long press on the gear icon at the top of the drop down menu (say for about 10 seconds).
- You’ll see a command that “System UI tuner is added.”
- Release the gear icon and you’ll be taken directly to the settings page.
- There you will definitely see this new option under the “System” section.
- Enabling this feature prompts a warning. But don’t pay much heed to it. Just go ahead with it.
With the help of the secret UI Tuner, you’ll be able to do several cool things such as tweaking and editing your status bar or even add the swipe up split-screen functionality.
#6. The stock version of Android Nougat gives you the option to set up separate wallpapers for lock screens
This feature’s nothing new to be honest. Many OEMs actually provided their users with this option. But the stock android OS never came up with this additional feature.
Android Nougat provides users with this additional feature in its stock version itself. The option is pretty simple to access:
- Long press the home screen (the same thing that you do to change your wallpaper).
- Select any image you want from the list of images provided by the device.
- Once you make your choice, you will be provided with an option like:
“Do you want to make the image your home screen wallpaper or your lock screen wallpaper or both?”
- Select “lock-screen” and you’ll be set for the day.
#7. Android Nougat provides file based encryption which is considered an upgrade over full-disk encryption
Prior to Nougat, Android OS used to come with a full-disk encryption system. In a full disk encryption system, your phone is basically encrypted in the form of a single unit.
Nougat, on the other hand provides users with a file based encryption system where each file is encrypted individually. This ensures a more robust operating system which is considered to be one of the biggest upside of Android Nougat.
#8. Nougat’s a big data saver
Your background apps are more than capable of eating into your monthly data plans.
Nougat’s new “Data saver” feature can aid a lot in saving your precious monthly data plans. It’s not just a data saver my friend, it’s a life saver in places where you fail to have a wireless connectivity.
So that’s it then. If you think of anything else, you are more than welcome to add them in the “comments section” below. I’ll be glad to hear about them in vivid detail for sure.
Image: https://www.search4roots.com/will-phone-get-android-nougat-updated-december-2016/
