All the New Features of Android M
Today,
Google announced the developer preview of the newest version of
Android. As usual, this new version, Android M, will be out later in the
year. However, those with certain Nexus devices can download the
preview starting today. Here’s what you can expect in the next version
of Android.
If you’re
feeling adventurous and own a Nexus 5, 6, 9, or player, you can install
the Android M Developer Preview right now.
You Now Have More Control Over App Permissions
One of the biggest problems with Android since the very beginning was the all-or-nothing approach it took to permissions.
You could either give an app permission to use all the things it asked
for, or not install it at all. In Android M, permissions will work much
more like iOS. You can install an app without giving it a bunch of
permissions right off the bat. When it wants to use your microphone or
camera, for example, it will ask you when the app needs it. You
can later revoke that permission if you want to prevent the app from
using your microphone when you don’t specifically allow it. This should
help solve the problem of apps requesting a bunch of permissions without necessarily explaining what they’re for.
Fingerprint Support Means (Nearly) the End of Passwords and PINs for Certain Phones
Android M will be the first version of Android that supports fingerprints at the API level. That means if your phone has a fingerprint scanner,
apps can use your fingerprint for authorization instead of a password
or PIN. This includes apps like password managers, as well as for
payments, like with Android Pay.
Android Pay Overhauls Google’s Mobile Payments (Again)
Google has
made more than one attempt to break into the mobile payments field that
haven’t necessarily caught on. Android Pay is the latest attempt that
will make it easier to pay using NFC, or in apps that support the
platform. You can also unlock payments using your fingerprint, if the
app supports the above APIs. Google hasn’t clarified how this will
interact with Google Wallet, or if it will replace it entirely.
Direct Share Lets You Send Stuff to Common Contacts
The Share
menu in Android is already pretty cool, but it can also be a hassle to
send photos or links to common contacts. Android M has a new feature
called Direct Share which gives you quick links to sharing messages with
a specific person via a specific app. So, if you frequently send your
significant other pictures via Hangouts, Android M will recognize this
habit and offer a single button to let you share directly with them.
Text Selection Gets a Lot Better, Adds a Floating Toolbar
Text
selection can be supremely annoying on any mobile device, but Android
isn’t always leading that pack. The new version of Android will include
improved text selection that will highlight text one word at a time. You
can then pull the handle backwards to select by the letter. Perhaps
most usefully, Android M will have a floating toolbar that offers cut,
copy, and paste buttons, so you won’t need to decipher the obscure icons
in the Action Bar anymore.
Volume Controls Have Been Simplified (After Lollipop Screwed Them Up)
Android
Lollipop changed how volume controls worked. The changes were annoying
enough that Google itself admitted that the new version was terrible.
However, the company also announced that the new volume controls in
Android M would make it easier to modify the system volume, music
volume, or alarm volume independently.
Courtesy of lifehacker