Donut, Gingerbread, Froyo, Honeycomb, Ice Cream Sandwich and Jelly Bean are either delicious sweets or various distributions of the Android operating system. This article deals specifically with the second meaning.
While Apple's computer shells are named after big predatory cats (Snow Leopard and so on), while Microsoft chooses an incoherent combination of letters, numbers and words (XP, 7, Vista), Android prefers more subtle, or rather “tasty,” approach. However, this should not relax you - the company’s release schedule is so fast that sometimes it seems even aggressive. For example, eight versions of the operating system were released only between 2009 and 2012.
This speed with which the platform is updated causes a common problem for tablet users, especially for those who use many modern applications. It is from them that one can hear questions about how to install “Android” on the tablet in the new version, or how to upgrade to the latest distribution.
Backup
These are all important and significant issues. But before you start planning for an upgrade, you should definitely take a few minutes to back up all data from your tablet. This is done using the built-in Android tools and is easy enough. Just go to the "Settings" menu, then - "Privacy", check the boxes next to "Data backup" and "Automatic recovery". Thus, if updating Android on a Samsung tablet (or another brand) doesn’t succeed, and you have to reset to factory settings, all of your information, from photos to app settings, will be saved. You can copy this data both in the online storage, and on the hard drive of your PC or even on another gadget.
What do you need to know before upgrading?
Now that you have already completed all the formal procedures, you are ready to start following the instructions on how to update Android on your tablet.
Before upgrading the version, it is important to know that some manufacturers have the habit of adding various “skins” or user interfaces so that their devices have their own individual characteristics. As a result, the same Ice Cream Sandwich, for example, will look very different on tablets from different companies. Therefore, before updating Android on your tablet, you must remember that this is an open source system, so the new camera or desktop settings may seem uncomfortable to you.
If you want to see which operating system you are running in, go to the settings menu and click on "About the tablet". It should show the current version of Android.
The process itself
So, there are three common ways of updating “Android” on a tablet:
1. In the settings menu, click on the "Update" button. The tablet must be registered with the manufacturer to see if there are newer versions of the OS available, and then start the corresponding installation.
2. Go to the manufacturer’s website. Any tablet manufacturer known today will have its own website with technical support, which offers both the latest type of updates and drivers for each of its models. Visit such a site using the web browser of your device, and you will get the opportunity to update other applications.
3. Connect to a computer. Almost all manufacturers offer their tablets with settings that allow them to interact with other computers. Synchronize your tablet with a PC, launch your proprietary software and follow its instructions. You can reboot your OS in minutes from scratch.
How to update Android on a tablet? Contacting the manufacturer is the best way. It will help you keep the warranty on your device.