Android 7.0 Nougat today can be called the largest version of this platform. This distribution really brings many significant improvements and enhancements, compared to 6.0 (Marshmallow), and also provides many important changes in usability. What's new in Android 7 introduced to users?
Major changes
The most significant changes include launch shortcuts, which allow you to use a long press to access a quick pair of actions, for example, shoot a video or take a selfie in the camera application without having to start the entire service. Instead of five, there are now six quick switches in the notification list, and if you hold the power button, the restart option appears in the shutdown menu.
The instructions for āAndroid 7ā can be briefly presented as follows. In the Settings menu, there are new tabs that replicate all the options found in the device. In addition, a sub-item āSupportā has been added, designed to receive assistance around the clock. Also, some changes were made to the general settings, including the addition of a smart storage manager with automatic and manual cleaning options. The āMovingā section has appeared, which contains various gesture settings and motion detection functions. GIF support is also available on Google Keyboard.
Overview of the Android 7.0 operating system in a nutshell
If you try to briefly describe Android Nougat, then we can say that this is a mobile platform, deeply rooted in its roots. The feeling of stability of this OS is becoming stronger already since 5.0 Lollipop. So, in version 5, you can observe much less performance problems, and more attention is paid to appearance. Nougat 7.0, in turn, is distinguished by the expansion of functionality, improvement of existing functions and a further increase in the capabilities of Android.
It is worth noting that Android 6.0 Marshmallow basically supported the general appearance of 5.0 Lollipop, but received some new features, such as DozeMode, API fingerprint scanner and granular permissions. Only a year passed, and version 7 appeared, which supports the design of the main screen and applications from the previous 6th distribution, but at the same time lays the fundamental foundation for all the functionality.
When studying the instructions for āAndroid 7 Nougatā, you can see that the platform has much more innovation than it seems at first glance. There are some new visual features that you can use to change the settings menu and notification area.
Screen mode
First of all, the instruction for āAndroid 7ā in Russian is relevant for new display settings. Nougat provides a split-screen mode for Android. The split screen works both in portrait and landscape modes, and two windows are changed and configured only in portrait mode. Application developers can set their own minimum window size and proportions, but the landscape standard will display an unchanged 50/50 standard.
The split screen mode can be activated by clicking the "Browse Applications" button and selecting "Recent". You can also enable it by tapping a shortcut in the application selection bar and dragging it to the top of the screen. You can even activate the action of gestures so that it starts when you scroll up the browse button.
In this setting, the first application will appear in the upper window (or on the left if you are in landscape mode), and you can select the second program from the list that will be displayed automatically. Or, when a service is displayed in an additional window, you can click āHomeā to simultaneously launch another application from your home screen.
Fast switching between programs
Presenting the instructions for "Android 7" in Russian, you can not ignore this update. A quick switch is just a shuffle between the last two applications you use. It works in system-wide mode, so you can quickly switch whenever you are in full-screen mode, and you can also use it in the secondary screen of split-screen mode. Just double-click the applicationās browse button and you will switch between your last two programs in an additional window.
Having a quick switch is probably Nougat's favorite feature. It means that you can perform a triple task in multi-window mode. For example, you can watch a YouTube video in the upper window and quickly switch between the two social networks at the bottom. Alternatively, you can view the email in the upper pane while switching between the note application and the web page in the lower window. It really looks amazing.
Exiting split-screen mode is also quite simple: drag the black divider to the bottom of the screen or completely move the open application up. Alternatively, you can click the browse button of the application again and it will be displayed in full screen mode.
Notification area
However, not everything in Noug is so confused. Some of the new functions are simple and intuitive, which is confirmed by the instructions for Android 7 for dummies.
The notification areas in this version of the platform have been slightly improved by eliminating Google maps. You get more information and less wasted space. Similarly, related notifications and quick response are so useful that itās amazing how they havenāt appeared in Android so far.
A quick reply is simply the ability to reply to a message directly from its notification without opening the application completely. This is a fantastic feature that will save you a lot of time and save you endlessly switching programs.
In addition, quick actions go beyond the simple answer: you can also copy, delete, archive and perform other actions directly from notifications. However, not all applications support this feature.
UI Tuner System
For users who prefer a āsliding barā of application notifications from the preview, the System UI Tuner mode, which is enabled using the Power notification controls, is available. The user manual for Android, aimed at its inclusion, is as follows.
To add System UI Tuner to the Settings menu, simply click and hold the gear icon in Quick Settings until it starts spinning and your device vibrates. You will now find it at the bottom of this menu. This mode also contains a switch for marking the screen and the icons in the status bar.
Customizable Quick Settings
Quick settings in Android Nougat have also been updated. You get a convenient list of five radio buttons at the top of the notification menu. You can edit the order of this list to select only the most important shortcuts. The small arrow on the right side will lead you to the full page of the āQuick Settingsā submenu, which you can also access with a gesture by swiping two fingers down from the top of the screen).
This version of Android also has several pages of tiles. Some of them instantly enable or disable a specific setting, such as a flashlight, Do Not Disturb, and Location. Other elements, such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, can be enabled by accessing the mini-menu directly in the "Quick Settings" tile.
A long press on the above tile will bring you to the screen of the full settings menu. In it, you can click the "Edit" button in the lower right corner to rearrange the tiles or replace them with others. The list of additional options is small: Cast, DataSaver, Invertcolors and Hotspot. However, developers can now create custom QuickSettings tiles for their applications, which will certainly make more choices in the coming months.
Multilingual support and wallpapers
Useful features of Android 7.0 also affected language support. Now Nougat allows you to install several local languages, as well as primary and secondary, and easily switch between them. This is a huge advantage for bilingual Android users and frequent travelers.
Various skins, kindly provided by Unicode 9, will allow you to set any image as a desktop wallpaper or a screen saver to lock the screen. In this case, it is possible to place the same picture in both settings.
Platform optimization
A review of Android 7.0 Nougat confirms that the system has not just become more complicated compared to previous versions. A lot of work was aimed at accelerating the development of the platform. The developers made big changes: from the optimization of Chrome to the advent of GoogleFiber and the Wing drone delivery project.
The settings menu is reconfigured in Android 7.0, with two main changes being the addition of a multi-layer menu on the left and the presence of detailed information under each heading of the settings section. The first of them is already familiar to users: this is the same mechanism with which you are accustomed to accessing Google Now and navigation search in many Google applications.
Although you can access it at any time, as soon as you get to the āSettingsā submenu, you will now see a new icon in the upper left corner that replaces the āBackā button. Click on it (or slide your finger along the left edge), and you can immediately go to any other part of the settings menu without pressing the back arrow again.
Even if you donāt see this icon, for example, in the āAdvanced Wi-Fi settingsā section or on the main page, you can still swipe your finger to the left. This is a convenient āquick exitā function, even if it is unlikely to be used often.
Instructions for Android 7: the main page
The basic information contained in each settings section is now displayed on the main page. You will immediately find out which Wi-Fi network or which Bluetooth device you are connected to, how many applications you have installed, how much data storage you have used and how long your battery can work. This may be a minor addition, but it gives you important time savings.
At the top of the "Settings" menu there is a new "Offers" area in which you will periodically view messages from the Android system about a variety of data. Receive reminders to use voice search, register a fingerprint, add email accounts or change wallpapers, you can follow these steps or ignore offers as you see fit.
When you turn on Do Not Disturb mode (or several other options, such as FlightMode), you will see a constant reminder at the top of the settings menu, in which you can also turn it off. The built-in file manager contained in Storage> Explore is now slightly transcoded and uses a mosaic layout instead of the list provided in Android 6.0 Marshmallow.
In Nougat, when you go to the details page of an application that you installed yourself, you can find out if it was downloaded from Google Play or a third-party source. This is probably not a big deal for most users, but it will help with troubleshooting system errors or missing updates.
Sounds and notifications now have their own dedicated settings areas, and you can set your phone to āComplete silenceā mode using the āDo Not Disturbā switch in quick settings (but not using the volume button).
Do not disturb
Do Not Disturb was one of the most difficult implementations of a useful feature in Android. The Do Not Disturb settings allow you to choose the options: āComplete silenceā, āOnly alarmsā and āPriorityā, as well as set exceptions. With the help of the latter, you can enable certain notifications, enable the Do Not Disturb mode for a specified period of time or for an indefinite period, create automatic rules for weekends, evenings or hours of work, as well as block screen pop-ups.
Data storage
Data Saver is not a completely new option, but thanks to it, you can significantly improve the management of the gadget. This feature allows you to restrict Internet access for background applications when you are connected to cellular data. You will also get a great reminder at the top of the Settings menu when the Data Saving feature is turned on.
Enabling the economy function, available both for switching quick settings and for the data area in the settings, will limit background synchronization when connected to Wi-Fi. Of course, you can use the whitelist of any applications for which you want to have unlimited access to the network (for example, email or WhatsApp), even if DataSaver is enabled.
Seamless updates
Android Nougat also introduces the concept of default updates. This means that new data for Android 7 will be downloaded in the background and saved in another system partition.
After the update is downloaded, the next time you start your phone, the system will switch partitions and you will instantly receive new settings without performing the normal process of downloading, rebooting and installing.
Changes in recent applications
The recent application menu has also been slightly modified in Android 7.0. The Android system itself can now remove long-unused services from the list.
A convenient āClear Allā button has been added to the very top of the card stack so you can clear the clutter and tell the system that it can close any associated application processes.
Useful for developers
The instructions for āAndroid 7ā can be completed with a brief description of highly specialized additions. Nougat officially adds support for the Vulkan API mode, which promises faster, smoother and better visualization of game graphics.
Game developers can simply opt for Vulkan's higher performance and complexity, or stick to the easier-to-use, but less intensive OpenGL standard.
Android Nougat also supports Java 8. This language in practice is relevant only for developers, so for most users its update will go unnoticed.