Great New Features in 5.1 That You Should Know About...

[deesugar]

There are a lot of changes in 5.1 from KK and I'm seeing a lot of negative threads about 5.1 I thought this might be a good time for some of us in the know to share with everyone else some of the new changes we like.

One of my favorite new features (for Droid Turbo users) is "Commands while locked" because Moto piggybacks off Google Voice I don't think we've been able to use voice command while the phone was locked, until now. It's a no brainer and frankly I'd be ok with unlocking my phone using my voice as it provides a bit higher level of security then no lock which would fit into the touchless theme of the phone.


There are a lot more features, what have you guys found that you like?

 

[Rukbat]

The one major difference between 5.0.2 and 5.1 is that the memory leak is fixed in 5.1. From a programming viewpoint, 5.0.x should never have left the programming area. You don't release product with a memory leak unless you're the 5,000 pound gorilla in the room. (Even Microsoft would probably have had a fix out within days if they did that.)

 

[doogald]

The one major difference between 5.0.2 and 5.1 is that the memory leak is fixed in 5.1.

The memory leak was not fixed in 5.1. I've seen conflicting reports about whether it was fixed in 5.1.1.

See Google: Android 5.1 Memory Leak Has Been Fixed Internally, No Timeline For Release Yet

 

[PowrDroid]

One of my favorite new features (for Droid Turbo users) is "Commands while locked" because Moto piggybacks off Google Voice I don't think we've been able to use voice command while the phone was locked, until now. It's a no brainer and frankly I'd be ok with unlocking my phone using my voice as it provides a bit higher level of security then no lock which would fit into the touchless theme of the phone.

There are a lot more features, what have you guys found that you like?

Could you elaborate? Are you saying that we should be able to say our Moto Voice catchphrase (mine is "Obey me, Droid Turbo") and it will work even when the phone is locked? Or if it is not active?

I suppose I like the chop-chop flashlight, but there isn't much I like about Lollipop.

 

[deesugar]

Could you elaborate? Are you saying that we should be able to say our Moto Voice catchphrase (mine is "Obey me, Droid Turbo") and it will work even when the phone is locked? Or if it is not active?

Yes.
Go into Settings--->Moto-->Voice-->"Commands while locked"

 

[doogald]

Yes.
Go into Settings--->Moto-->Voice-->"Commands while locked"

That was in KitKat, too.

 

[deesugar]

That was in KitKat, too.

It didn't work in KitKat. You wouldn't be able to see anything but a lock screen. The update brought the ability of your phone to show you the results without you needing to unlock the screen. That's the difference.

 

[deesugar]

Another new great feature is how WiFi works much better and the ability to choose or switch networks in Quick Settings makes it easier and quicker than having to navigate away to the Settings panel.

 

[mobrules]

Dee, quick settings option. Where do you find that?

 

[deesugar]

Dee, quick settings option. Where do you find that?

Your notification area now has a feature called quick settings in Lollipop, and a double swipe-down gesture (or a two-finger drag) of the notification shade brings up the new panel. You can not only turn on/off WiFi from there but choose the network (by touching network name with the triangle) along with some other useful things.

Take a look at this quick reference guide on it:
Quick settings in Android Lollipop - Android Guides

 

[PowrDroid]

Dee, quick settings option. Where do you find that?

I think it's the menu you see when you pull down the windowshade one time. There are controls for wifi, bluetooth, airplane mode, location, auto rotate, and cast screen.

 

[deesugar]

Quick Settings Tip 1:

Try tapping the Battery icon when Quick Settings are displayed (Battery % will be present when in Quick Settings mode).

Quick Settings Tip 2:

Adaptive Brightness Slider
In short, adaptive brightness is like quasi-autobrightness. You're essentially setting a "range" of available brightness levels when this feature is turned on, so that if you have display brightness set to 50%, the phone may only actually adjust itself between 40 and 70% brightness in a given situation. This is as opposed to completely automatic brightness, which typically gives you the full spectrum of brightness adjustments depending on the ambient light. The problem with fully automatic brightness is that's it's often slow and a poor judge of what level of brightness your eyes really need. So, this adaptive mode allows you to set a baseline brightness that the phone will then adjust from based on your surroundings. This could also save battery if you feel that full auto is too bright.

How to Quickly Switch to Vibrate Mode:

Press the volume rocker and tap the "bell" icon on the left, now you are on vibrate. Tap again to change back

 

[deesugar]

Play the hidden Android Lollipop game:
There’s a game hidden inside Lollipop – It's an Easter egg that Google or one of their minions put in. Go to Settings > About tablet then keep tapping ‘Android version’ really fast till the screen changes and has a large dot in its center. Tap that and it becomes a lollipop.

You can tap the lollipop to change its colour, but instead long press it and the game pops up. It is a Flappy Bird clone!

 

[deesugar]

Pin a screen in Android Lollipop:
Have a kid that want's to play a game on your Droid but you don't want them to touch anything else? Read on...

While this is called ‘Screen pinning’ by Android it is more like screen locking. You can lock Lollipop into a single app that can’t be escaped unless a button press combo and/or PIN code is used. It could be really useful if you share your device with a child for game playing or video watching and don’t want them getting to all your other stuff.

First you need to enable the feature in Settings > Security > Screen pinning. Just use the toggle to turn the feature on. Next open the screen you want to pin, tap the Recent Apps button (now called the Overview button), pull the app up so you can see its entire thumbnail, then tap the pin icon at its bottom right. To unpin hold the Back and Recent Apps buttons at the same time. You can ask for a PIN to be set as part of the reverting process too, just to doubly secure access to the rest of your device.

 

[eams1986]

very helpful guys sometimes that one does not cuanrta of new features to me that android should be equal to the apple they put all the things that have inclido in the update.

 

[VZWsucks]

I like the interruptions feature. When I get home I can block out clients and only have family and close friends ring through.

Sent from my DROID Turbo64 via Tapatalk

 

[vzwuser76]

It didn't work in KitKat. You wouldn't be able to see anything but a lock screen. The update brought the ability of your phone to show you the results without you needing to unlock the screen. That's the difference.

I've never had that problem. Whenever I'd give it a command, it would bring up the results, like the current weather or a search for a phone number. The only difference might be is that I don't use a pin lock or anything like that, just swipe to unlock. So if that's what you meant that may have been the case. But with the screen off and sitting there, when I gave it a command, the screen turned on and displayed the results.

 

[deesugar]

I've never had that problem. The only difference might be is that I don't use a pin lock or anything like that, just swipe to unlock. So if that's what you meant that may have been the case.

That's exactly what I'm talking about.

 

[vzwuser76]

That's exactly what I'm talking about.

I can understand why they did it though. I've had plenty of times when something on TV would trigger my Moto Voice. Now if you're not in the room with your phone but someone else is, and something triggered it, in the old way even though you use pattern unlock, they'd be able to use the accidental trigger to have unrestricted access to your phone. In the new way, unless they know your pattern unlock, they can't get in. While it may be an inconvenience, it is more secure, and that's the point of having pattern unlock enabled, to secure your phone.

 

[deesugar]

I can understand why they did it though. I've had plenty of times when something on TV would trigger my Moto Voice.

If that is happening a lot I recommend re-training your launch phrase again. That alone stopped the problem I had with people or the TV triggering my phone.