Why is the Lollipop OS so disappointing?

[bonne]

Lollipop disappointments

Having a Nexus 7 (that I rarely use) and a Moto X 2014, I have been hitting "System Updates" for a looong time eager to try out Lollipop.

When it finally came to my Nexus 7, I was a bit... "hm... why was I so eager to get this update", but I never played around much with it.

Now when I have been upgrading my Moto X 2014 to Lollipop, I face these annoying issues. Maybe some of you guys are having a workaround for them?

1) I use OpenVPN a lot. From outside my LAN, when I want to RDP into my local servers, and from inside, when I am on WIFI as an extra layer of security. Now... the last thing is a problem with Lollipop, as OpenVPN seems to connect via the Cellular Data "NIC" rather than the WIFI "NIC" - even when my OpenVPN server is located on the same WIFI subnet as my phone. I need to disable Cellular Data and then connect with OpenVPN before I am good to go. Any smarter workaround for this?

2) At night I usually turn my mobile phone on Airplane Mode. In 4.4, I could just press and hold power button, and then select airplain mode. Now only Power off is available, and Airplane Mode needs multiple clicks and swipes to get at. Anyway to do the fast?

3) Brightness seems to be manual only. Where to put it on auto so that it dims the brightness according to the surrounding light?

Regards, Lars.

 

[Rukbat]

Re: Lollipop disappointments

1) I use OpenVPN a lot. From outside my LAN, when I want to RDP into my local servers, and from inside, when I am on WIFI as an extra layer of security. Now... the last thing is a problem with Lollipop, as OpenVPN seems to connect via the Cellular Data "NIC" rather than the WIFI "NIC" - even when my OpenVPN server is located on the same WIFI subnet as my phone. I need to disable Cellular Data and then connect with OpenVPN before I am good to go. Any smarter workaround for this?

A different VPN app that will connect to your server? (Some will only connect to one kind of server or another.)

2) At night I usually turn my mobile phone on Airplane Mode. In 4.4, I could just press and hold power button, and then select airplain mode. Now only Power off is available, and Airplane Mode needs multiple clicks and swipes to get at. Anyway to do the fast?

The controls in the notification pulldown?

3) Brightness seems to be manual only. Where to put it on auto so that it dims the brightness according to the surrounding light?

Velis Auto Brightness

 

[bonne]

Re: Lollipop disappointments

A different VPN app that will connect to your server? (Some will only connect to one kind of server or another.)

Well... the setup is exactly the same as with Kitkat. Same phone, same App (BTW from OpenVPN themselves), same VPN server. Only Android OS is upgraded. And it is not that it can't connect. It just chooses the wrong interface to bind to. The least logical one.

The controls in the notification pulldown?

Yeah, well then I need to unlock the phone (by entering code, pull the menu twice and then click Airplane Mode. Instead of just clicking two buttons

Regards, Lars.

 

[Malteasers1]

Re: Lollipop disappointments

the notification thing can be accessed from the lock screen

 

[daihard2008]

Re: Lollipop disappointments

2) At night I usually turn my mobile phone on Airplane Mode. In 4.4, I could just press and hold power button, and then select airplain mode. Now only Power off is available, and Airplane Mode needs multiple clicks and swipes to get at. Anyway to do the fast?

If you turn Airplane Mode on at night in order to silence notifications, you can achieve it by using the "None" mode.

 

[Citizen Coyote]

Re: Lollipop disappointments

2) At night I usually turn my mobile phone on Airplane Mode. In 4.4, I could just press and hold power button, and then select airplain mode. Now only Power off is available, and Airplane Mode needs multiple clicks and swipes to get at. Anyway to do the fast?

3) Brightness seems to be manual only. Where to put it on auto so that it dims the brightness according to the surrounding light?

Regards, Lars.

(No clue on 1, so I'll let others speak to that one.)

2. Push power button to bring up lock screen. Swipe down with two fingers, tap Airplane Mode. One extra step from how it used to be.

3. Settings -> Display -> Adaptive Brightness. Boom.

 

[biodorkus]

Re: Lollipop disappointments

Except that will also silence any alarms, which is no bueno if you use your phone to wake up.

 

[biodorkus]

Re: Lollipop disappointments

If you turn Airplane Mode on at night in order to silence notifications, you can achieve it by using the "None" mode.

Except this will also silence any alarms, which is no bueno if you use your phone to wake up in the a.m.

 

[daihard2008]

Re: Lollipop disappointments

Except this will also silence any alarms, which is no bueno if you use your phone to wake up in the a.m.

Can you use the Priority mode, then? You can disable everything so only the alarms will go through.

 

[biodorkus]

Re: Lollipop disappointments

Can you use the Priority mode, then? You can disable everything so only the alarms will go through.

I've tried that because I read it was the workaround for a lack of "silent" mode in Lollipop, and I still get audible notifications for texts coming through. I don't get it!

 

[grover5]

Re: Lollipop disappointments

I've tried that because I read it was the workaround for a lack of "silent" mode in Lollipop, and I still get audible notifications for texts coming through. I don't get it!

In that mode nothing comes through for me but my alarm. Hit power button and two finger swipe down for airplane mode by the way. No need to unlock your phone.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[daihard2008]

Re: Lollipop disappointments

I've tried that because I read it was the workaround for a lack of "silent" mode in Lollipop, and I still get audible notifications for texts coming through. I don't get it!

Some applications don't honour the Priority mode. They use the media API instead of the notification API to send the notification to the device. Since the Priority mode only blocks the correctly-coded notification sound, it can't block some ill-behaving apps like that. Which application is troubling you in particular?

FWIW, I don't consider the Priority mode a "workaround for the lack of the silent mode." It can do much more. I've never had any useful case with the silent mode. Now I use the Priority mode every day.

 

[daihard2008]

Re: Lollipop disappointments

In that mode nothing comes through for me but my alarm.

I thought that's what @biodorkus wanted to do.

 

[biodorkus]

Re: Lollipop disappointments

Some applications don't honour the Priority mode. They use the media API instead of the notification API to send the notification to the device. Since the Priority mode only blocks the correctly-coded notification sound, it can't block some ill-behaving apps like that. Which application is troubling you in particular?

FWIW, I don't consider the Priority mode a "workaround for the lack of the silent mode." It can do much more. I've never had any useful case with the silent mode. Now I use the Priority mode every day.

Ah, that makes sense. The only app I've noticed it with so far is Textra. I miss silent mode because I still want to see my incoming calls, messages, etc. when I'm at work so I know whether they require attention, but I don't want my phone chirping and vibrating across my desk or in my pocket during a meeting.

 

[daihard2008]

Re: Lollipop disappointments

Ah, that makes sense. The only app I've noticed it with so far is Textra. I miss silent mode because I still want to see my incoming calls, messages, etc. when I'm at work so I know whether they require attention, but I don't want my phone chirping and vibrating across my desk or in my pocket during a meeting.

In the "None" mode, notifications will still come through. They just don't make a sound or vibrate. Now I'm not sure this helps, but here is how I use the Priority / None mode at work. I usually set my phone to the Priority mode at work so only the "important" calls and texts will chime or vibrate. I change it to the None mode during a meeting. Does it make sense?

 

[biodorkus]

Re: Lollipop disappointments

In the "None" mode, notifications will still come through. They just don't make a sound or vibrate. Now I'm not sure this helps, but here is how I use the Priority / None mode at work. I usually set my phone to the Priority mode at work so only the "important" calls and texts will chime or vibrate. I change it to the None mode during a meeting. Does it make sense?

That does make sense -- thanks! I wasn't sure if "none" would still show the usual blinking green indicator light for texts or essentially I'd have to open my SMS app to see any new messages (which would be silly and unhelpful).

 

[daihard2008]

Re: Lollipop disappointments

That does make sense -- thanks! I wasn't sure if "none" would still show the usual blinking green indicator light for texts or essentially I'd have to open my SMS app to see any new messages (which would be silly and unhelpful).

Sure thing! I'm not sure about the LED notifications, but the usual notification shades do appear in the None mode so you won't have to open your app to check new messages.