I have finally received the Android 5.1 update on my Nexus 6. I’ve been waiting forever, but I finally have it. If you don’t have it yet, you can get it by backing up your data, removing your SIM card, factory resetting your Nexus 6 or other Nexus device, and then powering it up without your SIM card, then you will receive the Android 5.1 update. Or you can then install it and then put your SIM card back in and you’ll be good to go. That’s what I did, and now I have Android 5.1 Lollipop, and I can now discuss 10 new features of Android 5.1 Lollipop that weren’t present in Android 5.0.
The first feature is that you can now ignore broken or weak Wi-Fi networks. If Android 5.1 Lollipop connects to a weak Wi-Fi network, it will remember that and try not to automatically connect to it again.
Number two: You can now temporarily dismiss notifications. In Lollipop, notifications now appear by dropping down from the notification panel. In previous versions of Lollipop, though, you had to either swipe them away from the left or right or tap on them to open them up. In 5.1, you can just slide them back up to temporarily dismiss them from your display and they will remain in the notification panel for you to take a look at later.
Number three: You can change your device's system volume level while you are listening to music. All you need to do is press on the bell icon and you can change the system volume. You can put also put the device on vibrate by tapping on the bell icon again.
Number four: You can now turn on priority mode until your alarm goes off. Basically, if you have notifications configured based on their priority level, you now have the option to not be interrupted with alerts until your alarm goes off.
Number five: You can now connect to Bluetooth devices and Wi-Fi networks more easily than before. In Android 5.1, you can scan for nearby networks or devices and tap the small downward arrow button to see which Bluetooth devices or Wi-Fi networks to connect to directly from Quick Settings. You no longer need to go to settings, which makes things just a lot more convenient. Thank you, Google.
Number six: Android 5.1 supports having two SIMs in one phone. I don’t have a dual SIM phone with Android 5.1, but the feature is a very nice addition.
New feature number seven allows you to customize Quick Settings. If you activate certain features, like Wi-Fi hotspots or inverting colors, these functions will now be available as shortcuts in Quick Settings and they will appear there after using it once. If you want to get rid of these shortcuts, you now long press on a shortcut to remove it. It’s super easy.
Feature number eight involves device protection. Additional security measures ensure that your device stays safe and secure by keeping your device locked, even after a factory reset, until you enter in your Google password.
Feature number nine: You can now access the Quick Settings from the lock screen. It’s really as simple as that. From the lock screen, you can now pull down the notification panel and get access to Quick Settings as well.
And finally, feature number 10 allows you to make calls with HD audio. It’s really hard to show you guys how this works, but if you have a compatible device and you're on a network that supports HD audio, you'll now be able to take advantage of it.
So there you have it: 10 features of Android 5.1 Lollipop that were not available on previous versions of Android. Let me know which feature you like the most by leaving me a comment down below.
