T-Mobile is finally rolling out the Android 8.0 Oreo update to the LG V30. If you have the V30 and are looking to upgrade to Android Oreo to get some new features, this video is for you. We are going to highlight some of the biggest new features now available on the LG V30.
Keep in mind, there’s always a chance you will run into some performance issues or bugs after installing a big new update like this. As of making this video, some users are reporting that the update has caused some Bluetooth issues and camera lags so do keep that in mind. Maybe hold off a little bit if you are at all skeptical.
With that said, let’s go ahead and take a look at some of the new features.
First of all, it’s worth mentioning that the V30 does start off slightly faster than the LG V30 running Nougat. There’s not much of a difference but the Oreo version does help improve the startup time. You will notice some slight aesthetic changes but since LG is running a skin on top of Oreo, they have reskinned any sort of design changes made to stock Android to make it look just like the previous version of Android.
The settings drawer, for example, features similar looking icons but the layout has actually been tweaked and some of the settings categories have been moved around, added, or removed. You now have some suggestions up top but there are no quick settings switches to toggle Bluetooth on/off or Airplane Mode on/off for example.
You may also see more battery usage statistics with Oreo, which is always nice to see. It might help you pinpoint what exactly is draining your battery. There’s a new picture-in-picture mode that works with a select number of apps like Google Maps and YouTube. If you’re navigating somewhere in Maps, you can press home and see a minimized view of Google Maps allowing you to check a text message or browse the web without ever leaving your directions.
App shortcuts and widgets have also been added. If you long press an app, you might see some shortcuts to specific functions in that app. But you may now also see many widgets or notifications under the app as well. You may also notice notification dots next to your apps to let you know if you have any notifications for that specific app. You can toggle this feature on/off but it can be helpful and it can provide an alternative way of viewing notifications without sliding down the notifications panel. Also while on top of the apps, Android Oreo includes a new Google Play Protect security feature that scans a bunch of apps to protect users from malware and malicious activity.
Android Oreo also allows you to change the shape of app icons without the need to install a theme or a launcher. You can head to the home screen settings to do this. And you’ll see here there are several different variations to choose from: Original, Rounded Square, Round, Cylinder Square, and Circle.
If you slide a notification to the left, you can tap on the snooze icon to snooze a notification for 15 minutes, 30 minutes, an hour or two hours; which will remove it from the panel for that specific length of time.
Last but not least, one of my absolute favorite features is autofill passwords; thanks to the new autofill API. You can let Google remember your passwords and login into some of your favorite apps so you never have to type that info in when you install a new app for the first time. This saves me a ton of time because I’m always switching phones and installing new apps. This is a great feature.
Those are the biggest new features you can find in Android Oreo on the LG V30. There are some security patches, bug fixes, and performance improvements made in the background as well; which you can argue are equally or more important than the features mentioned earlier.
Let us know if you’ll be upgrading your LG V30 to the latest and greatest versions of Android,
