Category: Android Lollipop

Android Marshmallow continues to roll out to a wide range of devices with even more expected in this quarter but to suggest the adoption is setting the world alight would be an great overstatement.  In their latest report on Android versions that have hit the Google Play Store, Google has posted that devices running the latest version of the mobile OS accounts for 0.7%.  While that is up .2% from December, it is a far cry from rapid adoption.  Worse, Android Lollipop, the previous version, continues to hold steady with about 32% of the market.  While the information is not 100% accurate, it does give developers a good idea of users who are coming to the store which in turn gives us as users a good idea too.

By far the two most dominant version of Android remain Lollipop at 32.6% and KitKat at 36.1%.  KitKat has seen a slow drop in usage as more people move to newer devices with a newer version of Android but it gives you a good idea of the challenge Google faces in getting consumers and manufactures to move up to the latest version of their mobile OS.

Google has released the December update for Android Lollipop and Marshmallow, holding true to their monthly security updates to the mobile platform.  The new images for Nexus devices has been released for OTA updates as well as factory images and for Marshmallow, it will be known as 6.0.1.  If you have a Nexus device, you can expect to start seeing the update over the next couple of days unless you are locked to a carrier in which case it will be a bit longer.

The update contains no less than 16 vulnerability fixes, the most severe of which allowed for remote code execution.

The most severe of these issues is a Critical security vulnerability that could enable remote code execution on an affected device through multiple methods such as email, web browsing, and MMS when processing media files.

In all there were 4 critical issues addressed along with 10 high risk issues and 2 moderate risk issues.

Adding fuel to the “Android upgrades are broken” fire, AT&T has finally released the Android Lollipop 5.1.1 update for their exclusive device, the Samsung Galaxy S5 Active. The 640MB update is rolling out to AT&T customers with the device starting today and should hit yours over the course of the next few days. The update comes just a few weeks after the Galaxy S5 on AT&T receive the update while countless other devices are already receiving the Android Marshmallow 6.0 update.

You install a new app on your Android phone and suddenly, stability is out the window.  While it doesn’t happen often, there are times when you have a misbehaving app that is just creating havoc on your ability to use your phone.  Sometimes it is to the point where you can’t even get your phone to a point where you can deal with the misbehaving app.  For such circumstances Google has built in a Safe Mode into Android that allows you to boot your phone into a mode where all 3rd party apps are disabled, giving you the opportunity to deal with it in a stable environment.  Getting into Safe Mode is pretty easy and you should only use it in a situation like I’ve described above.  In this How To I’ll show you how to get into Safe Mode on your Android devices.

Google has released an important update to the Project Fi app for Android that expands the devices that can run the app.  Previously you could only run the Project Fi app and manage your account from a Nexus 6, the first device that could run on the Project Fi network.  Now with the addition of the Nexus 5X and the Nexus 6P, not only can you manage your account from those two new devices but from any Android device running Android Lollipop or higher.

The updated version of the Project Fi app is version F.1.5.10 for those keeping score at home and it is rolling out to the Google Play Store now.  If you are a Project Fi customer you should see the update hit your device any time between now and the next day or two.  If you are not a Project Fi customer you can still download the app to get an idea of how the mobile plans from Google work but obviously it doesn’t do a lot for you without being on the plan.

Project Fi – Free – Download Now

While the news of Android Marshmallow has been dominating things these past few weeks, that doesn’t mean that Android Lollipop is dead by any means.  Google has updated their Developer Dashboard and the latest figures through October 5th, just yesterday, indicates that Android Lollipop is seeing its highest install base ever at 23.5%.  These numbers come from Google and represent the version of Android run on devices that signed into the Google Play Store over the course of the past 7 days.  While it is by no means complete or 100% accurate, it does give a good indicator of just where the Android install base is currently.