Android Marshmallow
Android Marshmallow, also known as Android 6.0, was the sixth major version of the Android operating system, released by Google. It introduced a variety of new features, improvements, and optimizations over its predecessor, Android Lollipop (5.0). Android Marshmallow was officially announced in May 2015 and was first released in October 2015. Here are some of the key features and changes introduced in Android Marshmallow:
1. App Permissions: One of the significant changes in Marshmallow was the introduction of a more granular app permissions system. Instead of granting all permissions at once during app installation, users could now grant or deny individual permissions when an app attempted to access a specific feature (e.g., camera, location, microphone). This provided users with more control over their privacy.
2. Google Now on Tap: Marshmallow introduced Google Now on Tap, a feature that allowed users to access Google Now information and actions within any app by pressing and holding the home button. It provided contextual information based on the content displayed on the screen.
3. Doze Mode: Marshmallow introduced the Doze feature, which improved battery life by putting the device into a low-power state when it was stationary and the screen was off. This feature helped reduce background app activity and extended standby time.
4. App Standby: Apps that weren’t frequently used entered an “App Standby” mode to conserve power. This mode restricted background activities for such apps to prevent unnecessary battery drain.
5. Fingerprint Support: Android Marshmallow introduced native support for fingerprint recognition, allowing users to unlock their devices, make secure payments, and authenticate within apps using their fingerprint.
6. Adoptable Storage: Marshmallow introduced “Adoptable Storage,” which allowed users to format a microSD card as internal storage, effectively expanding the device’s storage capacity. However, this feature varied in implementation across different devices and manufacturers.
7. Improved Volume Controls: Marshmallow revamped the volume controls to provide separate volume sliders for media, alarms, and notifications. Users could adjust these volumes individually.
8. Direct Share: Direct Share allowed apps to offer specific contacts or destinations for sharing content directly from the sharing menu, making it quicker to share content with frequently contacted people.
9. App Drawer Changes: The app drawer in Marshmallow featured a vertical scrolling list of apps, replacing the horizontal paginated layout of previous versions.
10. Google Now Voice Search Improvement: Voice search in Google Now became more context-aware and could answer follow-up questions related to the initial query.
11. RAM Manager: Marshmallow introduced a RAM manager in the developer options, allowing users to see how much RAM apps were using and providing greater transparency in app performance.
12. New Emoji: Android Marshmallow introduced a new set of emoji characters, including support for diverse skin tones.
13. Android Pay: Android Marshmallow included support for Android Pay, Google’s mobile payment system, which allowed users to make secure payments using NFC technology.
Android Marshmallow marked a significant step forward in terms of user privacy, battery optimization, and security with its revamped app permissions system and Doze mode. While it’s no longer the latest version of Android, it laid the foundation for subsequent Android releases.