Google has extended the capability of search in Android 6.0. Now On Tap requires a long press of the
button to activate, and provides contextual assistance based on the
active app, or a message’s content. For example, if a message includes
the mention of a restaurant and a time, Now On Tap will show the option
to add a calendar entry, and shortcuts to apps such as OpenTablet and
Yelp.
GOOGLE CHROME GIVES PERMISSION TO MARSHMALLOW:-
App permissions — stuff like microphone, camera, location, phone,
SMS, and calendar access — were notoriously rigid on previous versions
of Android. You had to approve an app’s access wholesale if you wanted
to use it. Android M introduces a top-to-bottom overhaul that allows you
not only to revoke permissions on an individual basis, but toggle them
on and off even after you’ve installed apps.
Here’s how the new system works: when an app tries to use your
phone’s hardware or access sensitive data for the first time, you’ll be
prompted to grant or deny it permission, much like iOS. If you later
change your mind, you can toggle that permission in a dedicated menu
within Android Marshmallow’s app settings. (Google’s slimmed the number
of core permissions to eight to make that list manageable.) You can
drill down by app or permission. For example, you can disable just
WhatsApp’s and Facebook’s access to your camera, or all apps’ access.
Android Pay and fingerprint authentication
Android Pay is based around the tenants simplicity, security, and
choice. In practice, it works in much like Google Wallet — you can pay
with NFC at wireless terminals by tapping. But unlike Google Wallet,
Android Pay is debuting with a ton of partners onboard — credit and
debit card companies like American Express, Discover, Mastercard, and
Visa, and
mobile carriers, too.
Google announced Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile as launch
partners. App integration is much improved, too. Many businesses —
B&H, Seamless, Grubhub, Dunkin’ Donuts, Chipotle, LivingSocial, and
more — are already supporting or are pledging to add Android Pay as a
payments option. Google says it’ll continue to seek partners in the
future, with the focus to shift internationally in the coming months.
Just like Google Wallet, Android Pay doesn’t transmit your credit
card information when you pay with NFC — it generates a secure token
that’s disposed of once the process completes. And Android M will
support fingerprint authentication for both wireless and in-app
payments.
Learn more about
Android Pay in our extensive guide here.
Fingerprint authentication
Speaking of fingerprint authentication, Android 6.0 standardizes
support across devices. Android devices like the Motorola Atrix and
Galaxy S5
had fingerprint sensors, but support was essentially shoehorned in —
they relied on wonky software to work, and that resulted in
less-than-consistent (to put it mildly) user experiences. You could
unlock your device with a fingerprint, of course, but Google’s
introducing APIs for app developers to leverage fingerprints in novel
ways (think launching an app with your index finger).
Doze for better battery
Google introduced two battery-saving initiatives, Project Volta and
JobScheduler, with Android Lollipop. But both were voluntary, to an
extent — they relied on developers to take advantage. With Android
Marshmallow, Google’s introducing a blanket feature, Doze, that takes
matters into its own hands by sending devices into a “deeper sleep” when
they’ve been unattended for a significant amount of time (it detects
this, apparently, using motion sensors). True to its namesake, “dozing”
devices can still respond to high-priority messages.
According to the company, in tests using the Nexus 5 and Nexus 6,
Doze has seen a 30-percent improvement in standby time, and is
particularly effective if you forget to charge your phone overnight. In
tests using the Nexus 9 tablet, standby time was up to two times longer.
This is a significant increase, particularly for a software-only tweak.
USB Type-C support, better copy-and-paste, volume control, and more
So what else is new in Android M? It packs support for USB Type-C,
for one, plus a bunch of software tweaks and changes besides. Word
selection has been improved — characters can be chunked together and you
can drag the selection tool backwards — and copying and pasting tools
now live in a floating menu above text. Volume controls are also a lot
more granular now. You can control individual volume levels as you
multitask, and M re-introduces a proper silence mode.
The lock screen a shortcut to activate voice control, and voice
interactions can be tied into apps, allowing for wider use of the
feature throughout Android. Animations when using apps are more natural,
and apps appear from the point that’s touched, and disappear by sliding
down the screen. The Home screen has an A-Z search feature, and apps
will gather depending on how often they’re used.
