Exciting new features of Android N

It’s been less than a year that Google gave us Marshmellow and now that they’ve decided to introduce the beta version of Android Nougat, I thought it’ll be cool to talk about the exciting new features of Android N. Here we go.

Data Saver

One of the things that drains battery and subscribed data a lot is background data. It’s little wonder you will find various tutorials online that will teach you how to switch off background data for every version of Android there is. There is a new Data Saver option in the settings area which helps Smartphone users use lesser  data. In addition to blocking background data usage, it will detail how much data each app is using.

Number Blocking

Apps like TruCaller has made tremendous success by allowing us to block callers, a functionality Google didn’t add by default to older builds of Android. However, it has now been added to Android N and this means, once you block a Number, you will not receive calls or messages from the Number on your device that’s logged in with your Google ID.

Multi Window

This is probably the best addition to come with the Android N as it has always been a feature Android users have always looked up to. In facet, this is the singular reason why I use X-plore file manager, and Calculator++. The two modes for Multi-window are split-screen mode and picture-in-picture mode. This is going to be exceptionally cool for Android powered tabs and TVs.

Zoom Level

The DPI option from older build of Android has been system wide but Google has now decided that it’s time to break things down and now it’s come with a bang as you can easily change the DPI level of three elements individually which are settings, app drawer, and messaging. You can also use this mode to trick the system to think it has a smaller or larger screen by accessing Settings > Display > Display Size.

Improved Settings Menu

The settings menu has some improvements that is mainly wrapped about bringing up the most relevant information as fast as possible. A hamburger button has been added to the left of the sub-menu page that makes it easier to return to any part of the main menu. Interestingly, all the menu items have been listed in a single page but categorised for easy navigation.

New Quick Settings

The quick settings has been redesigned again, as the notification area will open as a single minimalized row of icons that include Wi-Fi, mobile data, Do Not Disturb, and Flashlight in just one swipe gesture as opposed to two that most android users are used to. This move by Google to reduce the number of gestures to get to where one is going is commendable.

Improved File Manager

In Android N, just like M, one can easily access the File Manager by going through Settings > Storage > Explore to access the stock file manager, and by default, it’s what you will see when trying to send or attach a file from other apps. The file manager now allows you to move, and rename files and folders.

It also has a good way of sorting files in to Images, Video, and Audio but if you are still used to a certain file manager, you might want to stick with it.

Functional Emergency Information

I’ve always survived by adding “Please call — in case you find this phone” as my lock screen message for emergency situations and this new feature from Google is one I will always be grateful for. There is and Emergency information section that will display your details to anyone that reaches your phone in case of an emergency without needing to unlock your phone.

You will be asked to enter your emergency information when setting up the phone but if you skip this, you can as well do it later by heading to the settings page.

For anyone to access your information, they will just need to tap the ‘Emergency’ button on your lock screen and then double-tapping the ‘Emergency Info’ button.

Recent Apps

The recent apps preview screen shows bigger cards, while one is able to see more of the apps interface in the preview mode, it’s also going to take longer swipes to navigate through them.

Night Mode

The night mode has been returned to Android N and can be accessed by going to the Colour and Appearance section of UI system tuner in the settings Menu. You can set Night Mode to switch on automatically by using the sun set information for your location.

My favourite feature for Android N is the Multi window. I will love you to share your favourite feature in the comments section.