How to update Android firmware version. Google Search update. Get rid of intrusive notifications

The Android operating system today is very popular among owners of various gadgets - phones, tablets and others. That is why manufacturers are trying to monitor the process of updating the Android version and implement their support in their models, at least flagships. Therefore, you need to know how to update Android on your phone yourself.

Developers of any system strive to improve their product. Android is no exception to this. Updating the system improves the performance of the gadget and eliminates errors and shortcomings of previous versions. All this leads to improved performance of the smartphone in general. Android updates are often noticeable even visually when the interface changes and some new configurations appear.

There are micro and macro updates. Small ones often weigh no more than 70-100 MB, but macro ones can weigh on average 500 MB. To update the Android version, it is advisable to have a Wi-Fi connection or unlimited Internet. Although the latter can significantly delay the entire process.
If the auto-update function is enabled in the phone settings, the user will simply be notified at the end that the operating system has been updated. Self-installation is relevant in the following cases:

• there is no auto-update, information about a new version has appeared;
• The current version does not support existing or new applications on the phone;
• There was a need to roll back the system.

For example, my LG L90 smartphone has Android 4.4 as its native version. But after the first turn on, it was updated immediately to the latest version, or rather to 5.0.2.
We will consider those cases when you need to update the software manually.

Update methods

Via phone

How to update the Android version with only a phone?

This method, in my opinion, is the simplest. To update using it, you need:

• In the phone settings, select the “General” tab;
• tap “About phone”;
• select “General” again (I have duos, so it may differ);
• you can view all information about the software version or immediately go to the “Update Center”;
• here you can update applications that require it, or immediately the system;
• by selecting the second item, we will see that you can check Android for updates, as well as enable/disable the ability to auto-update;
• after selecting the check item, the phone warns that to carry out this operation the device must have access to any network except 2G (I had everything turned off);
• After connecting to the network, it searches for updates, after which either a message appears about the relevance of the version, or the update begins.

The main condition for this method is a high level of battery charge so that the update process does not end in a force majeure event. You can even update Android 2.3 to 4.0 in this way.

Manual flashing

Micro and macro Android updates appear almost every day. Manufacturers do not always have time, and perhaps do not strive, to develop them for all models. Sometimes this takes a very long time, and the update may not arrive at all. How to make sure you don't miss out on improvements for your phone?

In such a situation, you can independently change the firmware of your smartphone via Recovery. To do this you need:

• From the official website of the manufacturer of your device, download a zip archive with the firmware we need (check the version number and build date before doing this) and place it on the phone’s memory card.
• Turn off your smartphone and go to Recovery. The login combination may be different for all phones. For example, on LG L90 it is “Power + Vol (up or down)”, on Motorola and Lenovo phones it is “Power + Vol up + Vol down”.
• Select the “Apply update” item.
• Now the item “Choose from sdcard” (“Choose from internal storage” if the archive was saved in internal memory).
• Go to the desired folder, find the installed firmware file and run it.
• After the installation process has been completed, you need to return to the main menu and from there reboot the device “Reboot system now”

Using a computer

How to update the operating system if there is no access to Recovery?

In this case, you need to have a cord to connect your smartphone to your PC, as well as a disk with drivers for the official service program for a certain brand of phone. The latter may be missing, but this program can be downloaded.

Let's look at this method using LG phones as an example. For them you can download the KDZ Updater application. The necessary conditions are:

• download the Android system update (archive KDZ_Update.zip);
• mobile phone charging level is 50% or higher;
• LG drivers installed;
• availability of a firmware file for a specific model in KDZ format;
• absence of any other program for LG (not counting the driver).

The procedure for updating software for Android through this program is as follows:

1. Unzip KDZ_Update.zip and transfer it to your computer’s system drive. Move the firmware file there too. Run the msxml.msi file from the archive.
2. Through the phone settings, enable USB debugging on LG. In my case, the fifth Android did not immediately provide such an opportunity. This does not mean that it is not possible to enable it. First, you need to find the build number in the phone information and click on it 5 to 10 times in a row. The notification “You are now a developer” will pop up. Now the “Developer Options” item will appear in the general settings. There you will find the “USB Debugging” item.
3. Then turn off the device and remove the battery (for some LG phone models this is necessary for flashing).
4. Press and hold the “Vol down” button and connect your smartphone to the computer. The message S/W Upgrade should appear. If it is not there, you should repeat everything, but with the battery inserted. Next, the battery must be in the phone in any of the cases.
5. Go to Device Manager on your computer. Disable LGE Mobile USB Modem.
6. In KDZ Updater, in the type field, you need to select 3GQCT from the drop-down list, and in phonemode - DIAG.
7. In the KDZ file field we enter the path to the firmware file or simply select it through the open files button.
8. If everything was done correctly, the user will see that the system is updated.

You should use the same method and, if necessary, roll back the Android version to any of the previous ones. Do not forget that the software update will lead to the fact that all files, contacts and SMS stored in the internal memory of the phone may be lost.

Many people speculated about the release date of Android 4.4 in the fall of 2013. At first she was “assigned” to mid-October. But then the 15th arrived and nothing happened. There was information about October 18, but new information brought everything down to the end of October, in particular to the 31st. And so it happened - the release date of Android 4.4 was set for October 31, 2013.

Google decided to make us happy on Halloween in a special way and it succeeded. It was possible not only to announce the new system, but also the new smartphone Nexus 5 - a 5-inch device, the main feature of which is an excellent screen, a high-performance processor and an affordable price. But we will stop at this towards the end of the article.

Note that the new version 4.4 offers significantly more changes. In general, the last release was mainly aimed at developers. From the point of view of programmers, everything was just fine there: OpenGL ES 3.0, updated APIs with animation support, and so on. In general, programs should become cooler. But Android 4.4 already offers new features aimed at everyday use. There are changes both in the interface and in the built-in basic programs. By the way, there are even more such programs. It’s not for nothing that the code name has finally changed from Jelly Bean to KitKat. But first things first.

Android 4.4 – what's new?

Of course, this is not a new major version of the system from Google - back in May 2013, but instead Android 4.3 was released, and now 4.4. So we don't expect any major changes to the interface. No, they exist, but they are rather cosmetic. Like the white color of the font and icons in the notification bar at the top, which replaced the blue one first introduced in Android 4.0. The panel itself is made translucent. The Roboto font used in the system has also been redesigned. Google's OS has once again been simplified in terms of interface - it is not so intrusive and does not distract from work.

In general, now Android has almost introduced its own Siri. Well, of course, not fully - we are not talking about a complete assistant, like the Apple or Samsung S Voice application. Rather, it's a quick call to voice search. Now, being on the desktop, just say “OK Google” and the Google Now application will open. If someone feels awkward about this, then you can simply “swipe” the screen from left to right and the same thing will happen.

Overall, Google Now has done a decent job. This application now searches not only the Internet, but also takes into account data from your location, sites visited, and even TV shows watched. Just some kind! The similarity becomes even stronger when you learn that Google Now can direct you not to the browser to this or that page, but to the corresponding application. For example, to reserve a ticket, the necessary program will be launched. Of course, if one is installed.

Google also worked hard on the music player. First of all, the operation of the system was optimized during this process, which does not require significant diversion of computing resources. The company promises up to 60 hours of music playback. Plus, when something is playing or streaming on Chromecast (yes, this is also a new feature), an image of the album the song is included in is displayed in the background on the lock screen. Or it could be a movie cover. In addition, here you can control playback without unlocking the phone.

Remember the Back, Home and context menu buttons that Google decided to remove from the smartphone and move to the screen? Do you remember how she endured them? All this was done so “powerfully” that these buttons “hung” even in games where they could be accidentally pressed! No, no one removed them, but Android 4.4 introduced a special “full-screen” mode where these buttons will not be present. I just want to shout: FINALLY! However, developers must still activate this mode in their applications. That's when there will be happiness. For now, only the desktop background will extend under these buttons.

Separately, work on multitasking is noted. Although everything is more modest here. In Android 4.4, they simply optimized the distribution of resources between applications. Now switching between them occurs more smoothly and without unnecessary delays.

By the way, Google generally positions the new Android as a panacea for fragmentation. It seems to be able to work on devices with 512 MB of RAM, for which both the system itself and standard applications were optimized. Although the question is, how will Google force device manufacturers to update all of them to Android 4.4? After all, this is not iOS or Windows Phone, where a notification about the possibility of updating will appear - here everything does not depend on the OS developer, which is a pity. But in any case, we are waiting for even budget smartphones with Android 4.4.

Some Android users are unhappy with the built-in dialer. Moreover, this may be the one that the manufacturer offers in its own shell. To eliminate the need to install a separate application, the standard dialer has been modernized. In fact, yellow pages were built into it - the most frequently called contacts. It has become easier to search by contacts, and not only by them - from the “dialer” you can also search by local companies and people added to your Google Apps domain.

By the way, Android 4.4 number will now be determined not only by your address book. More precisely, it’s not like that - if the caller’s number is not there, the system will try to find data about him somewhere else, for example, in Google Maps. Of course, its location will not be revealed, but if they call from any company whose number is publicly known, then information about it will be shown.

And Google clearly wants to oust WhatsApp. How else to explain such a serious integration of the native Hangouts application into Android 4.4? How serious? Yes, now it is used as the main means for sending SMS, MMS, as well as making voice and video calls. You can even send animated GIFs through it! Of course, you can use a more traditional tool for SMS and MMS, but Hangouts is more versatile and functional. Moreover, Emoji icons have also been added - there is everything from emoticons to flowers with cars. Of course, this applies to changes to the on-screen keyboard, and not to Hangouts - the icons are available to any application.

In June 2012, and then, a year later in September 2013. Now Quickoffice is part of Android 4.4. This office suite has also been integrated with Google Drive - all documents can be directly saved there. They can also be opened from there.

Another notable “office” innovation is printer support. You can send a photo, document, or web page for printing. The main thing here is to take care of connecting the printer. Not by wire, of course, but through an application like Google Cloud Print or HP ePrint, or any other similar plan from the Google Play store. In addition, applications can now add printing capabilities to their functionality.

Google lists other changes almost in one line, since they will be almost invisible to the average user. Although can you say the same about the built-in pedometer? Or about the redesigned application for downloading files? Among other things, we added HDR+ mode to the camera application, redesigned the standard email client, and added the Location item to Quick Settings. We have improved support for infrared ports for controlling consumer electronics, if one is built into a smartphone. Another decent update is the new open architecture for NFC payments. All this is done through Host Card Emulation (HCE) and any application can use it.

Developers were able to use the Chrome browser engine in their applications to display various web components. And in general, all applications will be executed in a special protected environment, Security-Enhanced Linux. Android 4.4 also now includes a remote device search service.

You can speed up your 3D games using RenderScript. The corresponding graph shows a noticeable increase in speed. But again, support must be provided by the developer himself. Continuing the topic of graphics and screens in particular, we’ll add that the Wi-Fi Miracast standard is now supported, allowing you to broadcast images to a TV.

By the way, a very cool feature is the ability to capture the screen to record video. Why this is needed, everyone will decide for themselves (for example, to demonstrate an application, create marketing material, and so on), but in any case, it is a useful thing. The video is recorded in screen resolution or close to it. All this can be configured, as well as the bitrate. The resulting video will be saved as an MP4 file. And yes, no special program is needed - everything is built into Android 4.4!

To summarize, we note that there are noticeably more changes in Android 4.4 KitKat than in Android 4.3, introduced in July 2013. Moreover, these are changes to such basic applications as the dialer and SMS messages. And the system music player has become better, printer support will be useful to someone, as well as the pre-installed Quickoffice. Now we can say for sure that innovations are visible to the “naked eye” and they are really useful. However, we are all waiting for Android 5.0 and all that it has to offer us. And in conclusion, let's talk briefly about the Nexus 5.

Nexus 5

The Nexus 5 smartphone was introduced along with Android 4.4. Actually, this is the first device based on this system. In the summer, let us remind you that the Nexus 7 tablet was updated. And now, in addition to the “tiny” Nexus 4, an older brother has appeared. It's not hard to guess that its main change is a 5-inch screen (4.95-inch to be exact).

The Nexus 5 screen resolution has increased to 1920x1080 (445 ppi), which is exactly in line with the current trend. An IPS matrix is ​​also used. But the processor has become noticeably more powerful - it is a 2.26 GHz 4-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 chip. This is considered to be one of the fastest solutions on the smartphone and even tablet market.

2 GB of RAM is installed - like many modern flagships. Built-in memory – 16 or 32 GB. There is also no slot for a microSD card. They save money, you know! But there is an 8 MP camera and a 2300 mAh battery. At the same time, the weight of Nexus 5 is not very large - only 130 grams. Its thickness is 8.6 mm, which is also quite small. Plus, the smartphone supports wireless charging!

The cost of Nexus 5 is set at $349 for the 16 GB version and $399 for the 32 GB version. For the money this is a very good deal!

However, many are interested in the question: when will other smartphones receive Android 4.4? We answer: soon. More precisely, Google promised to provide an update “within weeks.” So in November 2013 the issue will be resolved. We are apparently talking about at least the Galaxy Nexus, Nexus 4, Nexus 7 and Nexus 10 tablets, as well as Developer Edition devices – Galaxy S4 and HTC One with bare Android. And HTC also promised to equip its HTC One with a new system very, very quickly. It would be absolutely wonderful!

But I wonder if Google is so actively promoting Android 4.4 as a super-optimized OS that can easily run on 512 MB of RAM and is perfect for budget devices, does that mean its Nexus One and Nexus S will also receive an update?? Yes, it has a single-core processor and only 512 MB of memory, but these are precisely those “budget” devices by modern standards!

Okay, let's leave it all up to Google. In the meantime, we will wait for the next Android. If only it were Android 5.0! And so we ask you to tell us about your experience with Android 4.4, as soon as it appears, in the comments below. Or just share your opinion about the new OS.

Currently, the Android operating system is the most popular. It is installed on more than 1.2 billion devices worldwide. But few people know that this OS contains hidden features. The Internet project “Be Mobile” has studied “secret functions” and prepared a list of the most interesting of them.

1. Hidden mini-game

Starting with Android 2.3 Gingerbread, Google will place so-called “Easter eggs” on all Android smartphones - hidden secrets that can be seen by performing a series of non-obvious actions. Like the names of the OS versions, Easter eggs in it are also usually associated with sweets: in Android 4.1 Jelly Bean there were flying jelly beans, in Android 4.4 KitKat there was an OS logo in the style of the Nestle sweet of the same name, and in Android 5.0 Lollipop there was a hidden Flappy Bird style game. Android 6.0 Marshmallow has not been left out either.

To access the mini-game, open Settings. Go to “About phone” or “About tablet”. Quickly click on “Android Version” several times. A marshmallow stylized as an android's head will appear on the screen. If you quickly click on it a few more times, a mini-game will open.

Like Android 5.0, the mini-game in Android 6.0 is in the style of Flappy Bird, but the lollipops are replaced with marshmallows in the shape of a robot head. The game has funny graphics and, although it looks simple, it is quite difficult to score at least 10 points in it. I got a maximum of 4 points. I couldn't do it anymore.

2. Remote control of a smartphone

Lost Android mobile devices can be found and blocked, but Google hid this option quite deeply. It is activated in the menu “Settings -> Security -> Device Administrators” in the "Android Remote Control" section.

Check the box next to “Remote device search” and “Remote blocking”.

Activate extended rights for the device manager upon request. Now you can manage your device from google.com/android/devicemanager in your Google account or through the Android Remote Control application

People who are familiar with Android will easily recover deleted files if you do not encrypt your mobile device. To activate this option, open “Settings -> Security -> Device encryption”. Set up encryption.

3. Safe Mode

Another security feature of Android is “safe mode”. It deactivates all third party applications. Moreover, in “safe mode” you can delete them if for some reason they are incompatible with your mobile device, ended up in the boot loop by accident, or are Trojans or viruses.

To start “safe mode”, hold down the power button. When the menu for turning off the smartphone and activating airplane mode opens, hold your finger on the “Power off” item for a long time. Then confirm to boot into safe mode.

The smartphone will boot into “safe mode”. The icons of all third-party applications will be gray. If something happens, you can safely remove them.

4. Synchronization and push notification settings

When installing certain applications, you don’t think about permissions to send push notifications or any others. Over time, these applications begin to spam you with unnecessary information. Games especially suffer from this, but quite ordinary applications can also suffer from this. Luckily, notifications can be turned off.

To do this, open “Settings -> Applications -> All”, find the culprit and select “Notifications”. Here you can either disable all notifications at once (“Block All”), or allow only “swipe” notifications (“Short Notifications”), etc.

5. Advanced WLAN settings

On Android there is a settings section with additional Wi-Fi options that is completely invisible to most users. To get to it, you need to go to “Settings -> Wi-Fi”, then press the menu key and select “Advanced features”. Here you can turn off notifications about detected networks, turn off Wi-Fi in sleep mode, prohibit using Wi-Fi networks with a poor signal, and set up Wi-Fi Direct (direct pairing of devices without using an access point).

6. Setting up mobile Internet traffic control

On Android, you can monitor Internet traffic without third-party programs. For example, now many mobile operators provide a limited package of free traffic for a month. To control this traffic and not exceed the quota, or to understand how much traffic is left, you can set limits.

For this purpose, there is a separate “Data transfer” item in the settings. There you can set a traffic limit, upon reaching which a notification will appear, as well as a limit, after which data transfer will be automatically turned off. For each application, separate statistics are kept on data in the background and active modes, and a graph is built. Starting from Android 5.0, this interface is also available in quick settings by touching the mobile network icon.

7. Block calls from specific numbers

It happens that you need to block calls from a specific number. There are no special blacklists in Android, and applications available on Google Play implement blocking of numbers using dirty hacks and not always correctly.

However, you can block individual numbers in the basic version of Android; all you need to do is simply send unwanted callers to voicemail. To do this, click on the desired contact, then click the edit icon, then the menu and select “Voice only.” mail". There, by the way, you can set a separate ringtone for the unfortunate subscriber.

8. Disable pre-installed applications

It happens that the manufacturer preinstalls many incomprehensible programs and applications that you do not use. They occupy a certain amount of memory, and you dream of getting rid of them.

On Android, you can disable many pre-installed applications. To do this, go to “Settings -> Applications” and open the “All” tab. Now you can view the list of available utilities. Select the required application, and then click “Disable”. Now you can click on “Erase data”. For “frozen applications” that cannot be simply deleted, there is a separate “Disabled” tab. Unfortunately, not all applications can be frozen. Which ones depend on the manufacturer.

9. Expanding internal memory

Android has always had a problem with expanding the internal memory of a smartphone. The connected SD card did not allow this, remaining external storage. The function of transferring applications to a memory card, which appeared in Android 2.2, also did not really save the situation. Finally, with Android 6.0, Google finally decided to correct the situation. Now, after connecting a flash drive or SD card, the system offers two options. The first is to use it as removable storage. The second is to make it an internal drive.

In the second case, the smartphone will format the flash drive in the ext4 file system using 128-bit AES encryption and mount it as a system partition. Next, a test for reading and writing speed will be carried out. Now, unfortunately, all memory cards are significantly inferior in speed to built-in memory, which in theory can lead to slow operation of the device. Fortunately, only the time it takes to open a specific application or load part of it depends on the performance of the disk subsystem. And all calculations are carried out outside the disk.

10. Quickly change letter case

It happens that the text has already been written and you need to change the case of individual letters or entire words. Android has its own secret about this. To change the case of letters or to make words or sentences in an already entered message begin with capital letters, just select the message and press the Shift button one or more times until you get the desired result.

11. Quick access to settings

In Android 5 and Android 6, you can access quick settings by pulling out the curtain with two fingers. Of course, you can access Quick Settings the old fashioned way: by swiping down the screen twice from top to bottom. But this is not a secret at all.

12. Quickly switch to silent mode

You can quickly turn on vibration mode in Android 5 and Android 6 by pressing the volume key and then clicking on the icon on the left side of the slider that appears. In practice, this option turns out to be much faster than repeatedly pressing the volume down key on the end of the smartphone.

13. Calling Magnifier

Android has a screen magnifier. To enable it, you need to sequentially go to “Settings -> Special”. options -> Gestures to zoom in.” Now you can enlarge any part of the screen by clicking on it three times. This feature may be especially useful among people with low vision and the elderly.

14. Disable adding shortcuts to the desktop

To disable automatic creation of desktop icons, launch the Play Store. Then go to settings and uncheck the “Add icons” option. Now, by default, program icons will appear only in the general list.

15. Hidden game in the Chrome browser

We conclude our selection with another hidden game, this time in the Chrome mobile browser. Try turning off Wi-Fi and mobile Internet on your smartphone (tablet). Next, open Chrome.

When you try to exit to any address, the browser will display an error with its code. A dinosaur will appear above the text. If you click on the dinosaur at this moment, the character will come to life and begin to move across the screen. It's like an old PlayStation: you can tap the screen to control a dinosaur as it jumps over cacti, and like any game like this, your goal is to survive and score as many points as possible. Of course, the game is quite primitive, but it hooks you for a long time. Tested for yourself!

READ ALSO: How to properly configure the expansion tank of a heating system

By the way, this game has now become available for download on the Google Play Store and it’s called Dino Run - Dinosty.

2004-2018, Be Mobile LLC, 16+

Information and photographs presented on this site cannot be used for public reproduction without the written permission of the authors.

Source: http://yamobi.ru/posts/android_secrets.html

Cryptoworld

practical safety

15 tricks in setting up Android that will be useful to everyone.

In four years, Android has transformed from a small but ambitious project into perhaps the most complex and feature-packed mobile OS of our time. Android supports a huge number of technologies and functions, many of which are hidden from the user or hidden in places you wouldn't even think to look at. This article is a collection of tips and tricks that can be applied to any Android device without the need to root it.

01. DISABLE THE AUTOMATIC CREATION OF ICONS ON THE DESKTOP

I think I’m not the only one who is annoyed by the way the market behaves when installing an application. For some reason he thinks that for any more or less software or the next game I definitely need an icon on the desktop, and he successfully creates it. And I have to delete it. And then another one. And so every time.

Fortunately, this behavior is easy to disable - just open the Google Play settings (in the left panel) and uncheck the “Add icons” option. There you can also disable the forced password request every 30 minutes when purchasing applications, as well as the hated auto-update of applications.

02. DISABLE GOOGLE SEARCH AND OTHER USELESS SOFTWARE

The standard firmware of Android smartphones includes a huge amount of useless software, ranging from a bunch of Google applications (do you know that Google requires manufacturing companies to include almost all the software it develops in the firmware of their devices?) and ending with all sorts of junk from the smartphone manufacturer . All of this (or at least most) can be disabled.

Go to “Settings → Applications → All”, tap on the desired software and click “Disable” (of course, you will be warned how “dangerous” this is). By the way, when you disable Google search, Google Now will disappear, as well as the search bar from the desktop (after a reboot), in its place there will be an empty area.

03. RESET TO SAFE MODE

Few people know, but Android, like many other operating systems, has a so-called Safe mode. This is a mode in which the operating system boots with third-party applications disabled. Malware that is not very skillfully written (one that is not registered in the system partition) then falls off, like any software that interferes with the normal operation of the system. Safe mode can be used to bypass screen blockers, applications that cause the smartphone to freeze, or, alternatively, to identify who is actually eating up the battery - the next firmware or software update.

The mode is turned on in a rather simple, but not at all obvious way: by holding down the power button and then holding your finger on the “Turn off power” item. After rebooting, the culprit of the problem can be removed through “Settings → Applications”.

04. GET RID OF INSTRUCTIVE NOTIFICATIONS

“The construction of the castle is finished!” - how did you get these notifications? Everyone who is not too lazy is trying to notify me about all possible and impossible events: “Vasya Dzhubga replied to you on Twitter,” “You have 100,500 new messages,” “You won surgery to enlarge your right leg.” You swipe away one notification, and three new ones appear in its place.

How to get rid of all this slag: hold your finger on the notification for a long time and uncheck the “Stop” button. This is the recipe for KitKat. In Lollipop, everything is a little different, but the essence is the same: hold down, then the i button, in the window that opens, put a checkmark on “Block”. There you can also force the notification to be a priority so that it is always at the very top.

05. DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE SERVICE MENU

Another not at all obvious function is the service menu. It can be opened by dialing *#*#4636#*#*. Basically, there is various technical information like IMEI number, signal strength, current location or network type. But there is also a very useful function for some situations to force the smartphone to switch to the desired type of network (2G, 3G, LTE).

In conditions of poor 3G/LTE signal levels, the device tends to reset to 2G in order to save battery power and ensure subscriber availability. This behavior can be disabled. Open the service menu and in the “Set up preferred network type” item, select WCDMA only or LTE only. In the same way, you can switch your smartphone to 2G - GSM only. It will help if you need to save battery power and the Internet is rarely used. By the way, you can also disable the radio module there altogether (until the next reboot, of course).

Smartphones based on Chinese MTK chips have their own and much more sophisticated service menu. His number is *#*#3646633#*#*. There is various system information and a huge number of tests, among which you can find several useful settings, such as adjusting the volume level during a call or, for example, changing GPS/AGPS settings. The menu itself is terribly illogical and contains so much varied information that I don’t even dare to describe it, but simply send the reader to three letters - XDA.

06. USE A STANDARD BROWSER

I don't know why users don't like Android's built-in browser so much. In my opinion, he is wonderful. Lightweight, fast, powered by the Chromium engine, can synchronize with a Google account (that is, it immediately includes all bookmarks and passwords from Chrome), but most importantly, it has a very convenient and almost ingenious navigation method. This is the so-called radial menu, which can be activated in the settings (only in Android 4.0–4.4).

Coy and everything else that the browser can do. This is much more convenient than the standard panel and regular menu, so I recommend trying it.

07. MANAGE CONTACTS FROM YOUR COMPUTER

Google has web services not only for remotely installing software, blocking and searching for a smartphone, but also for managing contacts. All people's contacts ever saved and synchronized when connecting a new smartphone can always be found on the page google.com/contacts. They can be viewed, edited, added and deleted. Moreover, oddly enough, it is essentially part of Gmail.

08. MONITOR YOUR PROCESSOR LOAD

Android has a built-in feature that displays the current CPU load and currently active processes on top of the screen. In theory, it is intended for application and firmware developers and is hidden from ordinary users, but no one is stopping us from activating it. But first you will have to reach the “For Developers” settings section, which by default does not exist at all.

Go to settings, then “About phone”, find the line “Build number” and tap on it seven times in a row. The message “You have become a developer!” should appear on the screen. This means that the “For Developers” item is now open, and we go to it. We rewind almost to the very bottom of the screen and in the “Monitoring” section we find the “Show CPU load” switch.

Turn it on and see a list in the upper right part of the screen. The first line is the so-called loadavg, which shows the number of processes that had to run or wait their turn to run in the last minute, five and ten minutes. To put it very roughly: if these values, divided by the number of processor cores, are above one, this means 100% processor load in the last minute, five or ten minutes, respectively. Below is a list of the most power-hungry processes (essentially, an analogue of the top command from Linux).

09. USE ADB TO BACKUP SOFTWARE ON YOUR COMPUTER

We have already written more than once about a wonderful tool called ADB, which can significantly simplify managing a device from a computer for a person who is familiar with the console (here we are mainly talking about Linux, of course). In addition to the ability to install software, transfer files to a smartphone, view logs and other useful things, ADB has recently made it possible to backup all smartphone settings and applications.

To use this functionality, install the universal ADB driver (goo.gl/AzZrjR), then download ADB itself (goo.gl/3P7klM), install the driver, then expand the archive with ADB, connect the smartphone to the computer with a USB cable, launch the command line and execute the command

If no devices are found, it means that ADB debugging mode is disabled on your smartphone. To enable it, go to “Settings → For Developers”, turn on the “USB Debugging” switch. Now we execute the previous command again and agree to the warning that appears on the smartphone screen. Now you can make a backup:

A message will appear on the smartphone screen asking you to specify the encryption password for the backup - you can safely press “Next”. The application backup process will begin, which will affect both the APK packages themselves (the -apk flag in the command) and their settings. All applications from the memory card will also be included in the backup. You can restore a backup using the following command:

READ ALSO: How to correctly set the diffmonometric level

10. DISABLE BACKGROUND DATA TRANSFER IN APPLICATIONS

Working in the background, applications can actively use the Internet for a variety of purposes, from updating their content to leaking information about your location. In addition, such activity in any case leads to increased battery consumption.

Android has the ability to selectively restrict applications from transferring data in the background, but it is located in a place where most users would hardly ever look. To prevent any application from using the Internet in the background, you need to go to settings, then “Data transfer”, scroll down the screen to the list of applications actively using the network (for some it will be a surprise that it is there at all) and tap on the desired software. At the bottom there will be an option to “Limit background activity”. It is worth keeping in mind that the option will disable data transfer only over the mobile network, so data will continue to flow over Wi-Fi.

11. USE THE SEARCH BAR

Often, owners of Android smartphones neglect the search bar at the top of the main screen. This is really logical, given the ability to search by typing a request into the address bar of any mobile browser.

Meanwhile, the desktop search bar does much more than just redirect your request to google.com. It allows you to search contacts, applications, calendar events, bookmarks and web browser history automatically. For normal smartphone use, it may not be as useful, but when connecting an external keyboard, it is an indispensable tool. Just click and enter the name of the application, contact or anything else, and it immediately appears on the screen.

12. USE SMART LOCK

Smart Lock is one of those features that you don’t think about, but once you try it, you can’t live without it. This is one of the most notable new additions to Android Lollipop and one of the most useful features added to Android recently. The idea of ​​Smart Lock is extremely simple - it disables the PIN code or other lock screen protection if there is a specific Bluetooth device or map location nearby.

By default, Smart Lock is “sort of” disabled. That is, it does not light up anywhere, but after pairing with a new Bluetooth device (of any type), it will definitely offer to add it to its white list. After this you will forget about her again. But only until you enable lock screen protection in the “Security” section of the settings. Now it will work as it should.

The Smart Lock settings themselves are in the same section, and, in addition to adding new Bluetooth devices, you can specify “safe places” there, along with a list of options based on Google Now “observations.” By the way, if you disable it, as described in the first tip, then this functionality will also be lost.

13. SAVE ENERGY RIGHT

Another notable innovation from Lollipop is its power saving mode. It migrated to standard Android from the firmware of smartphone manufacturers, who previously sold it independently. Now the function is available in pure Android - you use your smartphone to the fullest, and when the battery charge reaches 15%, the system suggests turning on the power saving mode, which turns off background data transfer, reduces the brightness to a minimum, turns off some sensors and reduces the screen rendering FPS to a couple of dozen frames per hour. give me a sec. For clarity, the status bar and on-screen buttons at the bottom of the screen turn red - so you don’t forget.

To save battery life on a smartphone with an AMOLED screen, you can set black wallpapers and use apps with black backgrounds.

The energy saving mode is customizable. Go to “Settings → Battery → menu → Power saving mode.” Here you can specify the condition for automatically turning on the mode (though the choice is meager: 5%, 15% or never) and, most importantly, turn on the mode right now. Very convenient if you have a long trip ahead without the possibility of recharging.

14. MONITOR TRAFFIC

Most likely, smartphone manufacturers, as usual, will shovel the standard Android 5.0 interface and change everything (hello Samsung - the biggest fan of breaking interfaces), but in the standard Lollipop curtain, or rather, in the “second curtain” with There is one highlight to the quick settings options. The data transfer button in the center does not switch data transfer at all, but expands into an interface that allows you not only to view the current traffic consumption, but also to disable data transfer using the switch on top.

15. SHARE NOT YOUR PHONE, BUT THE APPLICATION

Especially for those who like to give their phone to other people, Lollipop has a Screen pinning feature that allows you to lock your smartphone on one application without the ability to close it or switch to another. Like many other useful features, it is completely invisible and hidden quite deep in the settings. To activate, go to “Settings → Security”, scroll almost to the very end and turn on the “Block in application” option.

Now, if you click the View running applications (Browse) button, an pushbutton will appear at the bottom of the current application's thumbnail. Once you tap the icon, the screen will be locked on the selected app and you will need to hold the Back and Overview buttons simultaneously to go back. In this case, you will have to enter a PIN code if it is set for the lock screen.

XX. USE ACITIVITY LAUNCHER

Any graphical Android application includes one or more so-called “activities”. Each of them is an application window (screen), for example the main screen or the settings screen, maybe even a file selection window. By default, you can open directly (from the desktop) only those activities that the application developer marks as main; the rest are accessible only through the application itself and only if the developer himself allows this.

However, having the right tool at hand, you can reach any other activity of any application and even create a shortcut for it on the desktop. Activity Launcher does just that. Just install the application, select “All actions” in the menu at the top and find the software you need. All of her activities will appear on the screen, and any of them can be opened with a simple tap or placed on the desktop by holding your finger for a long time.

An example of useful “internal” activities is the Chrome bookmarks window (Chrome →Bookmark), access to the hidden AppOps mechanism in Android

Android has a large set of hotkeys for connected keyboards. You can use Arrow, Tab, and Enter to navigate the desktop and various menus. In addition, the following key combinations are available:

Esc - “Back” button;

Win + Esc - Home button;

Ctrl + Esc - “Menu” button;

Alt + Tab - switch between applications;

Ctrl + Space - switch layout;

Ctrl + P - open settings;

Ctrl + M - manage installed applications;

Ctrl + W - change wallpaper;

Win + E - write a letter;

Win + P - music player;

Win + A - calculator;

Win + S - write SMS;

Win + L - calendar;

Win + C - contacts;

Win + B - browser;

Win + M - Google maps;

Win + Space - search;

To find out your MAC and IP address, go to “Settings → Wi-Fi → menu → Advanced

new functions.” MAC and IP will be at the very bottom.

Lollipop has a built-in Flappy Bird style game. Go to “Settings → About phone”,

Tap on the “Android Version” item several times, then hold your finger on the “Lollipop” that appears. Let's play.

Google Now supports a large number of Russian-language voice commands. All of them can be divided into two groups: voice search and the voice commands themselves. Voice search allows you to perform smart searches on Google, where the system displays a specific answer on the screen instead of a list of links, and voice commands allow you to perform certain actions, for example, send an SMS or set an alarm. The list of commands is shown in the Google Now Voice Commands image. Voice search includes more than a dozen different types of questions:

Weather. What will the weather be like tomorrow morning?

Addresses. Where is the nearest pharmacy?

Flight information. When does Aeroflot flight number 2336 depart?

Time. What time is it in London?

Events. When is sunset today?

Computing. What is the square root of 2209?

Translation. How do you say "cucumber" in Spanish?

Sport. When does Spartak play?

Finance. What is the S&P 500 index today?

Data. What is the height of the tallest building in the world?

Exchange Rates. Convert 2600 rupees to US dollars.

Images. Show photos of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Interestingly, Google Now understands a large number of much less obvious questions in English. As an example we can give:

Should I wear a jacket today?

The market for mobile products is structured in such a way that as new versions of the Android OS are released, smartphone manufacturing companies introduce their support into their own, both recently released and already proven models. How it works? When purchasing a new mobile product, the basic version of the system installed by default is available on it. After some period of time, Google releases a new Android release. After six months or a little later, depending on the geographic region, when the new version becomes tested and stable, you can install it on your smart phone. As a result, you get a new, modern interface, support for new applications and more settings and customization. In this material we have compiled a detailed guide for you, how to update Android on your phone.

What is a software update on Android and why is it needed?

You need to be aware that as a result of updating or rolling back the operating system, all data stored on the phone will be irretrievably lost. Be sure to back up all the data you need (address book, notes, photos) to a reliable external storage device before taking any of the steps in this guide. This could be an external drive, a hard drive on a PC (as a last resort, a memory card, but not advisable).

One more nuance. Since updating the operating system will take some time (from 5 to 10 minutes, and sometimes more), be sure to charge the phone to 70-80% of the total battery capacity so that the update procedure is not interrupted due to problems with the phone’s battery.

Automatic Android update

The most affordable and least complicated way to update. Go to the options menu and select the “Phone Information” section. Here we go to the “Software Update” item. On your device, this section may be located somewhere else, so you may have to go through the settings.

Now tap on the “Update” button, having previously set the option to download updates only via Wi-Fi, so that the update does not “eat up” all your money from your account.

Option in the settings menu to automatically update the OS

When all the data from the manufacturer’s server has been downloaded, in the menu that appears, tap the “Install” button and wait until the device reboots.

Since in the manner described above you can only update your mobile device to a minor release build, you should also use a special utility from the manufacturer (for Samsung gadgets it’s Kies, for LG it’s PC Suite, etc.) or update “over the air” (most of companies that produce smartphones or tablets have such a proprietary feature).

Latest Android update, if it is already available on the server, you can download it to your device at any time using just such a program.

Manually updating Android firmware

Almost all service centers use this method, but we can easily update ourselves, using only available means. The Odin system application is used for updating. You can download it on many web resources (for example, on the same w3bsit3-dns.com). Using this technique, you can only install a new version of the official firmware, but not a custom one.

1. download the Odin program. We need version 1.83 (or later) - it is very popular among technicians and is suitable for the vast majority of products

2. find and download an archive on the Internet with the firmware we need. After extracting the contents from the archive (you will need it first), you should have 3 files on hand: PIT, PDA and CSC

3. connect the smartphone to the PC. It is critical that the phone is detected correctly in Windows

4. launch Odin. If the device connection was successful, the port name in the program will light up in yellow in the corresponding field

Indication of successful connection of the device to the PC for updating in Odin

5. turn off the mobile device and switch it to Download Mode by pressing the home, power and volume down keys at the same time

6. Confirm activation of Download Mode by holding down the “Volume Up” key

7. in the central Odin window, select the downloaded files so that they correspond to the PIT, PDA and CSC objects

8. In Odin, click the Start button and wait until all files are updated.

If the Android system update went smoothly, a field with the inscription PASS in green will appear on the application screen.

Successful system update via Odin

Rollback to previous version

Perhaps you updated to one of the latest versions and were not satisfied (the phone is slow, errors appear frequently, you need to reboot, etc.). If necessary, you can roll back to any version you need. How to roll back?

1 way

Suitable for those who want to return the basic official factory firmware installed in the device at the time of its purchase in the store. This is quite easy to do. Go to the device settings and select the item responsible for resetting the settings (this can be “Privacy” or “Backup and reset”). On the test phone, this function was available in the “Backup and reset” menu in the “Personal data” category.

Section in the options menu designed to reset the device to its factory state

1. We go to this section of the menu and stop at the “Reset settings” item.
2. A form pops up warning you that all data from the gadget will be deleted. If the backups are already saved in a safe place, feel free to click “Reset phone settings”.
3. The phone begins to reboot. After 5-10 minutes it will boot again, with a clean base system on board.

Method 2 - reset to factory settings (hard reset)

1. turn off the phone/tablet
2. simultaneously press and hold down the “Volume Up”, “Home” (bottom center) and “Power” buttons. The Recovery menu opens.
3. Using the volume keys, check the “wipe data/factory reset” item.
4. press the power key to confirm your choice
5. in the next menu you need to confirm your decision. Select “Yes – Delete all user data” using the keys designed to adjust the volume
6. Press the power button again. The main menu pops up in front of you again
7. Using the power key, select “reboot system now”

All is ready. Next time the factory version of the OS will boot.

How to rollback if a custom version of Android is installed (Cyanogenmod, MIUI, Paranoid Android)?

If you installed a custom ROM, you can return the official firmware in the same way as performing a manual update - using the Odin program already mentioned in the review. First, you will have to search the Internet for files with the firmware you need, individually suitable for your smart model. Perhaps the best resource for searching is the mobile portal 4PDA; here you can find any firmware for almost every phone model.

1. connect the mobile device to the PC
2. launch Odin
3. turn off the phone and enter it into Download Mode. To do this, press the home key, power key and volume down key.
4. when the phone is booted, press the volume up key to activate Download Mode
5. on the main Odin form, select the downloaded files as a match for PIT, PDA and CSC
6. in Odin, click the Start button and wait until all the files are updated.

The successful completion of the rollback procedure will be indicated by a green field with the inscription PASS at the top.

Information about a successful rollback to a previous version via Odin

How to update Play Market on Android

The first time you boot a fresh system, you have to configure everything again: account, language, mail, time zone, network, etc. The same applies to the Google Play Market store. An update to this module will become available immediately after setting up a Google account on your mobile device.

Proposal to connect your Google account to the system

As soon as you enter your Google account authentication information, Play Store components will appear in the notification panel, which can be updated just like any other application.

Updates for Play Market components

If you are using custom firmware, you need to go to the store itself at least once to update. After this, an update for the service will appear on the display.

Answers to readers' questions

When will the new Android update be available?

Answer. Since a certain time passes between the immediate release of a new version of Android and the physical possibility of installing it on a gadget (from 2-3 to 6-8 months), you need to be patient and follow the announcements of companies. Among the first products with marshmallow support are devices from the Nexus and Android One lines. As for the Samsung brand, this month they promise updates to 6.0 for the following models of mobile devices: Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S6 edge+; in January 2016 – Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge; in February – Galaxy Note 4 and Galaxy Note Edge.

Now about other brands. Sony announced an update for all current devices in the Xperia line, starting from the Xperia Z Ultra GPE released in 2013 and ending with all models of the Z5 series (both Premium and budget). The range of devices from LG is limited to the G4, G3 and G Flex2. HTC, in turn, limited itself to only the last two generations of devices of its own production: One M9/E9 and One M8/E8. In addition, companies such as Motorola, Xiaomi, Huawei, Asus, OnePlus and ZUK promise to equip their flagship devices and mid-level devices with Android 6.0. This list is not yet final. Subsequently, we will keep you updated on the latest announcements.

I have a Huawei U9500 phone, and I did not know or did not understand that I needed to update the version. Now I have Android 4.0.3, how can I update the firmware to the new version, please help!

Answer. The Huawei firmware update process is described. In short, there are two ways to update the Huawei U9500 firmware.

1. We take out the battery and hold down the volume buttons on the phone. After this, the Android update process will begin.
2. Go to Settings -> Storage -> Software Update -> SD Card Update, launch the Android OS update.

I have a MFLogin3T tablet and until now I didn’t know that it was possible to update the system. I read it on different sites, tried it, but it doesn’t work. I have Android 4.4.4. How to update the Android version?

Answer. The easiest way to update your phone is through Settings - Options - About device - Software update. The location of the partition may vary in different versions of Android OS. In this way, a standard update on Android is performed and the official software is downloaded. This is the safest and easiest way.

I have a Samsung Duos, version 4.1.2, I can’t update the operating system to a higher version. Please help me update Android on my phone!

Answer. First you need to find out if it is possible to update Android on your phone to version 5.x. It turns out not. The fact is that the technical characteristics of your phone do not allow you to install newer versions of Android.

On the other hand, you can download the update for Android from the 4pda forum, where modified firmware is posted. But we would not recommend installing such updates on a fairly old phone unless you have the necessary skills and are not prepared for a drop in the performance of your mobile device.

Lenovo A1000, Android is not updated. I'm trying to update version 5.0 to the newest one. At first everything goes well, but then he writes “Error” and shows an opened Android with a red triangle with an exclamation mark hanging over it. What should I do? How to update the OS to the latest version?

Answer. Why isn't Android updated? The fact is that Android 5.0 is the latest version of the OS to which you can officially update the firmware on your phone. At least that's what users of the 4pda forum say. Of course, you can update your phone by installing custom firmware, but no one guarantees stability after such an update.

I purchased NTS one m7. I can't update Android 4.4.2. The device does not find the software update, how to solve this problem? How to update it?

Answer. NTS one m7 can be updated to at least Android 5.1. If you can't install the official update, try downloading custom firmware on the 4pda forum. Instructions for updating on this device are also collected there (see). In this topic you will find solutions to the problem if the Android OS is not updated.

I have a Moto x play, I don’t want to update the system, the message “Android 6.0.1 software available” constantly appears, which is wildly annoying. Please tell me how to remove this message so that it doesn’t appear again. I even contacted the support service of the smartphone manufacturer itself, All the instructions they gave me did not bring any results.

Answer. To disable firmware updates, go to Android settings, section About phone - Software update and disable updates by unchecking the corresponding item.

A year ago, the memory on my device died (the phone stopped turning on), it was replaced, but the firmware was not the original one (it’s no different, only the yellow Kernel inscription appears in the corner on the startup screen). Naturally, there are no updates for this firmware. Can I use Kies to roll back Android (install the native one) and update it?

Answer. In order to roll back the update, you need to reboot the phone in Recovery mode, select wipe data/factory reset, wipe cache partition and reinstall the firmware from the zip archive previously downloaded to the memory card. You can find the official firmware both on the manufacturer’s official website and on the 4pda forum, in the section with the corresponding name of your mobile device.

Acer Iconia A1-810 tablet. I don't have firmware updates... I click system update and it says "your device requires an update." How can I “force” it (forcefully update the Android system) or update it myself?

Answer. This tablet model was released about 5 years ago; it does not support new versions of Android, so the manufacturer does not provide firmware updates. You can look for custom (unofficial) firmware on the 4pda forum, but we do not recommend installing them - it is better to buy a new tablet than experiment with firmware at the expense of the stability and speed of the device.

The build number does not open on Android. I called for a long time. What should I do?

Answer. The Android build number is initially available for viewing in the “About smartphone” (“About tablet”) section. If you want to enable hidden settings (section “For Developers”), you can activate them by clicking on the build number, just 4-7 clicks on this line.

Android 4.4.2 is an operating system developed for mobile devices by Google. This version is called KitKat, and it is perhaps the best version of the firmware if we consider all releases of Android 4. The operating system has become very widespread and is now used on many devices, delighting its users. If you wanted to download firmware for Android to update your phone or tablet with a newer version, then this page is for you!

The new update has significantly lowered the OS system requirements, thereby increasing the number of smartphones that can now fully support it. Therefore, today almost every user has access to Android 4.4.2 firmware for free download in Russian, which can be downloaded at Cyclone-Soft! If you haven't been able to update your phone for a long time or don't know how to flash your tablet, then the installer package available for download via torrent will help you a lot. In other words, today almost any device supports Android 4.4.2, so you have an excellent opportunity to quickly update the operating system.

Among other things, the OS has been highly optimized, which can only mean that devices using it get a nice boost in power and performance. Of course, hardware plays a major role here, but often perfectly debugged software performs an equally important task.

Features and innovations of Android 4.4.2 KitKat

Interface options and new features

There is no doubt that the most visible change in a given operating system is in the user interface. It has become even more comfortable and informative, allowing you to conveniently and easily manage desktops and divide installed applications into types and categories. This is an excellent option on how to flash Android, because version 4.4.2 was considered much more successful than previous releases.

Choose the color palette you like, use the convenient notification panel and translucent buttons at the bottom, which have perfectly updated the appearance of the operating system. Android 4.4.2 firmware can be downloaded for free in Russian, which can be found at the end of the page, and has also received updated controls for many elements of the system. For example, the user can hide system elements, unnecessary on-screen buttons, and the notification panel itself.

Sensor support

The new version of Android has interesting updates in terms of processing specialized sensors. The fact is that now KitKat can receive all the information from them in batches and group the data at certain intervals. This solution helped not only to reduce the load on the device’s processor, but also to reduce power consumption, which depends on its operation. The new firmware program has many new functions that allow you to use detection sensors, pedometer and many others in your smartphone.

The user will also have access to built-in support for infrared ports and a module for working with several Bluetooth profiles at once. KitKat 4.4.2 will help you print absolutely any documents wirelessly.

Updated photo editor

Android 4.4 has received a brand new graphic editor, which you can activate while in the gallery. The utility will do an excellent job of adding filters and frames, cropping photos and many other tasks. One could even argue that the functionality is in no way inferior to the Instagram application, in which you can process your photos. Crop frames, straighten the image, rotate it at the desired angle and create a mirror copy - all this is available to you!

How to update Android to version 4.4 KitKat

Downloading, installing and further updating the operating system will not cause you any difficulties, regardless of whether you decide to flash a smartphone or tablet. Download Android 4.4.2 KitKat and follow the instructions from the downloaded archive, which will answer all your questions about how to flash your Android phone or update your tablet OS.

Be sure to share the page with friends who do not yet have Android 4.4.2 KitKat, so that they can also update to this excellent version by flashing the firmware of their device. Write comments and don't forget to rate the software! Thank you for your attention!