Android Marshmallow: 6 brand-new features that'll make you want to update

Google

Here's why you should upgrade to Android Marshmallow

1.Personalised lockscreen message

Having a stable, fast OS is all well and good, but Google isn’t afraid to inject a sense of personality into its software. New for Marshmallow, a new textbox just under the lockscreen time helps personalise your phone – and could be a perfect place for motivational quotes, important reminders, name tags and much more.

2. Storage is easier to manage

Smartphones have more storage than ever, but they need it: we now use handsets for everything from playing Angry Birds and using Periscope, to shooting 4K videos and downloading films. Even with removable storage available, we still run out of space.

Android Marshmallow makes it easier than ever to manage your storage. Replacing Lollipop’s mix of colours for a much more streamlined interface, Marshmallow shows users how much storage space they’ve used, and a breakdown of how they’ve used it. That way, it’s even easier to know what to delete.

What’s more, Android Marshmallow also makes it easier to see which apps are using the most RAM, too.

3. Smoother app experience

There's another feature that doesn't sound spectacular, but makes a huge difference to your Android experience. When clicking on app-specific links – such as those for Twitter and Instagram – previous versions of Android would present the user with an "Open With" dialog box. As well as being ugly, this also made using Android a less than seamless experience. Thankfully, Android Marshmallow is much more intelligent and will know which app to open when you click on a specific link. That means, if you click an Instagram link, the Instagram app will automatically open and display the content. It's simple, but effective.

4. Doze

Smartphones such as the Nexus 5X pack in a range of sensors for fitness tracking and much more, but Doze uses them for a different reason. As well as of working out how many calories you’ve burnt, Doze uses motion sensors to detect when your phone’s not moving, and enters a deep sleep. The result? Your smartphone will stop all non-essential tasks such as Wi-Fi, syncs and jobs until the handset starts moving again. That means your battery should last much, much longer.

Interestingly, Doze will have control over all apps and other functions – unless otherwise stated – so Android users will benefit from improved battery life across the board.

5. Fingerprint scanners

Fingerprint scanners have been on Android phones for a while now, but Marshmallow is the first time they will be used properly. Rather than a tacked-on feature for unlocking your Android phone, Google's new OS pushes the fingerprint reader front and centre, which makes it compatible with a range of third-party apps.

In Marshmallow, fingerprint sensors can be used to log into apps like Evernote, or even buy things via in-app purchases. Simply put, authentication will be easier across the Android experience.

6. New app drawer

Marshmallow uses a brand-new layout for the app drawer, and it makes looking for applications a quicker, simpler process. Rather than scrolling sideways, users now have to scroll down vertically, and, if you’re too impatient, a search box at the top means you can find the app you’re looking for by typing the first few letters.