At least now there’s Android 5.1. It’s so much better, according to the lucky few users who have it on their devices. Fixed a ton of bugs. Android pushed a few features that should have been bundled with Lollipop. Here are the five best new features of Lollipop 5.1.
Better Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Controls
When Lollipop first arrived, the Quick Settings were sparse in the Notification shade. Users had to tap the Settings panel to get done, even if they wanted to switch Wi-Fi networks only.
Now you can choose your Wi-Fi connection directly from within the Notifications shade.But with Android 5.1, you can choose a wireless network or Bluetooth profile from within the drop-down panel. All you have to do is tap an arrow to expand the listing.
Better Sound Profiles
No more worrying about whether your alarm will go off in the morning!
I can’t tell you how often I’ve overslept because of Lollipop’s minimal sound profiles. Android 5.1 lets you set your phone to silent or the None setting until your next alarm. So you don’t have to worry about missing a meeting the following day. An alarm can be set 12 hours ahead. And that’s a problem. Otherwise, Lollipop won’t offer the option.
Better Device Protection
Phone theft is still rampant, so Android 5.1 has a few new device protection features. The most powerful of the bunch prevents a thief from factory resetting the phone. Without the password for the profile used previously on the device. This feature is available only on the Nexus 6, Nexus 9, and new Android 5.1 devices.
Notifications Flicked Away
Lollipop’s little drop-down Notifications are nice sometimes, but the options to dismiss them were limiting. You could either wait until it disappeared, tap on it to launch the app. Or swipe it away and ignore it entirely. Now you can flick it up to shoo the notification back to the Notification drawer without rejecting it altogether. It’s a minor touch, but it makes managing your messages much more accessible.
No More Crappy Wi-Fi Connections
This is our favorite feature of Android 5.1. Suppose your device connects to a Wi-Fi network with poor or no Internet access. In that case, it will remember and never connect to it again. This is great if you’re traveling or trying to reach free Wi-Fi connections.
