Android 6.0 Marshmallow has now started rolling out on different devices. Recently Moto 2015 received the android M update in India, North America and Canada. There is not much difference if we talk about the look and feel. It is similar to android 5.1 Lollipop in appearance. But android 6.0 has some good features that will help to get most out of your smartphone. One of the best features of android M is the ability to use any Sdcard as internal storage. Today most phones have 8/16 GB internal storage. This storage may get full if you store all of your data like photos, videos and files on it. If you don’t want to run out of space then you can use any Sdcard and make it your phone’s internal storage. Please note e that USB OTG drive can't be used for the same purpose.

In android 2.3 we were able to move some apps from phone to Sdcard, but this feature was completely removed in later versions. After several years android 6.0 Marshmallow brought this feature back which will change the way we used micro SD cards in the past. For a Sdcard to become the internal storage of your phone it should have faster read/write and data transfer rates. You should use either Sandisk Ultra or Samsung Evo. Both of these micro storage devices are of class 10 having a reading speed of 80 Mbps. You can grab them here Sandisk Ultra|Samsung Evo.

Pre-Requisites

Before doing anything take a backup of your files stored on the internal storage of your phone. The files can be moved to Sdcard if you want, but taking a backup is safer which will help you reverse any unwanted file loss event.

How To Use Micro SD Cards As Internal Storage In Android 6.0 Marshmallow

• Insert the micro Sdcard in the slot.
• A popup will appear in the notification panel.
• Tap ‘Setup’. A setup screen will open. Here select ‘Use as internal storage’ and tap ‘NEXT’.

• Now tap ‘ERASE & FORMAT’. Wait for the process to finish.

• Finally after the format, you will be given two options to move your phone’s data.
• Tap ‘Move now’ and then tap ‘NEXT’. It takes more time to transfer the data if your micro sd card is not of class 10. You should select ‘Move later’.
• It will take few minutes in moving the data to new internal storage.
• The phone's original storage will not be accessible and no longer visible in file manager apps.

Manually Move Data To New Internal Storage

• You should use a USB OTG drive to copy all your files to new internal storage. But USB OTG drive is not visible in most file managers if your phone is running android 6.0 Marshmallow. Only ES files explorer can access the USB disk.
• Download and install ‘ES file explorer’.
• Connect the USB disk to your phone.
• Open ‘ES file explorer’ and tap the menu on the top left corner.
• Here select ‘Local’ and then tap ‘USB1002’.
• Now copy the files from here and paste them into new internal storage.
• You should eject the Sdcard before removing. Go to ‘Settings>Storage & USB’. Tap the eject button next to Sdcard.

Advantages Of Using Sdcard As Internal Storage In Android M

• You can remove the storage device anytime and keep it safe.
• Internal storage can be expanded up to 32/64 GB via micro Sdcards.
• Install apps and games on the Sdcard.

If you have questions then ask via comments.

Read More

What Is Factory Reset Protection And Google's 72-Hour Lockout In Android Lollipop

Back in March 2015, Google introduced 'Factory Reset Protection' a security component of 'Device Protection' for the android 5.1 Lollipop which also works on some phones running android 5.0 (5.0.1 and 5.0.2). It can also be found in android 6.0 Marshmallow. As we all know that any android phone that we use requires a Google account which allows us to access all the Google apps on a single android smartphone. In the case of theft, this account is the only way to track a stolen android smartphone.


Prior to the introduction of 'Device Protection' (which is still not available in android KitKat and lower android versions), anyone having your phone was able to reset it to factory settings by doing a hard reset in android system recovery mode. So, these phones at that time were not hard reset-proof. Google's idea behind implementing the 'Device Protection' feature is to make them hard reset-proof. So no one can use it even after a factory reset in recovery mode.

Google launched android 5.1.1 with 'Factory Reset Protection' which is a security component of 'Device Protection' followed by another security feature i.e. Google's 72-hour lockout. Both  of these security features are automatically activated on a locked bootloader right after an unauthorized attempt to reset your android phone.

How Does Factory Reset Protection Works On Android Lollipop And Android Marshmallow

Whenever you reset your android Lollipop/Marshmallow smartphone in android system recovery mode then everything is deleted except the previously synced Google account. This situation is automatically followed by a 72-hour device lockup. Now when FRP is activated then during phone setup Google will ask you for the previously synced Google account credentials to verify account ownership. Without entering the account information, you can not unlock the android phone. And the bad news is that once the FRP is activated then you have to wait for full 3-days. So that you can unlock the phone with your Google account.

But even Google and Android Police says that the 72-hour lockout is only initiated if a password change is encountered. But it is active by default. You can read about the Android Police article here and for Google Support go here.

Update: The lockout period has now been changed to 24 hours which previously was 72 hours. So you can now unlock the phone after a complete one day period.

Why You Have To Wait For 72-Hours Before You Can Unlock Your Phone

The logic is simple. Suppose someone grabs your phone and performs a hard reset. This person can be a thief. Now when he performs a hard reset, then the phone records this unauthorized attempt. It stores this information somewhere in the internal storage. Now when the device boots up it automatically asks for Wi-Fi network and this step can not be skipped.

When the phone is connected to the network it sends this stored info to Google servers. On receiving this info, Google takes action by locking your phone for 72-hours. During this time, a thief can not use your phone. And it does not matter whether he knows your password or not because entering right credentials during this lockout period is of no use.

Actually, Google is giving you 3 days to take control of your account if someone gets your android phone, performs a factory reset and possibly changes your password. So during this 72-hour lockout period, you can recover your account and change the password again to make the situation even harder for the thief. Without entering the right Google account information, the thief can not even use the phone. He can only use the phone as a paperweight.

How Can You Unlock The Phone After Factory Reset Protection Is Activated

Factory Reset Protection also troubles the genuine owners once it is activated. Because you have to wait for complete 3-days, so that you can use the phone again. If you are trapped in Google's 72-hour lockout then follow the tips below to unlock your phone.

• Just sit back and relax for full 3 days.
• Use the same Wi-Fi router to login into your account from your phone.
• For the first 2 days keep logging into the locked android phone with your previously synced account and new password. Use the same Wi-Fi router or network.
• On the final third day login into the phone only after the 72-hours are over.
• Your account and password will be accepted this time and phone will be unlocked.
• Now you have to go through the normal android setup after the phone is unlocked.

Warning: - Never delete your Google account which is being used by a locked android phone. If you do this your phone can never be unlocked.

Can You Bypass Factory Reset Protection On Android Lollipop

There is exactly no way to do this. However, Samsung phone's were shown to bypass this protection feature by using an OTG flash drive. This OTG flash drive contains an app that launches the device's 'Settings'. From 'Settings' it is possible to unlock the bootloader. Then again performing a hard reset bypasses this security.

Can You Disable Factory Reset Protection On Android Lollipop And Android Marshmallow

Yes, you can disable it. Just go to 'Settings>Developer Options'. Here enable 'Allow OEM Unlocking'. When this option is enabled you can freely perform a hard reset. Factory Reset Protection will not be activated. But, I won't recommend you to do this. Because if a thief gets your phone with an unlocked bootloader then he can use your phone after doing a factory reset in recovery mode. It is up to you whether you want to disable it or keep it always enabled.

How To Play Safe With Android's Factory Reset Protection

I know that this security feature sometimes becomes an overkill for the real owners of android phones. Because they can't use the phone for 3-days once this protection is activated. Disabling this security feature is not recommended. Below are some tips to prevent this security feature from troubling you.

• Always 'Factory Reset' the phone from the Settings.
• Always remember your Google account details.
• If you have changed the password, then do not factory reset the device.
• Never delete the associated Google account.

I think, I have covered the topic in detail. If you have any questions regarding the Factory Reset Protection then ask via comments.

Read More

Android M was released at Google I/O 2015 and now Google has officially released android M factory image for nexus 5, nexus 6, nexus 7, nexus 9 and player. Nexus 4, nexus 10 and nexus 7 2012 have not received the update yet officially. By installing the android M [android 6.0 Marshmallow] on your nexus device you will be able to experience the latest android OS with new features like move apps to sd. This is the final release for nexus devices.

Warning : Flashing the android M will erase entire data stored on your nexus device. So before doing anything backup your data.

Downloads

Nexus 5 (GSM/LTE) hammerhead : hammerhead-mra58k-factory-52364034.tgz

How To Install Android 6.0 Marshmallow MRA58K Factory Image On Nexus 5

• Download and install android SDK. This also includes Google USB drivers.
• Download the android Marshmallow system image for Nexus 5 from above and unpack it in android sdk>platform-tools folder.
• Enable USB debugging on your Nexus device by going to ‘Settings>Development>Debugging’.
• Power of your phone. Connect the nexus device to PC.
• Enter into bootloader mode by pressing and holding ‘volume up’, volume down and power button. Alternatively connect the phone to PC and open a command window in platform-tools folder and run the command ‘adb reboot bootloader’.
• Execute the command ‘fastboot oem unlock’. A prompt will appear on your phone to confirm. It will wipe entire data.
• Now execute ‘flash-all.bat’ command. If you are using a MAC then type ‘flash-all.sh’. This will install the latest android M developer preview 3 on your Nexus 5.
• After flashing you can again lock the bootloader by typing the following command and executing 'fastboot oem lock'.
• Now go on testing the new android 6.0 Marshmallow.

You have successfully updated your Nexus 5 to official android 6.0 Marshmallow MRA58K firmware.

Read More

How To Install Android 6.0 Marshmallow On Nexus 5

Android M was released at Google I/O 2015 and the developer preview is available to download for Nexus 5, 6, 9 and Nexus player. By installing the android M developer preview 3 [android 6.0 Marshmallow] on your nexus device you will be able to test your android apps on android M. You can see how they perform and what errors, if any they return. This is the final release

Warning : Flashing the android M developer preview 3 will erase entire data stored on your nexus device. So before doing anything backup your data.

Downloads

Nexus 5 (GSM/LTE) hammerhead : hammerhead-MPA44I-preview-2ebbc049.tgz

How To Install Android 6.0 Marshmallow [Android M Developer Preview 3] On Nexus 5

• Download and install android SDK. This also includes Google USB drivers.
• Download the android Marshmallow system image for Nexus 5 from above and unpack it in android sdk>platform-tools folder.
• Enable USB debugging on your Nexus device by going to ‘Settings>Development>Debugging’.
• Power of your phone. Connect the nexus device to PC.
• Enter into bootloader mode by pressing and holding ‘volume up’, volume down and power button. Alternatively connect the phone to PC and open a command window in platform-tools folder and run the command ‘adb reboot bootloader’.
• Execute the command ‘fastboot oem unlock’. A prompt will appear on your phone to confirm. It will wipe entire data.
• Now execute ‘flash-all.bat’ command. If you are using a MAC then type ‘flash-all.sh’. This will install the latest android M developer preview 3 on your Nexus 5.
• After flashing you can again lock the bootloader by typing the following command and executing 'fastboot oem lock'.
• Now go on testing the new android 6.0 Marshmallow.

Note : If anytime you want to go back to your original android firmware then download the nexus image from Google Developers and flash it by using the above procedure.

Read More

Android M Will Not Give You Error 927 And Will Let You Install Apps On SD Card Or USB Drives

Android smartphones always become problematic after their storage limit is reached. Beyond the storage limit we can’t install new android apps or even update them, due to low space. This low storage on your android smartphone will keep giving you error 927 which indicates that the phone’s storage and cache is full.

When android was launched then there was not any option to move apps to sdcard, but Google incorporated the apps to sd in android 2.3 Gingerbread and with this feature we were able to move some apps to sdcard (not the system apps). However the app data would remain on the phone’s storage.

But this feature was again removed in the android Ice Cream Sandwich and continued to be off until android 5.0 Lollipop. But in android M Google has given a special feature known as ‘Adoptable Storage Devices ‘ which is the most expected feature that an every android user wants, that is the ability to install android apps on sdcard or USB storage. The android M can format sdcard and USB flash drives in such a way so that they can be used as internal storage space. Now with this feature you can install apps on sdcard or USB drives or even move apps data between sdcard and phone. The stored data is totally encrypted.

With this feature you can directly install android apps and games on the usb disk or sdcard and there is no need to move them if you are directly installing them. If you are using this feature then you may never see error 927 on your android M smartphone. Plus you will never run out of storage if you keep USB On-The-Go devices with yourself.

Currently you can test this feature on your Nexus 5, Nexus 6, 9 and Player by installing the android M developer preview.

Read More

How To Install Android M Developer Preview On Nexus 5, 6, 9 & Player

Android M was released at Google I/O 2015 and the developer preview is available to download for Nexus 5, 6, 9 and Nexus player. By installing the android M developer preview on your nexus device you will be able to test your android apps on android M. You can see how they perform and what errors, if any they return. But you should also know that this initial release is not the stable one and may contain errors and bugs. But until the stable update arrives you can download and install it on your nexus device and can test or create your new android app by using the latest android M APIs.

Download Links

Nexus 5 (GSM/LTE) "hammerhead"	hammerhead-MPZ44Q-preview-55d76d3a.tgz MD5: 9e2631b06c6525e401ceaae3677ff320, SHA-1: 55d76d3a379b18f3363f28d8a462c236ab96fc36
Nexus 6, "shamu"	shamu-MPZ44Q-preview-c1d6506a.tgz MD5: 307cbf9dab0a38df4ab2639d02be12aa, SHA-1: c1d6506a74094bdb2f4b8677c7fe4967334f9ea8
Nexus 9, "volantis"	volantis-MPZ44Q-preview-d15ad483.tgz MD5: fae40377fd999d2b09128665c915264d, SHA-1: 7ab05f96093b2cb370b226f65931202714cbc2ca
Nexus Player, "fugu"	fugu-MPZ44Q-preview-2406ba05.tgz MD5: 815902141a85cc65e7725f005cad31d5, SHA-1: 2406ba0598dea1e69110497ac0bc8e16789bc8fb

Warning : Flashing the android M developer preview will erase entire data stored on your nexus device. So before doing anything backup your data.

How To Install Android M Developer Preview On Nexus 5, 6, 9 & Player

• Download and install android SDK.
• Download the appropriate android M system image and unpack it in android sdk>platform-tools folder.
• Enable USB debugging on your Nexus device by going to ‘Settings>Development>Debugging’.
• Power of your phone. Connect the nexus device to PC.
• Enter into bootloader mode by pressing and holding ‘volume up’, volume down and power button. Alternatively connect the phone to PC and open a command window in platform-tools folder and run the command ‘adb reboot bootloader’.
• Execute the command ‘fastboot oem unlock’. A prompt will appear on your phone to confirm. It will wipe entire data.
• Now execute ‘flash-all.bat’ command. If you are using a MAC then type ‘flash-all.sh’. This will install the latest android M developer preview on your Nexus 5, 6, 9 and Nexus player.
• After flashing you can again lock the bootloader by typing the following command and executing 'fastboot oem lock'.
• Now go on testing the new android M developer preview.

Note : If anytime you want to go back to your original android firmware then download the nexus image from here and flash it by using the above procedure.

Read More

Android M Preview, Release Date And New Features

According to the yearly upgrade pattern, Google recently released the android M at I/O 2015. Android M is successor of android Lollipop. In every android version the developers at Google make some remarkable improvements and this time they have come up with an android version that lets its users to control the apps permissions, that will give much better standby, android pay, UI improvements and fingerprint sensors.

Lets see what’s new in the Android M

Android M New Features

1. App Permissions : The android app permissions have been changed completely, since in previous versions of android the app uses all permissions that it require, whether it is a hardware resource, android system resource or an app resource. But in android M, users will be able to control which permissions to grant and which permissions to revoke. You can control all permissions in app settings.

2. App Links : When you tap a link in any android app then you will see some options to open the link. But with android M this feature has been changed. Any internet links will offer the chance to set any app with a built-in browser as the default for opening those kind of links. With Android M, it’ll be able to self-verify links. If it’s a Twitter link, it’ll automatically open in the Twitter app. If it’s a YouTube video, it’ll open in the YouTube app. The links will be completely automated.

3. Android Pay : Android Pay is the latest iteration of mobile payments used by Google. With android Pay you will be able to make payments with NFC at stores without letting them to know your credit card details, because they are kept private. The service will work with major cards, US carriers (AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon) as well as a variety of stores: McDonald's, Subway, Best Buy, Coca Cola, Pepsi.

4. Fingerprint Sensor : The fingerprint sensor is not a new thing in android. Samsung has already given its own fingerprint sensor in the Galaxy S6. The fingerprint sensor can be used to unlock your Nexus device or any other smartphone, purchase apps from play store and make payments via android pay. Google has made this feature mandatory in android M and you can expect it to see even in mid range android smartphones later this year.

5. Battery Standby : Google has also introduced a new function in android M called ‘Doze’. This technology make use of accelerometer to detect the motion of the device. If the device is lying still on a table or hasn’t been moved for a while then the background apps will be reduced to increase the battery standby. Google compared two nexus 9 devices one running Lollipop and other running android M preview in Doze mode, and the result was that the Nexus device which was running android M preview gave double the standby. You can still receive priority notifications and can hear alarms in Doze mode.

6. Auto Backup & Restore Of Apps : Android M will automatically backup and restore app data on your phone. The data backup will be done once per day, when the device is idle or connected to Wi-Fi. The app data will be saved to Google Drive associated with the phone’s Google account. The uploaded file size will be 25 MB or less. The data will be encrypted and suppose if you lost your phone or delete some apps then when ou again install these apps then the app will be restored automatically.

7. New App Drawer : Android M has got the newest app drawer and totally different from its previous versions. The new app drawer scrolls vertically instead of horizontally, like Windows Phone 8. At the top of the app drawer screen you will see four recently used apps and below it you will see apps arranged alphabetically. A search bar is also given at the top of recent apps.

8. Android M RAM Manager : Android M has its own RAM manager. With this inbuilt RAM manager the users will be able to control which apps are consuming more memory and making the device slow. After finding these apps the user can uninstall these useless apps to increase device performance. Also android M gives a remark at the top of RAM manager showing ‘Good Performance’ which means that your android M smartphone is running well without lags. There is no need to install third party RAM manager apps on android M.

9. Adoptable Storage Devices : This is a new feature in android M and is the most expected feature that an every android user wants, that is the ability to install android apps on sdcard or USB storage. The android M can format sdcard and USB flash drives in such a way so that they can be used as internal storage space. Now with this feature you can install apps on sdcard or USB drives or even move apps data between sdcard and phone. The stored data is totally encrypted.

10. Google Now : Google Now is now smarter than ever. Google Now's context awareness understand over 100 million different places, so when you ask ''How far is it to there'' Google Now know exactly which ''there'' you're referring to. This awareness is compounded by Google's Knowledge Graph, which understands one billion different entities, from sports teams to gas stations, TV shows to recipes.

11. Google Photos : Google Photos is now standalone photo and video storage and sharing service that provides unlimited free storage for up to 16 MP photos and 1080p video. That is seriously impressive.

12. USB Type-C : With USB Type-C android M can be able to charge other smartphones, charge itself or transfer data. The feature is useful if we can charge a phone from a similar phone having the same battery specifications otherwise we can still charge android phones having low voltage battery with an android phone having OTG support
.
13. Bluetooth stylus support : The OS now includes improved support for Bluetooth stylus devices.

14. Improved Bluetooth Low Energy Scanning : A new approach to scanning method cuts down on the power required to perform the scan, provided the developer of the app implements the feature.

15. Hotspot 2.0 Release 1 support : Support for Hotspot 2.0 in devices like Nexus 6 and Nexus 9 to automatically connect to Hotspot 2.0 networks when you enter the area.

16. 4K Display Mode : Android M now supports display resolutions up to 4K.

17. Improved Calculator : Google added a few extra functions to the Calculator app, namely the ability to switch between radians and degree and inverse sine, cosine and tangent functions. But there is still no percentage button.

18. 5 GHz Hotspot Access : M now allows you to setup your phone's hotspot on the far less crowded 5GHz band on compatible devices.

19. Do Not Disturb Quick Setting : M has a new Do not disturb button in the notifications, which is essentially the previous Interruptions feature. You can choose between Total silence mode, Alarms only mode, or Priority only mode. You can customize these options from the notifications or the Settings app.

20. Custom Chrome Tabs : So many apps today have a web component that forces you to jump between a browser and the app or as web view embedded into the app. The Chrome team proposes a different solution - style Chrome to look like a part of the app. The app can launch a custom Chrome tab, style it and add buttons to make it feel almost like a native part of the app.

Availability

The android M is currently available to download on Nexus 5, Nexus 6, Nexus 9 and Nexus player.

Android M Release Date

The android M will be released in Q3, 2015.

If you have more info about android M then please share via comments and if you like the article then please share it.

Sources : AndroidPit | GSMArena

Read More