Get the best bits of Android O now

WITH ANDROID 8.0 ON THE HORIZON, WE’RE ALL ITCHING TO GET OUR HANDS ON SOME NEW FEATURES. HERE’S HOW YOU CAN GRAB SOME OF THEM EARLY ON YOUR CURRENT PHONE.

GOOGLE STILL HASN’T announced the name (Oreo is the hot pick), but Android 8 is getting closer to release. The developer preview has been out for a while now, with loads of cool new features. It’s also now possible to get the beta on certain Nexus and Pixel devices, but what about for those with older or unsupported devices? We take a look at how to get some of the best Android O features right now. Keep in mind our testing is done on a Nexus 6P and Huawei P9, so the exact menu and settings locations may vary on your device.

FINGERPRINT SCANNER GESTURES

Already available on various phones with the manufacturers custom software, or for Pixel/ Nexus users, gesture recognition is a handy upgrade for your fingerprint scanner. Android O has run with the idea, and opened it up to third-party developers. In other words, your favourite apps could see a gesture update, such as scrolling via swiping the scanner. The new functionality looks for horizontal and vertical swipes, so should open up some useful possibilities. In the meantime, the app Fingerprint Quick Action gives some of the same functionality for free (though is ad supported). Some of the supported gestures include sleep, back, home, recent apps, open the notification panel and launching an app.

SNOOZE SPECIFIC NOTIFICATIONS

A cool new feature in Android O is the ability to ‘snooze’ a notification ‘til later. This is great for bringing it back to your attention at a more convenient time, compared to just swiping it away. You can get this same functionality on other versions of Android with the app Boomerang Notifications ( goo.gl/wnw2d4), which allows you to effectively snooze notifications. Notif Log notification history ( goo.gl/fcC3Bx) adds the same option, as well as giving a (functional) copy of all your notifications to look back over.

A NEW FILE MANAGER

Android 7 has a built-in file manager (and Android 6 has a hidden one) which is an easy way to, you know, manage files. Android 8 ups the game with a more in-depth version

that has a better feature set — especially compared to the previous barely more than just a link through to the downloads folder version. It’s still a decent way behind thirdparty file managers, though. For a free option, ES File Explorer File Manager ( estrongs.com) is a good start, and also has a Pro version. For those willing to spend a few dollars, Solid Explorer File Manager ( neatbytes.com) is also excellent, and has a 14-day trial period so you can try before you buy.

BATTERY SAVINGS

Running out of juice after a long day is something we have all faced, and never want to do again. While Android 6 and 7 improved the situation with Doze mode, Android O takes it further. Most importantly, it will target those annoying apps that run unknown in the background and drain your battery. While there is a lot of battery optimisation you can do manually, there are also thirdparty apps that will help. Many are junk, despite bold claims, or need root access, and are best avoided. A good App to start with is Greenify ( goo.gl/LSsNw), which identifies background battery hogs and puts them into hibernation. Avast Battery Saver ( www.avast.com) and McAfee Mobile Booster ( www.mcafee.com) are also solid apps. For those with a Snapdragon powered phone, Snapdragon BatteryGuru ( www.qualcomm.

com) will automatically work in the background to improve battery life.

CUSTOM LOCK SCREEN SHORTCUTS

In an update to the System UI Tuner, Android O now lets you customise lockscreen shortcuts. The concept is not a new one, and many other phones and devices already offer something similar. But it’s so handy that it is worth going over again. One of our favourite third-party apps to make your lock screen even better than the one in Android O is actually made by Microsoft. Next Lock Screen ( www.microsoft.com) allows you to launch apps directly from the lock screen, as well as providing a wealth of other features.

PIXEL LAUNCHER

We covered this in greater detail last issue, but we’ll go over it again briefly. Android O has an updated Pixel launcher, but some savvy individuals figured out how to get it running stand alone on pretty much any Android device running Marshmallow or newer. It’s not a super simple process, but doesn’t need root and it’s easy enough for most users. You can download the Pixel launcher APK file from the xda developers forums ( goo.gl/

Ue2YNC). You need to allow sideloading via ‘Settings > Security’ and also enable ‘Unknown sources’. Download and install the file, then head to ‘Settings > Apps’, tap the settings icon and select the Home app, and then the Pixel launcher. You will likely need to run it twice. Alternatively, try a third-party launcher — our go to is Nova launcher ( novalauncher.com) which has loads of customisation options available.

The Android O beta program is now available, so those with compatible Nexus and Pixel devices can try it out.

Thanks to the app Fingerprint Quick Action, it’s possible to control your device via swipes and taps on the fingerprint scanner.

Android has a basic file manager, but there are loads of third-party options that are great upgrades even for O users.

Android O has new battery saver measures built in, but apps such as Greenify give you many of the benefits right now.

Pixel devices have a fancy launcher, but thanks to Android O and some developers, it’s now available on other devices.

Create custom lockscreen shortcuts to your favourite apps, as well as other improvements, with thirdparty app Next Lock Screen.