Being the sixth major version of the Android operating system and the 13th version of Android, Android “Marshmallow” or Android 6.0, has a codename of Android M, during the development. On May 28, 2015, the first beta version of Android Marshmallow was released. And on October 5, 2015, the official release was made with the Nexus device with a motive to improve the overall user experience. New permissions architecture, new power management systems that reduce background activity, new APIs for contextual assistants, and fingerprint recognition for native support were introduced by the Android Marshmallow version.
Android Marshmallow History:
The developer preview build of Android Marshmallow was released on May 28, 2015, at Google I/O under the codename of “Android M”. It was initially codenamed as “Macadamia Nut Cookie”. Android 6.0 was first disclosed for Nexus 5 and Nexus 6 phones, Nexus 9 tablet, smartphones, Nexus 9 tablet, and Nexus Player set-top-box. On July 9, 2015, the second developer preview was released. On August17, 2015, the third and final preview was released. An announcement is also made that Android M would be termed as Android “Marshmallow”. On October 5, 2015, the final version of Android Marshmallow was released for Nexus 5, 6, 7, and 9.
Android Marshmallow Features:
The Android Marshmallow version supports various special features. Some of the important features of Android 6.0 are discussed below.
Slight change to the lock screen:
Though similar to Lollipop, there is only a slight change in the screen lock of the Android Marshmallow version. The dialer is replaced here with a camera shortcut in the bottom corners. The dialer app was replaced by Google with access to the voice commands.
The notification area:
With constant improvement in the notification area, Google added the feature to display the current notifications on swiping down once with one finger. These notifications can also be expanded or accessed. The Quick Settings menu is displayed on the second Swipe down.
Doze Mode – more battery life:
To help the users to stay off their phones for a longer time, without recharging all the time, the Doze mode was introduced in the Android Marshmallow version. By putting the phone in a deeper sleep during a longer period of inactivity, the Doze Mode thus extends the standby battery life.
Native fingerprint support:
The fingerprint API, released by Google allowed the developers to tap into the phone’s biometric authentication. Thus a fingerprint reader is used for unlocking the device which offers a secure connection with the users.
App permissions:
To download an app, before Android 6.0, we had to accept all the permission of the app, even when it is unreasonable and unnecessary. But it is not so with Android 6.0 Marshmallow. Here, we can download any app and we can also select the permission that we allow it to access.
RAM memory manager:
A section in the “Memory” setting was introduced by Google in the Android 6.0 Marshmallow version to display the usage of the RAM memory by each app. The necessary action can thus be taken in case any app gets rogue.
USB Type-C and USB 3.1 support:
All kinds of interaction, including data transfer, charging, accessory connections, etc., are allowed by USB type C which is supported by the Android 6.0 Marshmallow version. Also, a faster speed and storage connection are provided by USB 3.1. And there is no need to think about it’s up and downs.
Direct Share:
Direct Share is a new sharing feature enabled in the Android 6.0 Marshmallow version, to remember the things shared by the user and the app in which the user is sharing it. It also recommends the people whom the user generally uses to communicate with. It thus saves a lot of time when shared with the same people.