Battery Predictor Tells You How Long Until Your Phone is Charged
The Android L Developer Preview has only been available for a little over an hour, yet we have already gone hands-on with it. But after whipping through a quick preview, it’s time to start really looking at the newest version of Android. What’s new? What has changed? Are there any awesome little tweaks that Google has made that you can’t live without? The first we want to talk about is Battery Predictor.
As the name suggests, your phone can now predict how long it is going to take to fully charge if it is running Android L. There isn’t much else to say, other than once you plug your phone in, the estimate will show up on the lock screen. You can also head into Settings>Battery to see the estimate as well.
The days of wondering about and stressing over how much longer you need to stick to a charger. Pretty sweet, right?
Do Not Disturb Mode
Our series on new Android L features kicked off moments ago with Battery Predictor, but now it’s time to move on to an addition that probably should have been built into Android long ago. This is Do Not Disturb mode.
For those not familiar with a feature like DND, think of it as a way to shut off phone calls and notifications during the night or other times where you would rather not have a “ding” or buzz go off. We are talking during meetings, funerals (whoa!), or anything else in life that would require some quiet time.
To enable or find Do Not Disturb mode, you have a number of options. The first way is to adjust the volume on your phone, which then gives you a pop-up with a volume slider next to a “DND” icon (circle with slash through it) that can be tapped to turn DND mode on or off. Turning it on will also give you a drop-down with a series of options, like duration of the DND or whether or not it lasts until you turn it back off.
The other quick way to turn DND on or off is by pulling down the quick toggles in the notification area and then tapping on the “Notifications” option. This will pop-up the notification volume slider that includes the DND button mentioned above.
The third and final way to access DND settings, which also happens to give you the most control over this new settings, is through Settings>Sound & Notifications>Do not disturb. Once in this area, you can turn the mode on or off, decide if you want it to block calls or messages or both, decide if sets of contacts can overpower DND (anyone, starred contacts, contacts), and then decide if you want DND to automatically turn itself on during certain hours or days (every night, weeknights, never).
Interacting With the New Lock Screen
Up next in our tour of new features in Android L is a detailed, on-video look at the revamped lock screen experience.
If you have used Android at all over the years, a lot of the new concepts will make sense once you see them in action. There are quick swipes to launch into the camera or dialer, ways to expand out notifications, and access to your settings toggles should you need to adjust brightness or get on a WiFi network.
With that said, things have changed around quite substantially. Notifications are no longer hidden away in a notification drawer – they are presented on the lock screen without the need to swipe anywhere. There is no longer an unlock circle – a swipe up anywhere on the screen gets you unlocked and to your home screen. If you want to access the camera, you will find a similar swipe on the screen to the left, but Google has also added a swipe to the right to get directly into the dialer. And that’s not all.
To see the full tour of the new lock screen setup, hit up the video below.
