How to get Android 5.0 Lollipop on your PC

If you’re an eager beaver and can’t wait to try out Android 5.0 Lollipop, but your Android phone still has a long way to go before it can actually get updated OTA, usually your last resort would be flashing a custom ROM. Well, today we’re here to give you an alternate solution. Here’s how to get Android Lollipop on your PC.

After completing this guide, you will be able to use an Android Lollipop emulator on your PC. This emulator simulates the functions and features of an Android device right on your computer, unlike other services, like Bluestack, that only let you run Android apps.

• Android 5.0 Lollipop: find out everything you need to know about Android 5.0 here

Requirements

Android SDK : this contains the SDK Manager with which you will be able to download Android Lollipop and other necessary tools. 

How to install the Android 5.0 Lollipop on your computer

The procedure is divided into two phases, downloading the necessary files and creating the emulator.

Install the necessary material

• Download the zip file for the Android SDK for your computer (32 or 64 bit).
• Extract the zip file that you just downloaded with an archive manager (like 7-Zip). Choose an appropriate location for the extraction and remember where it has been saved (C: \ Program Files \ Android ").
• Open the program SDK Manager and the android-sdk folder, and wait for it to finish loading.
• If you find that items are already selected, deselect them. Under Tools select only Android SDK Platform-tools. Also select the entire section called Android 5.0 (API 21). Now click Install Packages, accept and confirm the installation. The process of downloading and installation will start now.

Create the Android Lollipop emulator
After installation, go to the android-sdk folder and open the AVD Manager program. Select the Create button, it will open a window where you can set the parameters of the emulator. Insert the following:

• AVD Name: the name of the emulator, do not use spaces (example: EmulatoreLollipop)
• Device: select a preset template among those present, I recommend the Nexus 5 or earlier.
• Target : the version of Android to be installed (Android 5.0 - API Level 21)
• CPU: select "ARM"
• Skin : select "Skin with dynamic hardware controls"
• RAM : I recommend you choose either 512 or 1024 (it will be "taken away" from that of the PC, so don’t overdo it or it will slow down the system)
• Leave the other items with default values and press OK.

You will now find your new emulator in the list found on AVD Manager. Select it, press Start and then Launch to run it. The first startup may take several minutes, as it will install Android Lollipop. To select a size, go into the the Launch Options after Start, select ''Scale to display real size'' and set your prefered size.

Congratulations, you’ve now successfully installed your first PC emulator with Android Lollipop. Now you can immerse yourself into Material Design and comb through each new option brought by this fantastic update!

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Android 5.0 Lollipop tips: 5 tricks everyone should know

If you're lucky enough to have Android 5.0 Lollipop on your device right now, you're amongst the lucky few with Nexus, Motorola or LG devices. But the Android 5.0 Lollipop update is coming for everyone, so why not get up to speed on the best Android 5.0 Lollipop tips to give you a head start on what you need to know to get the most out of Lollipop and avoid some of the biggest Android 5.0 Lollipop fails...

Enable silent mode

This is easily one of the biggest frustrations with Android 5.0 Lollipop: the official death of silent mode. We've shared a couple of tricks to enable silent mode on Android 5.0 Lollipop but one of our awesome Mods and all-round geniuses, Mattia from AndroidPIT.it has come up with a cool silent mode widget that'll flip your device to silent and back again – the app is getting the final touches on it right now, but we'll share it with you as soon as it's uploaded to the Play Store. In the meantime, check out the article linked above for all the current options.

Lock screen security

Android 5.0 Lollipop comes with a variety of lock screen security options. From the classic pattern, PIN or password, to the more funky Lollipop options like Trusted Faces, trusted Devices or Trusted Places. Whatever lock screen method (or trusted bypass option) you choose, this should really be one of the very first thing's you do with any phone, any time. With the new Trusted options, having a complex pattern lock doesn't even have to be a pain as long as you're hanging out near home/work, have your smartwatch or Bluetooth headphones on or have your beautiful mug in view of your phone (which should always be attached to your body).

Chrome tabs

This isn't a huge problem, and maybe you like having your Chrome tabs dispersed throughout your recent apps stack, but for me it's as irritating a default setting as its possible to have. Fortunately, all you need to do to get your Chrome tabs back to their rightful place (you know, in Chrome) is to go to you Chrome settings and disable ''merge tabs and apps.'' Your Chrome tabs will now be accessible via the traditional button on the URL bar in the Chrome browser.

Priority interruptions

Priority interruptions are a key component of the Android 5.0 Lollipop feature set. Knowing that there are times and places when you don't want to be interrupted by anything except the most urgent notifications is a great addition to stock Android's functionality. It may take you a little while to set up exactly how you like it, but once you've got your priorities in order you can enjoy peace and quiet unless your mom's dog runs away or your girlfriend is texting you.

Dead Email app

For some odd reason, Google decided to keep the now useless Email app. When you launch it for the first time, you'll get a splash screen that tells you Gmail is now handling Email services and you can check the box fto launch Gmail instead. But why do that and have a hollow app sitting in your app drawer? Go to Settings > Apps > All tab and find Email and disable that useless waste of space. Your emails will still be handled by Gmail but you won't have the dead app icon cluttering up your precious app drawer.

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Android 5.0 Lollipop: 10 Most Exciting Features

1. Material Design: 

Google's last design language was Holo which was replaced by Material Design. Google went on updating design guidelines for developers to start making Material apps. But with Lollipop, Google is focusing on the main thing – Android's consistency across all devices. Android Lollipop will be omnipresent across phones, tablets, watches, cars and TV too. Lollipop will have a flat look for its UI and all icons. The Material Design means menus will respond more promptly. So Android Lollipop is all about consistent design experience across all Android devices and with this design, elements can dynamically shrink and expand and most importantly the interface has a 3D appearance overall.

2. Battery life fixes: 

Google has added a new battery saver feature to the latest Android version which claims to extend the battery life of devices up to 90 minutes. This Android version will display the estimated time left to fully charge the device when plugged in and also the time left before the user needs to recharge the device. Android phones have always suffered from battery life issues due to apps and services running in the background. The power saving mode has been missing from Android old stocks. You'll be able to restrict syncing, background data and also screen brightness to expand battery life. The power saving mode has been tuned in a better way to the Android 5.0 Lollipop. The battery use menu has got a better graph which informs which apps are draining the battery. More battery life is always welcome so Android Lollipop is a win-win situation for millions of Android users across the globe.

3. Notification settings: 

Android 5.0 Lollipop has lock screen displays and rich notifications settings. Users can view and respond to messages directly from the lock screen and the richer notification settings in the new Android version includes floating descriptive notifications on the top of activities. These notifications can be viewed or dismissed without moving away from any activity. On Android Lollipop Google has offered better control over notifications. Users can control notifications from apps and sensitive content can kept hidden. The 'Priority mode' can also be turned on via the volume button of the device. There is one more feature called 'Do Not Disturb' mode, just like in Apple iOS, which allows users to selectively silence notifications and calls. The entire look and feel of the notifications is changing as lock screen can be easily accessed now, along with a revamped pull-down menu. The layout and location of notifications have been completely changed and lock screen widgets are removed from Android 5.0.

4. Security enhancements: 

Android 5.0 will allow encryption by default. You can encrypt your Android device now too, though it may be a painstaking job. You need to plug in your phone and the encryption process will take minimum 30 minutes. And just to warn you, if anything goes wrong, your data will get lost. But with Android 5.0 encryption will be an automatic thing. Android 5.0 features an opt-in kill switch known as 'Factory Reset Protection' which allows users to wipe out the device's data as per their wish. With this Android you can also unlock your phone in an easier way without entering a PIN or drawing the pattern. You can use an Android watch to unlock your phone which is kept in close proximity. Lollipop also comes with SELinux enforcement which means better protection against viruses and malware.

5. New Quick Settings: 

Google wants to curb swipes on devices which are needed to access important functions like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS activation. The new Android includes built-in tools for flashlight, hotspot and screen cast controls which means you can get rid off many third party apps now. Setting up an Android device will become faster now with Android 5.0 as the new Android device can be set up just by tapping it on the old device, though it requires NFC support. All apps from Google play will be transferred to the new device, if the same Google account is used. In certain situations, you can also adjust brightness manually.

6. New Messenger App: 

A new Messenger app is present in Android 5.0 which comes with Nexus 6 which is said to be a simplified version of Google Hangouts. This Messenger has been designed for sending and receiving SMS and MMS messages on Android in a quicker and easier way. More updates about this Messenger are still awaited though.

7. Performance Boost: 

Android 5.0 supports 64-bit and the new Nexus 9 also features a 64-bit chip, though Nexus 6 doesn't. Well this kind of performance boost will not make a very huge difference for average users but Google will be shipping native 64-bit versions of Gmail, Maps and other apps too. But this development will not mean much if you are using a 32-bit device only. The runtime environment in the new Android version is ART which promises four times better performance and better desktop level graphics performance too.

8. Updated camera: 

The updated camera settings supports advanced features like burst mode and fine settings tuning. Full resolution frames around 30fps can be captured in this new update and shooting can be done is raw formats like YUV and Bayer RAW. Android 5.0 also supports UHD 4K video playback, tunneled video for high quality video playback on Android TV and also improved live streaming. Professional features have also been added like controlling settings for the sensor, lens and flash per individual frame. In Android 5.0 developers will be able to implement their own technology to take full advantage of hardware and any mediocre camera can be transformed to a better one.

9. Device Sharing: 

Device sharing features have been integrated in Android 5.0 which allows users share their device with family members and friends without giving access to sensitive content. It features a guest user mode with custom options for access which allows users fix the place of the screen which is displayed. There is also a feature in Lollipop which allows users log in to another Android phone to access synced messages and content, if the device is forgotten at home.

10. Other Updates: 

There are some more features in this OS and more fixes and improvements. In this new OS finding things will become easier with improved search indexing and search results will be saved across different apps and devices.

Other relevant features of Android 5.0 include improved hardware keyboard accessory support, support for 15 new languages including Bengali, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Tamil and Telugu, improved audio and video capabilities and improved Internet connectivity with more powerful Bluetooth low energy capabilities. 

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