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Android Marshmallow

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Android Marshmallow
Version of the Android operating system
File:New (2014) logo for the Android devices platform.png
File:Android 6.0-en.png
Android Marshmallow home screen, with proprietary applications
DeveloperGoogle
General
availability		October 5, 2015; 9 years ago (2015-10-05)[1]
Latest release6.0.1 (MMB29M)[2] / December 8, 2015; 8 years ago (2015-12-08)
Preceded byAndroid 5.x "Lollipop"
Official websitewww.android.com

Android 6.0 "Marshmallow"[3] is a version of the Android mobile operating system. First unveiled in May 2015 at Google I/O under the codename "Android 'M'", it was officially released in October 2015.[4]

Marshmallow primarily focuses on improving the overall user experience of Lollipop,[5] introducing a new permissions architecture, new APIs for contextual assistants (a feature notably leveraged by "Google Now On Tap"—a new capability of the Google Search app), a new power management system that reduces background activity when a device is not being physically handled, native support for fingerprint recognition and USB Type-C connectors, the ability to migrate data to a microSD card and use it as primary storage, as well as other internal changes.

History

The developer preview build, codenamed Android "M", was unveiled and released at Google I/O on May 28, 2015, for the Nexus 5 and Nexus 6 phones, Nexus 9 tablet, and Nexus Player set-top box, under the build number MPZ44Q.[5][6] The third developer preview under build number MPA44G was released on August 17, 2015,[7] later updated to MPA44I, and brought fixes related to Android for Work profiles.[8]"Marshmallow" was officially announced as the release's name the same day.[3]

On September 29, 2015, Google unveiled launch devices for Marshmallow: the LG Electronics-produced Nexus 5X, the Huawei-produced Nexus 6P, and the in-house Pixel C tablet.[9][10] Android 6.0 updates and factory images for Nexus 5, 6, 7 (2013), 9, and Player were released on October 5, 2015,[11] with over-the-air updates following shortly after. Older Nexus devices, such as the Nexus 4, Nexus 7 (2012) and Nexus 10 did not receive an official update. On October 14, 2015, LG announced that it planned to release Marshmallow for its flagship LG G4 in Poland the following week, marking the first third-party device to receive an update to Marshmallow.[12] On December 7, 2015, Google released the Android 6.0.1 update and factory images for Nexus 6P, Nexus 5X, Nexus 6, Nexus Player, Nexus 9, Nexus 5 and Nexus 7 (2013) which brought tons of emoji and many security patches.[13]

Features

User experience

A new "Assist" API allows information from a currently-opened app, including text and a screenshot of the current screen, to be sent to a designated "assistant" application for analysis and processing. This system is used by the Google Search app feature "Google Now on Tap", which allows users to perform searches within the context of information currently being displayed by holding the "Home" button or using a voice command. The search generates on-screen cards overlaid onto the app, which display information, suggestions, and actions related to the content.[14] "Direct Share" allows Share menus to display combinations of contacts and an associated app to be displayed, as opposed to selecting an app and then choosing a target within the app itself.[14]

A newly inserted SD card or other secondary storage media can be designated as either "portable" or "internal" storage. "Portable" maintains the default behavior of previous Android versions, treating the media as a secondary storage device for storage of user files, and the storage media can be removed or replaced without repercussions.[14] When designated as "Internal" storage, the storage media is reformatted with an encrypted ext4 file system, and is "adopted" by the operating system as the primary storage partition. Existing data (including applications and "private" data folders) are migrated to the external storage, and normal operation of the device becomes dependent on the presence of the media. Apps and operating system functions will not function properly if the adopted storage device is removed. If the user loses access to the storage media, the adopted storage can be "forgotten", which makes the data permanently inaccessible.[14]

Platform

Android Marshmallow introduces a redesigned application permission model: there are now only eight permission categories, and applications are no longer automatically granted all of their specified permissions at installation time. An opt-in system is now used, in which users are prompted to grant or deny individual permissions (such as the ability to access the camera or microphone) to an application when they are needed for the first time. Applications remember the grants, which can be revoked by the user at any time.[15] The new permission model will be used only by applications compiled for Marshmallow using its software development kit (SDK), and all other applications will continue to use the previous permission model.[5][16]

Marshmallow introduces new power management schemes known as "Doze" and "App Standby"; when running on battery power, a device will enter a low-power state if it is inactive and not being physically handled. In this state, network connectivity and background processing is restricted, and only "high-priority" notifications are processed.[14] Additionally, network access by apps is deferred if the user has not recently interacted with the app.[17] Apps may request a permission to exempt themselves from these policies, but will be rejected from Google Play Store as a violation of its "Dangerous Products" policy if their core functionality is not "adversely affected" by them.[17][18]

Android Marshmallow provides native support for fingerprint recognition on supported devices via a standard API, allowing third-party applications to implement fingerprint-based authentication. Fingerprints can be used for unlocking devices and authenticating Play Store and Android Pay purchases. Android Marshmallow supports USB Type-C, including the ability to instruct devices to charge another device over USB. Marshmallow also introduces "verified links" that can be configured to open directly in their specified application without further user prompts.[5][16] User data for apps targeting Marshmallow can be automatically backed up to Google Drive over Wi-Fi. Each application receives up to 25 MB of storage, which is separate from a user's Google Drive storage allotment.[14]

As of Marshmallow, the Android Compatibility Definition Document contains new security mandates for devices, dictating that those that are capable of accessing encrypted data at a certain minimum speed must enable Secure boot and device encryption by default.[19] These conditions comprise part of a specification that must be met in order to be certified for the operating system,[19] and be able to license Google Mobile Services software.[20] The requirement for mandatory device encryption was originally intended to take effect on Lollipop, but was delayed due to performance issues.[19]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Get ready for the sweet taste of Android 6.0 Marshmallow". Android Developers. Retrieved October 6, 2015.
  2. ^ "android-6.0.1_r3". android.googlesource.com. Retrieved December 8, 2015.
  3. ^ a b "Android M's name is Marshmallow". The Verge. Vox Media. Retrieved August 17, 2015.
  4. ^ "Get ready for the sweet taste of Android 6.0 Marshmallow". Official Android Blog. Google. Retrieved October 6, 2015.
  5. ^ a b c d Chester, Brandon. "Google Announces Android M At Google I/O 2015". Anandtech. Purch, Inc. Retrieved May 28, 2015.
  6. ^ "Google's Android M preview build will run on the Nexus 5, 6, 9, and Player [Updated]". Ars Technica. Condé Nast. Retrieved May 28, 2015.
  7. ^ "Downloads Android Developers". August 17, 2015.
  8. ^ "Support and Release Notes | Android Developers". developer.android.com. Retrieved August 22, 2015.
  9. ^ "Google Announces The Pixel C Tablet". Anandtech. Purch, Inc. Retrieved September 30, 2015.
  10. ^ "Hands-on with Google's new Nexus 6P smartphone". The Verge. Retrieved September 29, 2015.
  11. ^ "Android 6.0 Marshmallow is now available for Google's Nexus devices". The Verge. Vox Media. Retrieved October 16, 2015.
  12. ^ "LG begins rolling out Android 6.0 Marshmallow to the G4 next week". The Verge. Retrieved October 15, 2015.
  13. ^ "Google releases Android 6.0.1 Factory Images for Nexus 6P/6, Nexus 5X/5, Nexus Player, Nexus 9 And Nexus 7 [2013]". GadgetzArena. Retrieved December 7, 2015.
  14. ^ a b c d e f "Android 6.0 Marshmallow, thoroughly reviewed". Ars Technica. Conde Nast. Retrieved October 6, 2015.
  15. ^ "Android M Overview - Permissions". Android Developer. Google. Retrieved September 2, 2015.
  16. ^ a b "Google announces Android M, available later this year". The Verge. Vox Media. Retrieved May 28, 2015.
  17. ^ a b "Optimizing for Doze and App Standby". Android developers portal. Retrieved November 17, 2015. Google Play policies prohibit apps from requesting direct exemption from Power Management features in Android 6.0+ (Doze and App Standby) unless the core function of the app is adversely affected.
  18. ^ "Tasker has been pulled from the Play Store". Android Authority. Retrieved November 17, 2015.
  19. ^ a b c "Google makes full-disk encryption and secure boot mandatory for some Android 6.0 devices". IT World. IDG. Retrieved October 20, 2015.
  20. ^ "Balky carriers and slow OEMs step aside: Google is defragging Android". Ars Technica. Retrieved September 3, 2013.
Preceded by Android Marshmallow
October 2015 		Incumbent
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