Click to Skip Ad
Closing in...

The best features in the latest version of Android 6 Marshmallow

Updated Dec 19th, 2018 9:09PM EST
Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow New Features
Image: Droid Life

If you buy through a BGR link, we may earn an affiliate commission, helping support our expert product labs.

Google released an update to Android 6.0 Marshmallow this week and while it doesn’t pack a ton of new features, it does add some significant upgrades that Android users will be happy to see. The trouble, of course, is that it will likely take most Android phones a long time to get Android 6.0.1, especially since most Android phones haven’t even updated to Android 6.0 yet. That said, there are some very cool features users can look forward to trying out whenever they do get the new software. Let’s go over them below.

DON’T MISS: Apple’s hideous Smart Battery Case doubles your iPhone’s battery life

All the new emoji

Some Android fans have expressed irritation in the past that iOS tends to get the newest emoji before Android does. With the release of Android 6.0.1, Android has caught up in the realm of support for emoji and it has added support for more Unicode 8.0 emoji that Apple added with the release of iOS 9.1.

To get a full gallery of emoji now supported on Android 6.0.1, check out Ars Technica’s full guide at this link.

Double tap the power button to launch the camera

Android Police notices

that Android 6.0.1 now gives older Nexus devices (including the Nexus 5, 6, 7 and 9) the ability to open up the camera just by double tapping the power button. This was a feature that Google debuted earlier this year with the Nexus 5x and Nexus 6P but this is the first time it’s come to older phones.

There’s no word yet on whether this feature will be included in non-Nexus Android phones that get Android 6.0.1 but it’s definitely something to look out for.

A small but important tweak to Do Not Disturb mode

Improving Do Not Disturb mode was an important feature of Android 6.0 and Google has tweaked it a little bit more with Android 6.0.1. Android Police explains that Android 6.0.1 brings back the ability to mute all your notifications until your next scheduled alarm goes off, which is a useful way to make sure you aren’t being constantly interrupted even during times when you want to be left alone in peace. This feature was previously available on Android before Google mysteriously removed it with Android 6.0, although now it seems to be back by popular demand.

Brad Reed
Brad Reed Staff Writer

Brad Reed has written about technology for over eight years at BGR.com and Network World. Prior to that, he wrote freelance stories for political publications such as AlterNet and the American Prospect. He has a Master's Degree in Business and Economics Journalism from Boston University.