If you have been paying attention to the Android version nomenclature, you would know that the next in line is the “N”. Well, the codename has been in deliberation for a while now with a few suggestions here and there, but they finally decided on Nougat (I can’t seem to get the pronunciation right). I’ll try as much as possible to paint a clear picture of the features in Android Nougat; although minute, they are significant and I’ll explain why.

HIGHLIGHTS OF ANDROID NOUGAT

First off, I would like to make it absolutely clear that you should not be expecting an update soon if you don’t use a Nexus or a Google Play Edition device. There is a difference between “upgradeable to Nougat” and “upgrading to Nougat soon” and the former is what most OEMs have promised; the timing is, well, something else entirely.

MULTITASKING

This is the first noteworthy thing that was updated in Android Nougat. Yes, this feature has been available on other platforms for a while now and even Samsung has enabled this feature in its larger devices. But never has this been a feature available out of the box, until now. I would say it’s a timely considering the fact that most Android devices are getting bigger screens and in essence a lot of space to play around with and this utilizes that space effectively.

See what I mean? With this, the first tab from Google turns from something that wasn’t even a real competitor to something you would really consider is you want to buy a tab.

HOW MULTITASKING ON ANDROID NOUGAT WORKS

You long press the overview button – the square button beside the circular one, in case you were confused. It shows the current app on one side of the screen, either the left or right or top or bottom depending on whether your device is in portrait or landscape mode.

On the other side, your list of recent apps will be displayed then you click on the one you want to launch alongside the current app. And, that’s about it! It’s quite similar to how Windows 10 does it’s split screen feature.

BENEFITS OF SPLIT SCREEN

Although, there are some inhibitions the smooth implementation of split screen on Android N; one of them is the fact that some apps do not support split screen mode, while some do but show a warning at first.

On the flip side, the apps that do, do not do so just for the sake of gimmicks but actually add real functionality to it.

A good example is the fact that drag and drop now becomes really possible with multi-screen functionality.

SWITCHING BETWEEN APPS

Another feature is the fact that you can easily switch between apps – without even going to your recent apps. Just double tap on the overview button and it switches to the last app that you were on.

RECENTS SCREEN REDUCED

Your list of recent apps is now going to be a lot less than it used to be before. If you think of it, Google has always been of the opinion that you do not need to clear apps to improve the performance of your Android device. You might be glad to know that there is now a clear all button. No, the one you used to see was not from Google, it was there most likely because your OEM put it there.

NOTIFICATIONS

Another part of the Android aesthetics that had some improvement is the notifications bar and center. Now, Android Nougat integrates the ability to reply to messages directly from the notification center. Just swipe down, hit reply and you’re good to go. Just like heads up notification on Lollipop and higher.

If you notice, from the image above, the notifications are now stacked on top of each other rather than on separate cards. Some other neat features include:

• Long pressing to edit notification options for that app. This is especially useful for muting noisy apps e.g. that really pesky whatsapp group you just can’t get yourself to quit.
• The traditional swiping to dismiss
• Apps can bundle multiple notifications into one.

The irony is quite sad, considering the only con in this update is the one thing that Google should have gotten right: Google Search. It is a complete mess. Don’t ask why, it just is. Hey, come to think of it, why is it that Google services look better on iOS?

EASTER EGG

This is one part that I always look forward to in any new Android version. For Nougat, it’s not a flappy bird mimic, this one is a completely different concept. It has to do with cats! Well, the process is quite similar to earlier versions on Android, just a little different. You can add the easter egg to the notification center.

CONCLUSION

The update is a welcome change, if only everyone could get it soon. For now, it’s only available for Nexus devices and not even all of them; just the recent ones.

Although Android Nougat is not a complete overhaul, it lays the groundwork for bigger future updates and I can’t wait to see what they have in store.