Google has revealed that the next update to its popular smartphone operating system will be called Android O.

The next version of Google's operating system for smartphones will be called Android O, finally, after the appearance of great rumors around this update. This Android O update breaks with the current trend of automatic update, to update it now we need to download this version manually and install it manually, as long as the device that we are going to update is compatible.

Android O is not yet available for users who are part of the beta program, for this reason to install it we will need to download it from Google's own website. So far only the Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P, Nexus Player, Pixel, Pixel XL and Pixel C will support Android O and be careful, when we install it we will lose the previous information, of course. This limited access is given so that developers can work calmly on the applications and adapt them to the new operating system, avoiding the problems of Android N.

Among the novelties, Android O has an option for the applications to be integrated into new channels that group each application according to its theme, or what is the same, now users can manage the notifications we want to receive, adjusting to our preferences. If we had a news aggregate installed and we only wanted information about technology and cinema, we could configure it so that it only informs us about the specified topic.

Another novelty is the Picture-in-Picture mode that will come to the new Google operating system. This allows you to view any video in a small floating window within any screen, menu or application within Android O, something quite similar to what YouTube and Facebook currently allow in their applications.

A very interesting feature has been implemented for experiences where the desktop is the base, allowing the use of several monitors, something especially useful on computers with Chrome OS installed, as well as allowing remote control of the operating system from another screen.

It also has another utility more focused on Chrome OS than on smartphones and tablets, such as keyboard navigation. Through this system you can move with the keyboard dates or with key combinations through the applications, something very practical in laptops with Chrome OS that do not have a touch screen.

One of the problems of Android is that if you do not close the applications, some or almost all of them can run in the background, generating significant performance problems, something that in Android O will be quite limited. The restriction of applications in the background, will limit the tasks to a few, avoiding that resources are consumed freely when the user is not using an application.

The novelties of Android O are focused on productivity and performance, there will be no amount of adjustments in terms of the visual theme. The only novelty is that the icons will become unified and will be round, in the purest Google Pixel style. These icons will also adapt to higher or higher resolution screens, also improving the colors when using a large screen or monitors.

There will be more optimizations, such as WiFi, Bluetooth audio, a restriction system for phone call applications, improved font support, WebView has been improved, the speed of Android Runtime has been doubled and new APIs for Java. All the news and improvements, as well as the release date should be given during the Google I / O 2017.

Source: Google