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Prepare your device for Android 15 upgrade

With Android 15 release around the corner, you would want to ensure your device is absolutely ready to receive the upgrade when the rollout being. Checking the software update policy is one thing, but there are a few other things to consider.

Android 15 is an exciting upgrade that will bring a host of new features, such as theft detection lock, private space, full support for app archiving, satellite connectivity, and more. Additionally, there will be new features and improvements from the smartphone manufacturer as a part of their custom skin.

While Google Pixels are yet to receive the stable Android 15 update, a Chinese brand, Vivo, surprised everyone with an early release of the new software. And recently, Nothing has joined the party with the Android 15-based Nothing OS 3.0 open beta release. Other brands to follow soon.

Waiting eagerly for Android 15? Review these points to ensure your device is ready for the upgrade.

#1. Check the software update policy...This is the first and most important step to ensure your device is eligible for the next Android release. Since many brands haven’t yet released a list of Android 15 eligible devices, you can check the software update policy of your device on the official website to know how long it will be supported. If that sounds like a lot of work to you, go through our Android 15 eligible devices list to check if yours is on the list. If your device is eligible for the Android 15 upgrade, only then it makes sense to wait for the upgrade, otherwise you might want to upgrade to a newer model.

#2. Make sure the software is up-to-date...Your device must be running the latest software available in order to be eligible for the upgrade. It’s also recommended for a smoother and more stable software experience. Sometimes, you might get to see new features and big improvements. You can manually check for updates every few days, or enable automatic updates (check point #6 for steps) to let your device do the job. You’ll get notified whenever an update is available and then install it.

#3. Update all apps...This is an important step that is overlooked by many people. Whenever a new version of Android is announced, developers need to make necessary modifications to apps to make them compatible with the latest Android version. To reduce the risk of app crashes or bugs, update all the apps before you install the Android 15 update package.

#4. Ensure sufficient battery...Major software updates, like Android 15, can take longer installation time. So, if the device switches off during update installation, your device may end up with an incomplete installation and probably corrupted files. The device may not function properly, and sometimes, it can result in a bricked state, making the phone unusable. Software update installation is a highly resource-consuming task, which drains the battery at a faster pace. Hence, it’s strongly recommended that the device be charged at least 50% before installing an upgrade.

#5: Ensure Sufficient Storage...For a major upgrade like Android 15, it’s recommend that you keep at least 10GB of free space for a smoother installation.

#6. Backup your data...Installing a software update might cause data loss. While it doesn’t happen most of the time, there’s a chance, and if your device has some important data, you wouldn’t leave that to destiny. Hence, backing up important data is a crucial step. You can backup your data to a physical device, such as a pen drive or hard disk, or a cloud storage like Google Drive, Mega, or Dropbox. Also, remember to back up your messages, Wi-Fi passwords, home screen, and other important data.

#7. Enable automatic updates...Manually checking for new updates every few days is time-consuming and forgetful as well. To save you from this, every Android device has an option to enable automatic updates. This will send you a notification whenever an update is available. Open the Settings app, go to the software update section, and enable automatic updates, if not enabled already.

On my Samsung Galaxy S21 FE, the update notifications arrive with a delay of a day or two. This is probably because the automatic update checking tool doesn’t work in real-time. So, what I do is track trusted sources to know if a new software update is rolling out, and then I manually check for updates once or twice every day. Most of the time, I get the update on the first attempt.

What to expect from Android 15?...Android 15 doesn’t bring major design elements, but still, there’s a lot to look forward to. Here are some of the top features of the new OS:

1. Satellite connectivity support...Android 15 introduces satellite connectivity support that allows users to send text messages even if there are no cellular towers nearby, as long as they have access to the open sky. However, this feature will likely require a special chip and support from the carrier. The OS supports SMS, MMS, as well as, RCS apps to use the satellite connectivity feature. 

2. Theft detection lock...It’s one of the most important Android 15 features that automatically locks the device if a motion is detected that resembles someone snatching your phone off your hands. This feature is designed to stop others from stealing your data. The more exciting part is that thieves will have a hard time selling the device, as they will not be able to set it up again without knowing your device or Google account details.

3. Private space...Android 15 introduces a private space to keep your sensitive apps in a more secure place. You can set a different password for private space for an additional layer of protection. Many smartphones already have a similar feature under different names, such as Secure Folder in Samsung and Private Safe in OnePlus.

4. App pair shortcut...Android 15 allows creating shortcuts for a pair of apps to use in the split-screen mode. For example, you can create a shortcut for YouTube and Notes. Although it’s a minor change, those who spend most of the time using multiple apps in split-screen mode would find it time-saving.

5. App archiving...Android phones already have support for app archiving, which lets users uninstall the app while keeping the user data around. But it’s only via the Google Play Store. The upcoming Android 15 has this feature baked in. This means it will also support apps installed outside of the Google Play Store. The app archiving feature is designed to save storage by archiving apps you don’t want to use for a short period. When you unarchive the app, you can continue where you left off without losing any data.

6. Partial screen recording...When you share the screen, the other person sees everything on your screen, including information from apps you don’t want the other person to see. Android 15 resolves this by introducing partial screen sharing. This new feature lets you share or record the screen of a single app rather than the entire screen.

7. Notification cooldown...While it’s unconfirmed, Android 15 could bring the notification cooldown feature designed to prevent users from getting annoyed by too many notifications. This feature lowers the volume of incoming notifications from the same app.

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