Got Lollipop? 10 Cool Tricks to Explore with Android 5.0

Trusted Devices

If you have a Moto phone, you may have done this before -- but for the rest of the world, it's uncharted terrain: the ability to have your Android device stay unlocked anytime a specific Bluetooth device is present and paired. To set it up, head into your phone or tablet's system settings and tap "Security." Make sure you have "Screen lock" set to something other than "Swipe"; you'll need to have a pattern, password, or PIN established so your phone can automatically secure itself whenever your trusted Bluetooth device isn't around. Once you've done that, tap "Smart Lock" on that same menu and then tap "Trusted devices." Tap the red plus sign and follow the prompts to pair your smartwatch, car stereo, portable speaker, or practically anything else.

Face Lock

While you're in that same "Security" menu, go back into "Smart Lock" and tap "Trusted face." Follow the prompts to train the system to recognize your face, then press the power button and give it a whirl. Face Lock works far faster and more reliably than it did in the past, when it was novel but just too darn finicky and slow to be practical. With Lollipop, the system starts working to identify your face the second the screen is activated.

Voice Command

Provided your phone or tablet supports it, you can now give voice commands anytime -- even when your device's display is off. The option to activate the feature is a bit buried: Head into your system settings, tap "Language & input" and then "Voice input," then tap the gear icon next to "Enhanced Google services" and look for a line labeled "'Ok Google' Detection." Tap it, then tap the line labeled "Always on" and follow the prompts to train the system to recognize your voice. While you're in that menu, think about whether you want voice commands to work even when your phone is locked with a pattern, PIN, or password; if you do, tap the line labeled "When locked" before you exit out.

Notification

Lollipop brings a whole new look to the Android lock screen, and your personal notifications are the main attraction. Next time you press your device's power button and see a notification waiting, try swiping it horizontally in either direction to dismiss it. You can also tap on it twice to open it or swipe downwards on it to expand it and gain access to any quick commands available (like archiving or replying to an email).

Priority Notification

One of Lollipop's more complex but also potentially useful features is the system's new priority notification mode -- essentially a customizable "do not disturb"-style setting for your tablet or phone. Whenever the priority mode is active, only notifications that are considered "high priority" will make a sound and alert you; any other notifications will show up but remain silent. To get started, press your device's volume up or volume down key while the display is on and then tap "Priority" in the panel that appears at the top of the screen. Select either to leave that mode on indefinitely (the default) or to specify a finite amount of time -- an hour, two hours, whatever -- for which it'll remain active.

Recurring Priority Notification

Lollipop's priority notification mode can automatically activate itself at certain recurring times -- if, say, you want your phone to remain silent except for emergency calls and messages during the night. Go back into that same menu we were just in (you can also get to it by going into the main system settings and tapping "Sound & notification," then "Interruptions"). Scroll down to the bottom of the screen and select what days and times you want the priority mode to activate. Once you've done that, your device will automatically go into priority notification mode during those windows -- and you'll be bothered only by the notifications you absolutely need.

App Notification

Lollipop lets you customize notifications on an app-by-app basis so that any app's alerts can be considered "high priority" all the time. If you set an app to be high priority, you're effectively whitelisting it: Any notifications generated by that app will always alert you, even if your device is in priority-only mode. All you have to do is head into your system settings, select "Sound & notifications" and then select "App notifications." Tap any app you want to customize, then toggle the switch for "Priority" to whitelist it.

Guest Access

If you ever pass your phone or tablet off to a friend, Lollipop's new guest mode is well worth exploring. To see how it works, open up your device's Quick Settings panel by swiping down from the top of the screen and then swiping down a second time. Tap the circular avatar at the far right corner, then tap "Guest." When you're ready to switch back to your own account, do that same thing but tap your name instead of "Guest." If you have a security pattern, PIN, or password set, you'll be prompted to enter it before proceeding.

Pin

A new Lollipop feature called Screen Pinning is designed to let you do those types of things without any hassle -- and without having to worry about the person getting into something they shouldn't. Take a moment now to enable it: Go into the main system settings, select "Security," scroll down to "Screen Pinning," and set it to "On."

Flappy Android Game

Google loves including fun little Easter eggs in its products, and Lollipop is no exception. Go into your system settings, select "About phone" (or tablet) and then tap the line labeled "Android version" a bunch of times in a row.When you see a large Lollipop graphic appear on your screen, tap the circle part of the image about five times and then press and hold your finger to it. You'll then be taken into an Android-themed Flappy Bird-like game, with lots o' lollipop obstacles to jump through and avoid.