Mark me underwhelmed

[jojo99]

With Android 5.0, they changed the icon look and moved a few things around but I don't see very much new function. It's actually more complicated when it should be the opposite. And uglier.

- Why do I have to go 2 screens deep now to see if Wi-FI or Bluetooth is turned on? Go to the Settings page and you see Wi-Fi, Bluetooth listed at the top. But you can't see if they are turned on or off. For that, you have to click each icon individually.
- Why doesn't the lockscreen allow me to choose WHAT notifications I want to see? All I get to choose from is all or none plus the ability to hide sensitive notifications (whatever that is).
- Given that this is the 5.0 release of Android, I wonder why someone has thought to put onscreen help for everything? If I want to know what some setting does, I should be able to swipe across it (like mousing over something in Windows) and get a pop-up explaining the function. Instead, I have to download and plow through a 62 page Android 5.0 user guide. Sheese.
- All the setting screens are ugly white with no apparent option to change to another color/transparency scheme.
- Why does the Google search bar have to be a blatant white rectangle at the top of my screen?
- Why are all the notification dropdowns white blobs?
- What's with all the damm WHITE?
- I still can't change the damm date for the Wi-FI data consumption display.
-They couldn't leave the on/off display buttons alone. Nooooooooo. Probably thought they were too clear. So they replaced them with a circle that is green colored and to the right if ON or uncolored and to the left if off. Looks stoopid.

This is some of what I've discovered in only the ~4 hrs since I got 5.0 installed. Whew. Big disappointment.

 

[vandyman]

As soon as the dust settles there will be tons of themes and custom roms to change 5 to your liking.

 

[BynoUK]

The pull down quick toggle shade tells you whether wifi or Bluetooth is on.

 

[jj14x]

With Android 5.0, they changed the icon look and moved a few things around but I don't see very much new function. It's actually more complicated when it should be the opposite. And uglier.

- Why do I have to go 2 screens deep now to see if Wi-FI or Bluetooth is turned on? Go to the Settings page and you see Wi-Fi, Bluetooth listed at the top. But you can't see if they are turned on or off. For that, you have to click each icon individually.
- Why doesn't the lockscreen allow me to choose WHAT notifications I want to see? All I get to choose from is all or none plus the ability to hide sensitive notifications (whatever that is).
- Given that this is the 5.0 release of Android, I wonder why someone has thought to put onscreen help for everything? If I want to know what some setting does, I should be able to swipe across it (like mousing over something in Windows) and get a pop-up explaining the function. Instead, I have to download and plow through a 62 page Android 5.0 user guide. Sheese.
- All the setting screens are ugly white with no apparent option to change to another color/transparency scheme.
- Why does the Google search bar have to be a blatant white rectangle at the top of my screen?
- Why are all the notification dropdowns white blobs?
- What's with all the damm WHITE?
- I still can't change the damm date for the Wi-FI data consumption display.
-They couldn't leave the on/off display buttons alone. Nooooooooo. Probably thought they were too clear. So they replaced them with a circle that is green colored and to the right if ON or uncolored and to the left if off. Looks stoopid.

This is some of what I've discovered in only the ~4 hrs since I got 5.0 installed. Whew. Big disappointment.

1. You don't have to go 2 screens deep - you just look at the notification bar at the top - if WiFi or BT are connected, you'll see it at the top. Or, just pull down the notification shade and you'll see it there.
2. Lockscreen does let you choose what notifications you want to see. Go to settings/sound and notification, and there, select "Show all notification content" when device is locked. Then, below that, select app notifications, and you can choose "Block" or priority or sensitive at each app level.
3. Google (or MS or Apple for that matter) believe that the best way to learn about the smartphone is to try it out. They try to make it as intuitive as possible. Adding help text will likely clutter up the phone even more.
4. Themes/Custom Launcher
5. Custom Launcher app will let you remove it
6. Themes/Custom Launcher / Icon Sets
7. Themes/Custom Launcher / Icon Sets
8. eh?
9. Google can't please everyone. You may not like it - others do.

 

[exninja]

1. You don't have to go 2 screens deep - you just look at the notification bar at the top - if WiFi or BT are connected, you'll see it at the top. Or, just pull down the notification shade and you'll see it there.

2. Lockscreen does let you choose what notifications you want to see. Go to settings/sound and notification, and there, select "Show all notification content" when device is locked. Then, below that, select app notifications, and you can choose "Block" or priority or sensitive at each app level.

1. I believe the OP wants to know if WiFi is on or off, not if it's connected or not. I use the power widget for this, but if you don't then it's an extra swipe to see if it's on.

2. Not true. I believe the OP's beef is the same as mine. The Lockscreen will show ALL or NONE. If you block an app from showing notifications, it's blocked on the launcher AND lockscreen. Granted, I do like being able to hide notifications from apps in the notification bar. I had a dashclock widget on my lockscreen that would show me hangouts and emails. Those are the only notifications that I cared about in the lockscreen. And they were teeny icons that only gave me the number of messages. Now they've gone and fixed a ton of stuff that wasn't broken. Lockscreen widgets are completely gone. I and others have already griped about having to swipe to get to the separate unlock screen.

The white everywhere is pretty ridiculous. Even the app drawer is white. I enjoyed seeing a translucent background picture in the app drawer. Were they getting complaints that "there's not enough white!! MOAR WHITE!!"??? I doubt it, so why did they have to mess with it? Hopefully they'll add some black themes or something. It's also annoying to have to wait for someone to make an app in order to do something that I used to have. Is there even a possibility for a lockscreen app?

 

[chukka63]

I too am underwhelmed.It's yet another case of "improved" when in deed all they've done is complicated crap but extra menu's to get to the same place.Technology works best when it works simplest IMO but hey ho, I'm sure we will run over the same old ground at every update.
I won't start on the technology in my van/car that just does crazy shit I wish it didn't

 

[Deleted User]

It looks like it's a case of upgrade and then run a launcher to make it less annoying.

 

[thisISjoel]

Grumble, grumble, grumble change is bad.

 

[BynoUK]

Can't please everyone all the time, I love it (been running it for months via the preview though)

If they sort the Silent/no vibrate but still show LED issue then I'm golden. The tablets manage it!

 

[exninja]

Someone just pointed out that if you tap "none" under the volume bar thing then that's same as silent.

 

[BynoUK]

I want LED notifications and alarms though. Minus vibrate. Its not possibe.

 

[Mr. Lucky]

Although I don't like all the new "features," TBH, I never even saw some of these complaints. The very first thing I did after the update was restore Apex Launcher and its settings from my Helium backup. That got rid of 90% of my issues. My remaining (minor) issues will likely be resolved with alternate apps, once the devs catch up.

 

[exninja]

I want LED notifications and alarms though. Minus vibrate. Its not possibe.

Yup, that's not possible.

 

[Brian706]

I want LED notifications and alarms though. Minus vibrate. Its not possibe.

I haven't updated my n5 to lollipop yet but I took a peek on my n9 and thought maybe you just needed to set the alarm as a priority interruption (which you might need to) but on the n9 anyway, it says alarms are always a priority interruption. That seems normal to me as in the way android normally treats alarms in silent mode.

Check the priority settings though on the n5 and see if there's an option for alarms.

 

[xdrc45]

For LED notifications you can either install -
Light Flow - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rageconsulting.android.lightflowlite

Or

Light Manager - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.koo.lightmanager

Both apps will allow you to customize the LED notifications for individual apps and LED colors.
Both work for me, just trying to decide which app I prefer over the other.

Once one of the apps of your choice is installed go to -
/Settings/Sound and Notifications/ and turn on "Pulse Notification Light"

Otherwise like mentioned above you'll have to wait until it's actually integrated into a custom ROM.

 

[Deleted User]

We shouldn't really have to install apps to get back features that Android used to do.

 

[BynoUK]

I know of the workarounds (been running the preview since day one and the first 2 releases actually allowed long press of the bell icon on the volume slider to mute!) it's the fact that they have removed true mute (but still allowing me to glance at the LED and know what notification I have) that is the issue.

I don't want any volume, or vibrate. I want alarms and the LED. Priority mode doesn't allow this.

I have no idea how to edit on this new forum software lol.

Third party options shouldn't be needed to perform a simple task that has been there since Androids inception.