The best bits of Pie
ANDROID OREO TURNS INTO PIE.
Most high-end Android phones are now shipping with Android 9 Pie, plus most Android phones sold in the last year or two are likely to receive a Pie update this year. The Samsung Galaxy Note8 used in many of our Android How To articles has just updated from Oreo 8.1 to Pie 9.0, so it’s an ideal time to tuck into a Pie review.
OVERALL CHANGES
Pie is actually a major update with many significant changes to the Android look and feel. Overall, with Pie, Android feels more polished and intuitive than ever. It makes extensive use of smart algorithms that learn and adapt to your usage style, so it can optimise the experience while also anticipating what you will need next.
Depending on your device, navigation buttons virtually disappear and are replaced by swipe gestures. This involves a small learning curve, but quickly feels intuitive. If you need to enable full gesture control, or change how your buttons work, go to your Display > Navigation Bar settings.
VOLUME KEYS
The volume keys now default to controlling media volume whenever appropriate, rather than ringer volume. Android Pie also remembers the last volume setting you used for each app and will launch the app at that volume level.
You will also notice on most devices that the volume slider now runs vertically down the side of the screen next to the physical volume keys. This works well and is more intuitive, but is not implemented in the Samsung version of Pie called One UI that we are using for this review. Samsung One UI actually feels like a well-sorted blend of Oreo and Pie features.
DARK MODE
If you head into Advanced Display Settings you should find a very cool Dark Theme option for noir fans. It is worth mentioning that the Samsung One UI includes a full-phone Dark Mode (called Night
Mode) that can be switched on or off manually, set to change over at sunset and sunrise, or scheduled to suit your preferences. Scheduling is not yet available on all versions of Pie, but should soon be.
Most of the screenshots in this article were taken with the phone in Night Mode.
MULTITASKING
Oreo’s Rolodex-style Overview of recent apps has been replaced with horizontally scrolled cards showing your most recently used apps. This requires more scrolling to view all the apps, but overall it is a lot less fiddly and very quick and intuitive to use.
The app cards also display an app icon, and tapping on this gives you options such as screen pinning which, for example, lets you restrict usage to just that app when you lend someone your phone to make calls or navigate.
MANUAL SCREEN ROTATE
On many screens a Rotate icon will display, allowing you to switch between portrait and landscape display manually rather than trying to get it right with Auto Rotate.
DO NOT DISTURB
As long as your device supports it, Android Pie Do Not Disturb includes Shush Mode – just place your device face down and even your selected exceptions will be shushed.
ADAPTIVE BATTERY
Adaptive Battery is an improved App Hibernation function and is enabled by default. It learns your usage patterns and appears to be quite effective, particularly at reducing standby battery usage.
To find detailed information about app power usage you need to track down Battery in your settings menu, then tap on that or the three dot menu to find out where your power is going.
ADAPTIVE BRIGHTNESS
Adaptive Brightness is another machinelearning feature, and aims to always have the screen at the brightness level that you prefer for your current activity. Once it learns your style you should not need to manually adjust the screen brightness.
LAZY REPLIES
Ok, Android calls them Smart Replies! If you reply to a message or email directly from a notification, Pie serves up suggested responses. So instead of typing “See you then!” just tap that suggestion and your personalised reply is sent. You might even get a reputation as an exceptionally fast texter!
As an extension of this, if you call someone and they don’t answer, Android will suggest messages and you can immediately send them from the Calls screen without opening a messaging app.
In fact, you will find that Android Pie is always anticipating your next move and offering one-tap access to likely options, a feature that’s called App Actions. You can even tap and hold particularly useful App Actions to add them to your home screen.
PIE SLICES
Slices is coming soon, and could be called app splices – it adds the next logical step to your Google searches, such as offering a booking screen when you search for a restaurant, hotel or mode of transport. Slices should be available in Australia any day now.
DIGITAL WELLBEING
Digital Wellbeing is another Android Pie feature that is not yet available on all devices, but hopefully will be added in future updates. There are so many aspects to Digital Wellbeing that it probably rates a How To article of its own. It all starts with a Dashboard that tracks your physical and on-screen activity. Used well, Digital Wellbeing can help keep balance in your life, and that has to be a good thing.
APP TIMER
Spending too much time on Social Media? Android Pie Digital Wellbeing lets you set app time limits that remind you or lock you out when it’s time to do something else!
LOCKDOWN
Check your Lock Screen Settings and enable Lockdown if you want tighter security available at the touch of a button. This adds a Lockdown option to the Power menu that is displayed after a long press on the Power button.
If you are in a situation where you would like tighter security, tapping the Lockdown icon locks the screen with fingerprint and face recognition disabled and notification information hidden. You then need to use a more secure method such as a PIN or pattern to unlock.
SCREENSHOT EDITING
Depending on your device, another option on the Power Button menu will be a screenshot icon. This is a convenient alternative to the default of pushing the Power and Volume Down keys simultaneously.
With Android Pie, when you take a screenshot you can open and edit or annotate it immediately then, for example, send it directly to a contact or website. The editing tools are comprehensive, intuitive and easy to use.