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Google has made some major changes in Android N that enhance security.

Updated August 13, 2016, with information about the final Android Nougat features and APIs.

There are a lot of code changes coming in Android N. Some of them we can see — like the new notifications — and others we can't (but are still a big deal). We see the same thing with every update. There are refinements and changes in the interface, but under the hood adjustments and changes are made to make Android run better, and safer.

Google has improved security in Android Nougat in a handful of different areas. Some are designed to harden Android itself, while others are tools for developers to use so it stays that way when we install apps. Let's take a look at the changes themselves.

Seamless updates

Google already does "seamless updates" on Chrome OS, and it works really well. Things will be very similar in Android.

Seamless updates will use two separate system partitions. One of them is the system you're running as you use your phone every day. When it's time for an update, the other system partition gets altered and updated, and the next time you reboot you're automatically switched over. The next time there is an update, the other system partition gets changed and you switch back.

Read more: Android 7.0: What are seamless updates and how do they work?

That means things can be done while you're working or playing, and when it is finished all you need to do is reboot normally. You'd be surprised (I was when I heard it) but a pretty large chunk of people don't update their phone because it takes a while. They might have done it once, then sat there waiting, and decided to not do it again. It's easy to dismiss the notification. But by changing the procedure, making updates easier, and eliminating the horrible wait time while seeing the "updating apps" dialog, more people will do it.

Network Security Configuration

Network Security Configuration lets app developers create and use a custom configuration file for network security settings instead of requesting system-level changes.The configuration file can be changed without modifying the app itself and can be set to use a custom Certification Authority instead of the device default, and can also be set to ignore any or all of the CAs trusted by the system. This is important for connecting to a host that has a self-signed CA (for things like enterprise apps) or for an app that should only trust a specific CA.

In addition, the configuration can be set to opt-out of any plain text network traffic and force encrypted communication using the HTTPS protocol. If you're a network admin or develop network apps, you know how important these changes are. The rest of us can be happy that we can have more secure network traffic in apps that are easier to develop.

Media Server hardening

Remember Stagefright? While it was blown out of proportion by much of the media, there was a real issue hidden behind the hyperbole. Playing a media file and it having the ability to force you to reboot or to lose all audio is a nasty issue, and the fact that (in theory) this could be used to secretly gain root permissions is even scarier. Google takes it very seriously and we see patches to the media server library every month to try and stay ahead of the bugs and security concerns that come with it.

In Android N, the media server gets a big overhaul. Google has broken up the media server into smaller components that can be updated outside of a full system update — just like they did with the WebView component. This means when they have a new patch you can grab the update from Google Play instead of waiting six months or more for the people who made your phone decide to send the patch out to you.

They have also changed the permission model for the media server, no longer giving it full system permissions. Running with low privileges makes it even harder for anyone to crack into the system if they do get into the media server. This is a major change, and will make hacking an Android phone (the bad kind of hacking) even harder than it used to be.

Key Attestation

Key Attestation will allow developers to make sure the keys they may be using in their apps are valid and stored in the phone's hardware-backed keystore and not in software. When the attestation tool is given a generated alias for a key (the actual key should never be shared) it then generates a certificate chain that can be used to verify the key. Developers can verify both the key as well as the verified boot state to make sure everything is valid.

Phones that ship with Android N and use Google services will have a certificate that's issued by Google as the root (or primary) authority while other phones that have been upgraded will need a certificate issued by the company who made them.

Not all phones that can run Android N have a trusted hardware environment to store encryption keys, and in those cases, software-level key attestation is used instead. The verified boot state can still be checked to make sure the system software hasn't been tampered with. Yes, this means a developer can check for root. That's a good thing provided no undue penalty is applied to users who have rooted their phone.

File-level encryption

Previously, Android used block-level encryption to make the whole partition or storage device encrypted all at once. This was a very secure encryption method, and keeping the actual tokens out of the storage and in hardware pretty much meant the only way in was with the right password or PIN. With Android N, things have been changed to file-level encryption.

Direct Boot is designed to work with file-level encryption in order to deliver both conveinence and security.

When your encrypted Android device boots up (or reboots in your pocket), the device is encrypted and locked down. Only certain applications can run, and this is called direct-boot mode. It means you can still get phone calls or have an alarm go off (or even see some message notifications), but to do anything more you'll need to unlock and decrypt the device. Once unlocked, N uses file-level encryption to allow us (the user) and applications to have a bit more control over how data is locked up.

There are two advantages at play here — FDE (block-layer full-disk encryption) makes low-end devices run pretty poorly. It took Google a few tries on the Nexus 6 to get it right, and any device with lower than 50 MB/s read and write flash storage hardware still struggles. The second (and more important) advantage is the use of file-level encryption for Authenticated Encryption with Associated Data (AEAD). AEAD means that data is harder for an unauthorized user or application to access. For people interested in AEAD, here is a really good read from U.C. Davis professor Phillip Rogaway (.pdf file).

This multi-tiered approach to encryption will allow companies who make very budget-priced Androids to offer encryption without performance degradation.

Direct Boot

File-level encryption will also work better with the Direct boot feature. Direct Boot brings a new mode that developers can leverage so that their app can run as soon as the system is powered instead of waiting for a user to unlock the phone or decrypt it.

This is done with in tandem with a new Device Storage area and the apps that use Direct Boot won't have any interaction with the normal credential-protected file system and any individually encrypted files or directories.

Read more: Android 7.0: What is Direct Boot, and how will it improve your experience?

Scoped Directory Access

Scoped Directory Access is a way for an app to get permission to access a specific directory on the external storage (external storage is a partition outside of the system and includes both your phone's storage and an SD card or other attached storage device) without asking for permission for the whole volume or using a pop-up window to ask for folder permissions.

Safely accessing stored data is important. An application that only needs access to the Music or Photos storage folder shouldn't be seeing anything else, and writing code to use the existing Storage Access Framework to narrow things down has proven to be something many developers refuse to do. the new Scoped Directory Access API will make things easier for developers to build apps that are safe and protect your data.

These crucial security features are a big part of Android N. While some phones (especially those that don't ship with Nougat) may not use them all, each one helps protect our data when used properly. Android has matured, and the attention to detail Google is showing with 7.0 may not be as flashy as new emojis or a new color scheme, but it is much more important.

The Lyness Insulated Coat is a windproof, waterproof, stylish rain jacket that boasts retro design and innovative, new technology to keep you warm and dry on cold, rainy days.

A Helly good coat

The Helly Hansen Lyness Insulated Coat marries retro design with futuristic technology to bring you a gorgeous, cozy jacket so you can stay warm, dry, and most importantly, fashionable, on those cooler, rainy days.

Retro design, futuristic technology

The Lyness Insulated Coat is a modern take on the classic Fisherman's raincoat, bringing retro design together with innovative technology to keep the weather out and you comfortable. The waterproof, windproof  jacket's lining features two-ply fabric, PrimaLoft black insulation and Helly Tech Protection, so whether you're going sailing (and want to look fab) or just looking for a stylish coat to keep you warm and dry while you're out and about in wet, windy weather, the Lyness will be your go-to.

The synthetic insulation technology creates the perfect warmth-to-weight ratio, and adjustable Velcro straps on the cuffs give you a perfect fit. The Lyness' fixed hood, anti-chafe chin guard, and fully-sealed seams make sure you're airtight, but the jacket is still breathable.

Lyness Insulated Coat by Helly Hansen

$250.00

The Lyness Insulated Coat is a windproof, waterproof, stylish rain jacket that boasts retro design and innovative, new technology to keep you warm and dry on cold, rainy days.

Read More »

Find My Device lets you remotely track, lock, and erase the data on a lost or stolen phone.

Android Device Manager has been rebranded to Find My Device earlier this year, and while the app's functionality hasn't changed, it picked up a much-needed visual refresh. Find My Device easily lets you remotely track, lock, and erase the data on a lost or stolen phone. You can also see the battery life remaining on your phone and the Wi-Fi network it is connected to.

With the rebranding, Find My Device is now a part of Google Play Protect, a suite of services designed to protect your phone from malicious content. Google is leveraging its machine learning expertise to scan and verify the apps installed on your phone, and while the Verify Apps feature has existed since the Jelly Bean era, Google is making the process much more visible to users.

Here's what you need to know about Find My Device, and how you can set it up on your phone.

• Will my phone work with Find My Device?
• How to install Find My Device
• How to sign in to Find My Device
• How to confirm your phone is discoverable with Find My Device
• How to locate over the internet
• How to ring your phone with Find My Device
• How to lock your phone with Find My Device
• How to erase your lost phone's data remotely

Can I install Find My Device on my phone?

Before we show you how to get started installing and setting up Find My Device, it's important to know whether your phone will work with it. If you're running a device running Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich or later, you'll be able to install Find My Device. That means roughly over 99% of active Android devices — or 2 billion devices worldwide — are eligible to install Find My Device.

How to install Find My Device

This is the easy part. Just head to the Play Store and search for Find My Device to download the app. We'll break it down for you:

1. Open Play Store from your home screen or app drawer.
2. Search for Find My Device.

3. Tap the three dots next to the first search result and select Install.

   

How to sign in to Find My Device

After installation, you'll need to sign in to Find My Device from your Google account. If you're signed into more than one account on your phone, you get a drop-down menu from which you can select the account you want to associate with the phone.

1. Open Find Device from your home screen or app drawer.
2. Select the Google account you want to use the service with.

3. Hit the Continue as button.

   

4. Enter your Google account password.
5. Tap Sign in.

6. Give location access to the service.

   

How to see if your phone is discoverable with Find My Device

Once you're signed in to Find My Device, you'll see a map with your current location as well as the make and model of your phone, and two options — Play Sound, and Enable Lock & Erase. Hitting the latter option will allow you to start using the Lock and Erase functions.

If you've signed into more than one phone, you can select a particular device by browsing the list at the top of the screen.

1. Open Find My Device from your home screen or app drawer.
2. Select your phone from the list of devices at the top of the screen.

3. See if your phone is discoverable.

   

If you're not able to find your phone or if it says that the device is unavailable, it is likely that the location services are disabled. Find My Device relies on GPS to track your phone, so now would be a good time to enable location services.

1. Open Settings from your home screen or app drawer.
2. Tap Location.

3. Toggle Enable location services.

   

How to locate your phone over the internet

If you've lost your phone, you can remotely locate it through the Find My Device website. You'll need to sign in to the Google account that was used to set up Find My Device. It takes a few seconds, but the service should be able to track your phone. Alternatively, you can also do a Google search for "find my phone" to locate your handset.

1. Head to the Find My Device website.
2. Sign in to your Google account.

3. Check if your device is visible.

   

How to ring your phone with Find My Device

The best part about Find My Device is that it is easily accessible. If you need to locate your phone, just head to the website or log in to the service from another phone. Once you sign in to Find My Device and locate your device, you can use the Play Sound option, which plays a loud tone on your phone continuously at full volume for five minutes even if you turned the ringer off. Once you find your phone, you can hit the power button to stop the ringing.

1. Locate your phone on Find My Device.
2. Tap Play Sound.

3. Your device will start ringing. You can hit the power button to stop the sound.

   

How to lock your phone with Find My Device

There's also a Lock option that lets you set a new password to unlock the phone. You can also display a message over the lock screen and add a button to call back your number so that anyone that comes across your phone can easily get in touch with you.

1. Locate your phone on Find My Device.
2. Tap Lock.

3. Enter a message and phone number to display on the lock screen and tap Lock.

   

How to erase your lost phone's data remotely

If you're certain that you're not going to see your phone again, there is the nuclear option of erasing the data remotely. Selecting the Erase option deletes all the data on your phone. The service also deletes data from a connected SD card, but there is a chance that it may not be able to, based on the manufacturer and Android platform version. Even if your phone is switched off when you send the Erase command, the factory reset process will be initiated as soon as it goes online.

1. Locate your phone on Find My Device.
2. Tap Erase.

3. Confirm deletion of data by hitting the Erase button.

   

Are you prepared if your phone goes missing?

How has your experience been with Find My Device? Have you successfully used it to recover a lost phone? Let us know in the comments.

Updated in November 2017 with a rundown of all the new features available with Find My Device.

Get your blood pumping with these action-packed games for Android

There are so many awesome action games in the Google Play Store, it can be hard to sort the wheat from the chaff. But we've done the heavy lifting for you and after hundreds of hours of playing, we've rounded up the best action-packed games for Android that are worth checking out

Many of the games on this list are paid apps which might give you pause, so you'll need to trust us when we say these games are well worth the initial investment. Plus, it's always good to support those teams developing great games for Android!

Looking for an awesome shooter game? Check out our list of best shooting games!

• ICEY
• Death Road to Canada
• Stranger Things: The Game
• Death Point
• Island Delta
• Downwell
• Penarium
• Injustice 2
• Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

ICEY

From its name to its app icon, ICEY is a rather unassuming entry in the Google Play Store that would be easy to overlook — but that would be a mistake.

At its core, ICEY is a 2D side-scrolling action game where you play as the titular character, a mysterious cybernetic warrior that kicks serious ass. The game plays flawlessly, with tight controls and new skills to be unlocked and upgraded as you progress through the game.

If that's all ICEY was — a kick-ass side-scrolling action game — it would still find a spot on this list. But that's just the beginning, there's also an entire meta-narrative at play here exploring the relationship between the player and the narrator. The narrator will guide you around the world and tell you where you should go… but what happens if you ignore the narrator?

There are layers to this game and a sizeable list of trophies to unlock. If you love indie games and meta-humor you definitely need to check out ICEY!

Download: ICEY ($2.49)

Death Road to Canada

When you're going to be dropping money on a game, you're going to want to be sure it has good replay value. In that regard, Death Road To Canada is an outstanding choice.

Facing a zombie apocalypse, you must lead a scrappy squad of somewhat interesting characters on a deadly mission to the relative safety of Canada. Along the way you'll need to explore and loot places for supplies, while also managing your team's health and morale.

Everything in Death Road to Canada is randomly generated, making every play-through a unique experience in this road trip action-RPG. You can randomly generate your character and buddy or custom design your starting characters with different attributes to help them stay alive.

The controls take some getting used to, and there's a pretty steep learning curve as you learn which weapons are most effective and when it's better to fight or run. And you will die, early and often, although that's part of the fun of a zombie apocalypse, right?

There's a ridiculous amount of depth in this game, including 10 different game modes to unlock. The price might seem a little steep, but if you're a fan of rogue-like zombie games, it's well worth the investment!

Download: Death Road to Canada ($9.99)

Stranger Things: The Game

If you're a true fan of Stranger Things, you've already binge-watched the entirety of Season 2 (possibly in one sitting). But the truest of Stranger Things fans have also beaten Stranger Things: The Game, a surprisingly solid game released by Netflix that has no right being as good as it is.

Set in the town of Hawkins, Indiana you start out playing as Police Chief Jim Hopper as he heads out to search for a missing kid, but discovers much more than he bargained for. The gameplay has a classic Zelda vibe to it, and the mix of puzzles and action sections keep things feeling fresh. As you explore the town, you'll find other characters from the show who join your party and have special abilities which allow you to reach new areas of the world.

There's just so much to appreciate here. Not only is it a faithful adaptation of the show, it's available for free with no in-app purchases or annoying ads…beyond the game itself.

Yes, this game is essentially a playable advertisement for Season 2 of Stranger Things — in fact, one of the rewards for completing the game is an extended trailer for said season. But unlike other mobile games tied into movie or TV show franchises, Stranger Things: The Game can stand on its own as a great game whether you're a fan of the source material or not.

Download: Stranger Things The Game (Free)

Death Point

Death Point is as polished a game as you'll find on Android. It's a top-down stealth shooter in which you play a captured spy in a post-apocalyptic world where you must sneak through enemy compounds taking out guards and sabotaging their systems as you go.

Your goal is to meet up with the only other member of your team who has survived, an operator who is able to communicate with you through technology implanted in your brain. She's there to give you tips and info on upcoming sections, and provide some lighthearted banter and story as you get down to business getting your revenge.

The graphics are next level, and you'll probably need a recent flagship to get the most out of this game, with great lighting effects to show you when you're visible to guards and when you're hidden in the shadows. You're free to play through however you please — be extra stealthy, or go in Rambo-style — but you'll quickly learn that this game is very unforgiving if you make mistakes making a stealthier approach the clear winning strategy.

There are 10 challenging chapters to play through that will test even the most hardcore gamers. It's a great title that's worth the premium price.

Download: Death Point ($4.99)

Island Delta

Island Delta was published by the fine folks at Noodlecake Studios, which alone makes it worth checking out. Developed by Mantisbite out of Finland and released for iOS in late 2016, Island Delta brings unique top-down action-adventure-puzzler fun to Android. You're tasked with exploring a mysterious retro-futuristic island with your heroes, Zoe and Baxter, as you try to take down the evil Doctor Gunderson and his army of henchmen.

Using your anti-gravity gun, you must work your way past mechanical minions, traps, and guards as you solve puzzles to make it through to the end of each level. At times Island Delta feels like a stripped down, third-person version Portal, which is something I wasn't aware I needed in my life.

The cartoony graphics and outstanding level design will immediately draw you in, but this game can get seriously challenging at times. Fortunately, the game is fairly forgiving with checkpoints.

Check out our full review of Island Delta for a more in-depth look at what this game has to offer.

Download: Island Delta ($2.99)

Downwell ($2.99)

Downwell is a retro-styles rogue-like game where the goal is fairly simple — you jump down the well and see how far you can fall. Easy, right? Well, not quite — the well is filled with enemies. But don't worry, you're able to shoot down as you go, which also helps you kind of float.

Story? Who needs a story when all you're looking for is action, baby! From the cool graphics and simple controls, this is a game that's easy to jump into but hard to master. Each time you play is unique, with new weapon upgrades popping up randomly. At the end of each stage, you also get to choose an additional power-up to help you along.

But be warned this game is challenging as hell. There's a steep learning curve as you learn how to best use your weapons and which enemies can be stomped and which need to be blasted. Since this is a rogue-like game, you can pick up and play it a different game each time.

Download: Downwell ($2.99) {.cta large}

Penarium

Penarium is a tough-as-nails platformer created by Team 17, who you probably remember best from the Worms franchise. Whereas Worms was a slow-paced strategy game, Penarium is on the opposite end of the spectrum featuring fast-paced action and requiring quick reflexes to survive.

It tells the tale of a Willy, a portly farm boy who's always longed for adventure. One day, a circus show rolls into town and Willy decides to run away for a bit of fun and excitement. But unfortunately, this is no ordinary circus — it's Penarium, the sadistic circus extravaganza!

Willy's the next contestant in their twisted game, where the goal is to smash the barrels while dodging all sorts of devious traps and weaponry. This game was originally released on Steam, but the gameplay is ideal for mobile devices. The platforming action here is really tight, with a rotating variety of traps and weapons keeping things fresh.

The graphics are beautiful without ever affecting the gameplay performance, and blends with the soundtrack to create a really polished experience. Touch screen controls are often hit or miss, but I think they work really well here as an homage to the simple penny arcades of the era. The platforming action here is really tight, and the graphics are beautiful without ever affecting the gameplay performance.

There are two game modes to play: Campaign mode which lets you unlock additional arenas and is the "story mode" so to speak; and Arcade mode, which challenges you to survive for as long as you can collecting coins which you can spend on upgrades. It's a great game for quick casual sessions that offers a great challenge. It's a paid app as well, so there's no ads or in-app purchases to distract you.

Download: Penarium ($1.99)

Injustice 2

Injustice 2 is the sequel to the award-winning game Injustice: Gods Among Us, which is also one of the best fighting games for Android. If you've played and enjoyed the first game, you're sure to enjoy the sequel which features more fantasy fight match-ups between your favorite heroes and villains from the DC Universe.

Unlock new heroes and build your ultimate team as you battle in 3 vs 3 fights with the ability to swap out fighters as needed. The usual suspects are here — Batman, Superman, Joker, Harley Quinn — as well as a whole slew of new heroes and villains which you'll discover and unlock as you play.

Controls are optimized for Android and feel even better than they did in the first game. It's easier than ever to jump, duck and shoot projectiles, with epic Super Moves available to finish off your opponents. Graphically this game really shines, powered by the Unreal engine. You start out with a Campaign mode only, with Arena, Story, Operations, and Challenge modes unlocked later on.

Like the first game, Injustice 2 is free-to-play with a stamina bar to manage and coins and crystals to collect and spend. There are in-app purchases if you're impatient and want to unlock new characters quickly, but there's plenty of fun to be had without spending a dime.

Download: Injustice 2 (Free w/IAPs)

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

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Grand Theft Auto is one of those iconic video game franchises that continues to influence other games. Chances are you've played a GTA title before on PC or console, but they play just as nicely on Android, too!

Rockstar Games has released five great GTA titles for you to choose from and you really can't go wrong with any of them. Play through Liberty City Stories, San Andreas, Vice City, GTA III, and Chinatown Wars and get your shoot-'em-up, blow-'em-up, car-stealing fix on mobile!

They're all great games to choose from, but I've decided to highlight San Andreas because it's got that massive map and introduced a bunch of awesome features to the series that remain to this day. Reconnect with CJ and the Grove Street Families gang as you spill enemy blood on the streets of Los Santos. On that note, it's worth stating that these games are NOT for kids. The Mature rating in the Google Play Store isn't lying.

So, if you want full Grand Theft Auto games right on your phone, hit up the Google Play Store and go to town. Just remember that, since these are the full games you know and love, they will occupy a ton of space on your device.

Download: Grand Theft Auto San Andreas ($6.99)

What did we miss?

What's your favorite action game for Android? Let us know in the comments!

Updated November 2017: We've completely revamped our list with some of the latest and greatest action-packed games for Android, along with some old classics that still hold up.

Seamless updates can keep your phone up-to-date without the headache of waiting and the downtime. But how do they work and what the heck are they?

One of the coolest features Google showed off at Google I/O 2016 that will be part of Android 7.0 Nougat are seamless updates. While it's not going to be flashy or have much to show on the user-facing side, the details on how it's done are interesting, and actually so simple you wonder why it took so long to happen.

Let's have a look.

What are Seamless Updates?

The way Android updates work up to Marshmallow involves some user interaction and takes plenty of time. You get a notification that there's an update waiting for you, and when you say OK it begins to download. Once you get everything downloaded, the one big file unpacks itself in the cache partition and the system checks the integrity of all the individual image files to make sure they are all signed with the correct key and came from the right place. You're then prompted to reboot, but not into Android.

You end up in the device's recovery software where the images are flashed to the correct places on your phone's internal storage. This takes a fairly long time because of the way the files are copied and moved — it's a bit-by-bit transfer. The files actually are moved to memory in chunks, erased from their original position and rewritten to the new position. This is the best way to make sure nothing gets corrupted while it's being installed.

With Android N your phone can be updated like a Chromebook while you're still using it

Once everything is in place, your phone reboots and you wait for the runtime component to look through the system and "upgrade" your apps to the latest version. What it's doing is optimizing the apps for the specific version of the Android runtime. Android apps don't run from the single file you download and install, and are pre-compiled into odex files. That way apps can load faster and the boot process (not counting the first boot after and update) will be much faster.

Then you get to use your phone again.

While most of the time for most people the 10 to 15 minutes it takes to upgrade your operating system doesn't cause too much trouble, any way that can minimize downtime is a better way. Your phone should be available in case of an emergency whenever you need or want it to be available. Enter seamless updates.

With Android 7.0 Nougat, your phone can (not will — more on that later) update like Chrome OS updates. All the downloading and copying of files is done in the background while you're using your phone, and once it's finished you will be notified that your system will upgrade the next time you reboot your phone. And changes to the runtime compiler mean that you won't have to sit through the process of updating all of your apps when you reboot.

That sounds cool — how does it work?

Seamless updates work by having two different system partitions on your phone. When using a phone that can perform seamless updates, all the unpacking and transferring is done while one system partition is running, and things are copied and moved into the second partition. The way Android is divided into individual partitions means the data portion — where all the information you've entered about an app, things like address books or settings or game save progress — are stored in a separate spot outside of the place where the actual system files live. This is good for system security (the data partition can have its own set of file and folder permissions) and it makes things pretty convenient for seamless updates.

Two system partitions means more space will be used.

Once all this is done, you can reboot and use the new system partition. This is done without moving the partitions or renaming them because they are numbered. A configuration file used during the boot process (equivalent to /etc/fstab for the Linux nerds in the house) is read that tells the kernel and boot process where each partition starts and stops. This file is changed to point to the new system partition instead of the current one. The next time you update, the other system partition will be wiped and used. They swap back and forth seamlessly.

This isn't new. If you have the Chrome browser on your computer or have a Chromebook, this is exactly how those systems or apps update. But it's new for Android and does two things. It keeps you from having too much downtime (and there are plenty of folks who will dismiss an upgrade notification because they don't want to fool with the current process). And it is better for security because it can happen automatically when you reboot your phone.

Other important stuff to know

• Seamless updates aren't a requirement for manufacturers. Your existing phone isn't partitioned correctly and won't be able to perform seamless updates. And you don't want a future update to try and repartition it — the internal memory was designed to have its record (a map of where each partition lives) written once and never changed. That means the people who make your next phone might not use the seamless update feature because they don't have to. We know that the 2016 Nexus phones will have it enabled, but nothing beyond that.

• There should be some opt-out settings so the process isn't automated if you don't want it to be. I don't have the full details but I was assured by Google that there will be a setting of some sort. This won't be a Windows 10 style fiasco. We'll find it and tell you where to look as soon as we have a phone that uses it in our hot little hands.

• This will use more space on your phone's internal storage. It uses a complete second system partition. Expect a couple of gigabytes to be used and reserved for it.

This is just one of the many great under-the-hood improvements that come with Android 7.0 Nougat. We'll talk more about the changes and what to expect in future instalments of this series, and you can head into the forums to discuss it all.