A Closer Look at Android 7.0 Nougat and What It Brings

Google recently rolled out the latest version of Android, 7.0 Nougat. Right now, it’s only available on newer Nexus devices like the Nexus 6, 6P, 5X, Pixel C, and the Nexus 9 tablet. It’s a genuinely solid update, though as usual, Nexus phones get first access, with hope that other devices will follow eventually.

This version has come a long way. I’ve been testing various beta builds since earlier this year, and it’s clear most of the bugs have been ironed out, which is great news for anyone planning to upgrade. It’s not a complete overhaul compared to Marshmallow, but there are some meaningful additions here, including improved multitasking, a refreshed notifications interface, faster app switching, and stronger security overall.

That said, Nougat won’t mean much to the average Android user just yet, since over 90 percent of phones likely won’t see this update for several months, possibly even a year. For now, Nexus users are the real winners here, since they’re the ones getting early access.

Let’s walk through a few of the standout changes in this update.

A Cleaner Interface and Better Notifications

The most noticeable improvement in this update is the refreshed interface, especially visible in the notification menu. Swipe down from the top of the screen, and you’ll find the usual quick control toggles, but now they feel more organized, visually appealing, and noticeably faster to use.

Multi Window Mode and Quick Switching

Android has always handled multitasking reasonably well, but this update takes it further. A new Quick Switch feature lets you jump straight back to your last used app just by double tapping the Recent button.

Google also introduced true multi window support in this release. It’s simple to use too, just tap the Recent button from within an app, then select a second app to open alongside it in split screen view. This feature genuinely impresses, especially on larger screen devices, which have become increasingly common in the Android world. It adds real productivity value too, letting you browse the web and message someone at the same time without switching back and forth constantly.

Picture in Picture

This feature is really built with Android TV users in mind rather than phone or tablet users. Nougat allows you to watch a video in a small pinned window in the corner of the screen while something else runs in the background. A genuinely handy addition for TV.

Allo & Duo

Two standalone apps stand out as notable additions in this release, Allo and Duo.

Allo is Google’s new messaging app, letting you run web searches and even make bookings directly within your conversations.

Duo is Google’s new video calling app, built to make video calls simple and reliable, sort of like Google’s answer to FaceTime. It’s also optimized to work well on lower bandwidth connections, a thoughtful touch from Google for users with weaker internet access.

Improved Updates

Google introduced seamless app updating in this release, allowing two versions of an app to run in parallel so updates can install in the background while you’re still using the app. This is a genuinely useful fix, since constant app updates on Android used to be a real annoyance, forcing you to wait around while something downloaded and installed before you could use it again.