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8 Things to Do Before the Galaxy Note 4 Lollipop Release

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With the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Android 5.0 Lollipop update roll out heading to the United States, we want to take a look at some things we think U.S. Galaxy Note 4 users should do ahead of the highly anticipated Galaxy Note 4 Lollipop release.

At the end of last year, Samsung started rolling out its first Android 5.0 Lollipop update, an update for the former flagship Galaxy S5. Since then, the company’s pushed out four more Android 5.0 Lollipop updates including an upgrade for the Galaxy Note 4. The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Lollipop is the flagship’s first major Android update and naturally it brings tons of changes a long with it.

Samsung has kept the update very limited since its initial arrival. The Galaxy Note 4 Lollipop update is limited abroad and it’s also extremely limited in the United States. In fact, today marks the first time that a Galaxy Note 4 Android 5.0 Lollipop update has reached a carrier in the United States and Sprint customers are the lucky recipients.

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Earlier today, the Galaxy Note 4 Android 5.0 Lollipop release was confirmed for the Sprint Galaxy Note 4. Sprint is well known for its speed to major Android updates and the carrier is once again first to major Samsung Galaxy upgrade. The Sprint Galaxy Note 4 Lollipop update is scheduled to roll out today and it should start hitting devices soon.

Now that Samsung’s Galaxy Note 4 Android 5.0 upgrade is heading out to the U.S., it’s time that we offered Galaxy Note 4 users on all U.S. carriers some tips ahead the major push. Right now is a great time to prepare the Samsung Galaxy Note 4, and yourself, for the arrival of the device’s first major upgrade from Samsung and Google.

Here, we want to tell you about some things you should do ahead of your upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Android 5.0 Lollipop update. These pre-release tips will help novice Galaxy Note 4 users and they will come in handy if Samsung and its carrier partners decide to roll out bug fixers to the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 in the weeks after the initial release.

Get Familiar with Android 5.0 Lollipop

Now is the perfect time to get acquainted with your first big Android 5.0 Lollipop update. Android 5.0 Lollipop is going to bring some massive changes to the Android operating system and TouchWiz UI and Galaxy Note 4 users who either aren’t familiar with the update’s features or simply need a refresher would be wise to get familiar with Android 5.0 Lollipop prior to installing it.

There are some huge changes coming with this update and you need to be aware of them before you make the jump. If you aren’t, you might get caught off guard. For novice Android and Galaxy users, this could pose some serious problems.

We’ve reviewed the Android 5.0 Lollipop update numerous times already and that feedback will help you get started. We also recommend taking a look at the slideshow below. This slideshow compares the KitKat update to the Lollipop update and it will get you ready for the changes you will encounter when you get Android 5.0 Lollipop on board.

Android 5.0 vs Android 4.4 Walkthrough: What’s New in Lollipop

Android 5.0 vs Android 4.4 - Lockscreen

Android 5.0 vs Android 4.4 - Lockscreen

 With Android 5.0 Lollipop Google has slightly improved the lockscreen. There's now a shortcut to the dialer by swiping left to right, and notifications are more useful and interactive. Shown right on the lockscreen they can be swiped away, slide down to expand, or double tap to instantly unlock right into that app or notification. Everything is simple and smooth, and we still have full-screen album artwork on the lockscreen while playing music.

The quick shortcuts and improved notifications will come in handy for all users.

We also recommend taking a look at the videos below. This is Samsung’s version of Android 5.0 Lollipop which means that there will be some changes and features that differ from what’s on board Google’s Nexus smartphones and tablets. Samsung uses a UI called TouchWiz over the top of Android and TouchWiz is going to look different with Android 5.0 on board.

Here’s another video that touches on many of the changes found in Samsung’s Galaxy Note 4 Lollipop update. Sprint users can also take a look at their own change log on the carrier’s website. The other changelogs will emerge once the other U.S. carriers start pushing their own updates. We expect all of these Galaxy Note 4 Lollipop updates to sport the same overall structure with some minor differences. For instance, Sprint’s update features Wi-Fi Calling enhancements.

This is going to seem like overkill for those of you that have been following along but we recommend this step to those that aren’t veteran Android users or smartphone enthusiasts.

If you go into the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Android 5.0 release date without a clue about Android 5.0, you’re going to be lost and frustrated. Do your homework ahead of its release and you should come out of the release date feeling extremely confident about the transition from Android 4.4 to Android 5.0.

Research Lollipop Problems & Fixes

Android software updates always bring their own set of problems so we always suggest poking around for feedback from your fellow Galaxy Note 4 users before installing the Android 5.0 Lollipop update. This will allow you to gauge the bigger problems on board before installing and it will allow you to track down potential fixes in case something goes wrong. Here’s a good starting point.

We haven’t heard a ton about Galaxy Note 4 Lollipop problems yet but that’s because the update is still very limited. We recently put together a list of common Samsung Galaxy S5 problems and fixes for those problems and these are probably worth noting ahead of your Galaxy Note 4 release. That’s because we typically see the same problems affect all Galaxy smartphones and tablets. This is another good starting point.

Nexus6vsNote4-5

Carrier forums and Android-centric forums are the first places to go for feedback. Don’t be shy about asking questions. Do your homework and you should come out of your Galaxy Note 4 Lollipop release prepared to face any obstacles that pop up. And some of you will run into problems after the Android 5.0 Lollipop update. We guarantee it.

Have Your Logins Ready

Make sure you have your logins handy just in case. After a recent Samsung Galaxy S5 Android update, we were forced to login to our main accounts. Fortunately, we had the correct login information handy. If we hadn’t, the installation process could have taken a whole lot longer. Samsung says that the update could take upwards of 30 minutes to complete so you’ll want to be as efficient as possible.

Make sure you track down your Google account information and any other login information before you install the Galaxy Note 4 Lollipop update. There’s a chance that you’ll need it.

Clean Up Your Galaxy Note 4

Samsung’s Android 5.0 Lollipop updates require 3GB of free space. The company notes that this pertains to “memory that is on the internal storage of the device, not on the SD card.” Many of you have probably filled up your internal storage over the past few months which means right now is a great time to clean up your Galaxy Note 4.

Nexus6vsNote4-4

It doesn’t take a ton of time to accumulate tons of unnecessary files, apps, and more on your Galaxy Note 4. Cleaning this clutter up will free up important storage space that could be valuable both before and after the Android 5.0 Lollipop installation process.

We always recommend keeping your Android smartphone clean and tidy year round but some general clean up right before the Galaxy Note 4’s first big Android update is a very good idea.

Back Up Your Files

Thanks to the cloud services and Google’s auto backup features, most of your important files are probably secure. That said, you’re going to want to ensure that you’ve backed up all of your important photos, videos, app data, and more before installing the Android 5.0 Lollipop update on the Galaxy Note 4. There’s always a chance, albeit a small one, that something could get ruined during the transition.

The first thing you’ll want to do is ensure that Auto Backup is turned on. To do this, head over to Google’s website. It offers in-depth Auto Backup tutorials that will ensure that your precious files will be stored safely ahead of your installation process. We also have some tips that will help you backup your files properly. Double check everything.

It would also be wise to take a look at your third-party cloud services, if you use them, to ensure that your files are still backed up. Again, this might seem tedious but you simply never know how the installation process is going to work out. It’s better to be safe than sorry, especially with a massive update like Android 5.0.

Charge Your Galaxy Note 4

This might be a no-brainer for some of you but it won’t be for others. You’ll want to ensure that your Galaxy Note 4 is fully charged or at least charged enough where it’s not going to power down on you during the installation process. The safest route to take is to make sure that your Samsung Galaxy Note 4 is at least 50% charged before installing Android 5.0 Lollipop. This is a massive upgrade and it’s going to take some time to download and install.

Update Your Apps

Now that Android 5.0 Lollipop is several months old, most apps have been updated with bug fixes and Lollipop support. We’ve been getting a fairly stable experience after making the jump from Android 4.4 KitKat to Android 5.0 Lollipop but there’s always a chance that Android 5.0 could foul things up. That’s why you need to be proactive.

Nexus6vsNote4-3

While we can’t speak for every single application on the Google Play Store, we can tell you that by updating our applications on our devices, we’ve come out of the Android 5.0 Lollipop update process without major app problems. There’s a reason why Samsung itself recommends updating apps. You should do it before the update arrives, though.

Check in With IT

If you’re using your Samsung Galaxy Note 4 for work or school and you happen to have an IT department, you should go and chat with them before installing your Android 5.0 Lollipop update.

People that primarily use their device for work often run into issues with their enterprise software, with Wi-Fi connections, with Exchange, and with other features after installing Android updates. We hear about issues after every major Android update release. There’s no cure all solution but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be smart about it.

Nexus6vsNote4-1

There’s is a chance that your IT department might have a recommendation ahead of the Android 5.0 release. Often times, that advice is to avoid the update until they’re able to confirm that it’s working with key services.

Those of you that don’t have an IT department would be wise to hold off until you can gather feedback from your fellow Galaxy Note 4 users. There will be people that install on day one, regardless of the risk involved, and you’ll want to poke around for their opinions.

1 Comment

1 Comment

  1. patti

    04/15/2015 at 11:19 pm

    I would recommend removing your SD card and backing it up because the Lollipop update on my note 3 deleted my SD card. It uninstalled a bunch of apps to.

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