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Nexus 7 Android 5.0.2 Update: What You Need to Know Now

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A few days ago, Google started pushing out the Nexus 7 Android 5.0.2 Lollipop update, a small update aimed at fixing Android 5.0 Lollipop problems. With the roll out now underway, we want to take a look at some of the important details we think Nexus 7 2012 users need to know about their latest Android 5.0 upgrade, Android 5.0.2 Lollipop.

Back in November, after a stint as a developer preview update, Google pushed out Android 5.0 Lollipop for the first time. The update landed for most Nexus users including owners of the Nexus 5, Nexus 6, Nexus 4, Nexus 7 2013 Wi-Fi, Nexus 2012 Wi-Fi, Nexus 9, and Nexus 10. And while the update brought new features and changes to Nexus users, it also delivered problems.

Nexus users have been complaining about Android 5.0 Lollipop problems for a number of weeks now. Problems range from random crashes to battery life struggles to Wi-Fi problems. While some of the issues have fixes, many of the others have not and Google’s been working to deliver fixes for at least some of these initial issues.

google-nexus-7-review-3-620x338-575x31311

Those fixes have come in the forms of Android 5.0.1 and Android 5.0.2. Android 5.0.1 Lollipop is a widespread bug fix update available to owners of the Nexus 7 2013, Nexus 9, Nexus 10, Nexus 5, Nexus 4, and Nexus 6. The update did not land for the Nexus 7 2012 or the cellular versions of the Nexus 7. Earlier this month, we found out why.

Google’s currently rolling out an Android 5.0.2 Lollipop update for the Wi-Fi version of the Nexus 7 2012. The update, like Android 5.0.1 Lollipop, is a small bug fix update aimed at toning down the problems on board the new operating system.

Android 5.0.2 Lollipop has been out for a few days now and with that in mind, we want to take a look at what Nexus users, mainly Nexus 7 2012 users, need to know about Google’s latest Android 5.0 Lollipop update. This will round up all of the current details and offer some potential fixes for Android 5.0.2 Lollipop problems.

Android 5.0.2 Lollipop Still Rolling Out

The first thing that you need to know is that the Android 5.0.2 Lollipop update is rolling out slowly to Nexus 7 2012 users. The update first started pushing out a few short days ago and while we’ve started to see the update pick up the pace, it still hasn’t landed for everyone.

If you’re new to the Nexus game, know that this isn’t unusual. Google’s Nexus Android updates typically take a week or more to deploy to all users. Google’s updates are not only slow, they’re also random which means that there is no way to predict when the OTA will arrive on your tablet. The only thing you can do is check for the update a couple of times per day. At some point, it will show up.

leather nexus 7 case

Speck FitFolio Nexus 7 case.

Google won’t announce the end of the roll out, it’ll just happen. So Nexus 7 2012 users will need to remain patient while Google pushes out the update to thousands and thousands of devices all over the globe.

Tips for Nexus 7 2012 Users

Nexus users need to know that we’ve put together a number of Android 5.0.2 update tips that we think will help those of you that don’t consider yourselves experts. These tips are primarily aimed at those of you who are still on Android 4.4 KitKat. For those still on Android 4.4, Android 5.0.2 will represent a massive move. Android 5.0 will deliver new features but it will also come with a brand new look that’s vastly different from what you have right now.

These tips will also come in handy for those of you making the move from Android 5.0 to Android 5.0.2. Remember, you don’t need to follow them all, just enough to feel comfortable going into Google’s latest Android Lollipop update.

Android 5.0.2 Lollipop Problems

Android 5.0.2 Lollipop problems have begun to emerge though they are still very limited given that Android 5.0.2 is still limited to select Nexus 7 2012 users. We’ve seen complaints about battery drain and an assortment of other isolated issues that have impacted the performance on Google’s aging former flagship. There’s also a memory issue that seems to be crashing apps on Android 5.0 Lollipop. We expect to see more complaints about Android 5.0.2 pop up in the near future as the update pushes out to more and more users around the world.

Portenza BookCase for Nexus 7 review - 7

We should also point out that we’re seeing positive feedback about the update. Nexus 7 users are saying that the update has fixed performance problems on their Nexus 7. So, for those of you on Android 5.0 Lollipop, Android 5.0.2 Lollipop might be worth the download.

New Lollipop Update?

Google recently confirmed a fix for the memory issues causing app crashes on Android 5.0 Lollipop. The company says that the fix has been approved for a future Android update though the company did not say what the update might entail. It’s possible that we’ll see it arrive with an Android 5.0.3 update or we could see it arrive with the rumored Android 5.1 update. Nothing is confirmed and it could take months for Google to roll out a fix.

Fixes for Android 5.0.2 Lollipop Problems

Google is extremely unpredictable when it comes to bug fix updates which is why we put together a list of fixes for common Android update problems. These fixes address specific Android 5.0.2 Lollipop problems and they’ll also address some problems that Nexus 7 users could see in the future. None of these fixes are guaranteed to work but they’re worth a shot if you’re dealing with problems and don’t want to wait for Google’s next Android Lollipop update.

Zagg Flex Keyboard Review - Nexus 7 case closed

We recommend taking a look at a number of other resources as well, Google’s Nexus Help Forum is also a great place to start, if you do encounter Android 5.0.2 Lollipop problems.

21 Comments

21 Comments

  1. Richard Durand

    01/02/2015 at 7:29 am

    Have updated to lollipop 5.02. i getting very slow performance and numerous crashes. At which time I have to turn my 2012 nexus tablet off and back on.

  2. Denis S

    01/02/2015 at 7:41 pm

    Installed 5.0.2, very sluggish- slow. many Hangs. Clearly there are still issues.

  3. ray james

    01/03/2015 at 1:21 pm

    Got 5.0.2 ota in UK today, been doing benchmarks on I/O and seems to be consistent and not drop as with 5.0. Still has issues like apps opening briefly as you close another. Best solution to lag I found is to get rid of animations via dev options, makes transitions blink fast. Overall if your on 5.0 you can’t be worse off with 5.0.2 which seems better but hard to tell so early, still wish I had stuck with KitKat though.

  4. Garen Loshkajian

    01/03/2015 at 2:09 pm

    Still no OTA for me. Still on KitKat on two Nexus 7 2012 Wifi

    • dani

      01/08/2015 at 2:50 am

      Stay on kitkat trust me lollipop is so laggy chrome takes at least 2 mins to finally let me search something after opening it

  5. teecee

    01/06/2015 at 11:30 am

    My nexus 7 has been running like a dog since android 5 update. After waiting weeks for 5.0.2 I’m not seeing any improvements in performance, as a result I’m back to back to running in safe mode until the next upgrade. Clearly very little testing was done by Google before the launch of android 5. As a software developer myself I would be ashamed to release such buggy code. Hang your heads in shame google

  6. dani

    01/08/2015 at 2:55 am

    I had 5.0 on release and have had an almost unusable nexus 7 2012 since. Last night i got 5.0.2 and i see no change. I use my tablet for games which after so long playing crash my whole system it tells me the operating system has crashed and to close but you cant close the whole operating system so its a force reboot and google chrome is a nightmare it takes 2 mins to load before you can type and then it lags when typing and opening pages/ scrolling/ etc. Im seriously cobsidering legal action to get my money back for my tablet as its useless. Tablets meant to be convenient and quick. Its just over a year old!!!

  7. Bernie Mann

    01/08/2015 at 7:02 pm

    My Nexus 7 was sluggish with Lollipop 5.0 upgrade. But, I picked up a tip on another forum to update Google Keep. I just deleted it and my Nexus greatly improved.
    So, it was already running great when the fixes arrived in the 5.0.2 update.
    Wiping the cache may also help. Good luck! My Nexus 7 is back to running great.

  8. Mark

    01/12/2015 at 7:45 pm

    My 2013 WiFi Nexus 7 has not yet received the upgrade notification to 5.0. Looks like I should be happy based on these comments. But does this mean something is wrong with the upgrade process on my tablet? Will I eventually get an upgrade notice?

  9. Burnie

    01/16/2015 at 12:54 pm

    Nexus 7 2012 version. Installed 5.0.02 over 5.0.0, some improvement but still issue’s – slow performance, vibrating kindle text system occasionally coming to a full stop requiring reboot.
    Kitkat reinstalled and all is well apart from continuous notification of Android 5.0.2 update – is there a way to stop this.

  10. ST

    01/17/2015 at 5:03 am

    I’m not touching it. Was just notified 5.0.2 was ready to be installed. I chose later. I don’t want it. I updated to 5.0 and my tab slowed to a crawl and finally bricked. Had to reinstall 4.4.4 to bring it back to life.

  11. testing2

    01/17/2015 at 3:19 pm

    As someone who is on 5.02 on my Nexus 7 2013, I would say stick to 4.4.4. The performance loss is not worth the minimal features added.

  12. David

    01/20/2015 at 1:00 am

    My first advice is DO NOT UPGRADE to 5.02. It has effectively killed my Nexus 7. It is very slow, even after wiping the cache. You cannot clear the notifications. You cannot swipe old apps to close them. Some idiot also redesigned all the main icons so you must guess what they are. It also kills your non Gmail email by moving it to Gmail. The help page to recover your old emails does not work.
    What a terrible mess. I think a factory reset is the only answer.
    ( Typed on a non Nexus tablet now as it does not have Lollipop!)

  13. CG

    01/21/2015 at 3:48 pm

    I found a “NoLockScreen” caused a lot of weird problems with Lolipop as it was not yet Lolipop compatible. If you have this app installed (app function was to get rid of having to always swap at a lock screen), I recommend unistalling it immediately. At least some of your problems will go away; the worst ones did for me.

  14. Been Armer

    01/22/2015 at 11:59 am

    Since my Nexus7 was updated I have lost VirginTVanywhere and I am unable to watch TV! I also lost my photo gallery app! And the battery drain is tremendous!

  15. ang davies

    01/26/2015 at 7:59 am

    Iv updated my nexus 7 to 5.02 and it crashes all the time plus when i start up i put my code in it puts random number in not the ones im pressing please help

  16. Jackie

    01/31/2015 at 7:27 pm

    I installed the update and I hate it. My tablet runs horribly slow and crashes all the time. I want my tablet back the way it was. This is terrible.

    • David

      01/31/2015 at 10:34 pm

      The update did the same to both MBE and my wife’s nexus7. They became so slow as to be unusable. I tried the cleanup but that made little difference. I then gave up and did a manufacturers reset. You can do this by following the same instructions above but choosing reset. It DID NOT remove 5.02 but it gave the option to choose which of your previous apps to install. You will have to enter any log in details. This speeded up things massively. Subjectively, it is not as fast as when it was new but it was worth the hassle of a reset.

  17. Jimmy F

    02/02/2015 at 6:31 pm

    The update has rendered my Nexus 7 virtually unusable.

  18. T.G. de Bruijn

    02/13/2015 at 2:52 am

    Android 5.02 on Nexus 7 2012: slow, slow, slow , slow:

  19. Stephan Beal

    02/19/2015 at 3:29 am

    Performance on my n7 (2012) dropped to a crawl with 5.x, including 5.0.2. Finally gave up on it unlocked it, and restored 4.4.4. Now it purrs like a kitten, easily 30% faster at everything, and much faster in some areas. Chrome startup time (=until it reacts to the first keypress) dropped from 40 seconds to 7. Absolutely cannot recommend 5.0.2 on the older n7. My only problem since re-flashing is that Play Services keeps it awake 100% of the time, and none of the hundreds of suggestions for that problem resolve it. Only forcibly killing the Play service (temporarily) resolves it (until it gets restarted by one of the Google apps).

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