How to get Android Marshmallow features on your phone right now

Android 6.0 Marshmallow has finally been released, but right now it’s only available on a handful of devices. It’ll make its way to other flagships in the coming weeks, but as we know from experience, it might take a while to reach everybody. No worries: here’s how to get Android Marshmallow features on your phone right now.

You don't need to wait for Marshmallow to get a taste of its best features. / © ANDROIDPIT

Android Marshmallow feature: manage app permissions

Have you been happily clicking OK to every app’s permissions list and now worry they’re sending your personal information to God knows where? Android Marshmallow enables you to allow or deny permission retrospectively, so you’re not stuck with the decisions you make when you first download the app. It’s very useful but it isn’t part of Android Lollipop. If you have a rooted device, however, the excellent XPrivacy can bring the same features to your mobile or tablet today.

Marshmallow doesn't make you stand by decisions you made ages ago.  / © AndroidPIT

[ROOT] X Privacy Installer

Android Marshmallow feature: Chrome Custom Tabs

Until Android 6.0 Marshmallow, clicking on a link within an application – such as a link you’ve been sent on WhatsApp or in an email – will automatically open the link in your default browser. And that’s fine, but a full browser has a hefty overhead that you don’t always want when you’re just investigating what the link is.
Chrome Custom Tabs in Marshmallow will address that by loading a stripped-back subset of Chrome that uses fewer system resources than the full Chrome browser. You can’t add it to Lollipop, but installing the ultra-light Link Bubble browser and making it the default will do much the same – no rooting required. What Link Bubble does is display a link in a little bubble, loading it in the background while you get on with what you’re doing.

Can't get Chrome Custom Tabs? Try Link Bubble instead.  / © Google

Link Bubble Browser

Android Marshmallow feature: Smart Link

Sticking with the subject of navigation, Smart Link is one of those little features in Marshmallow that you’ll soon wonder how you managed without. Instead of opening every kind of link in the web browser, Smart Link opens them in the appropriate app – so, for example, a link to a tweet opens in your Twitter app without opening the browser or asking you what app you want to use. On older versions of Android, you can get much the same functionality by installing the excellent TapPath.

TapPath does a pretty good job of delivering Smart Link for app links.  / © ANDROIDPIT

TapPath Browser Helper

Android Marshmallow feature: support for fingerprint readers for payments

In Android Marshmallow, the fingerprint sensor is supported throughout the OS, not just for unlocking your phone but for authorizing things such as payments. You can get similar functionality in recent Samsung devices thanks to PayPal and FIDO: go to Settings > Fingerprints > Pay with PayPal to enable the feature.
If you don’t have a fingerprint reader don’t worry: you can use ICE Unlock to turn your camera into a scanner, although it’ll only unlock your phone. That’s because while it works perfectly well as a phone unlocker, the camera can’t process the same level of detail as a dedicated fingerprint scanner, so the security isn’t strong enough to be trusted with your debit or credit card details. Still, it’s enough to keep your pals out without having to bother with long passcodes.

Fingerprint unlocking and authorizing is really useful. / © ANDROIDPIT

ICE Unlock Fingerprint Scanner

Android Marshmallow feature: memory management

The Task Manager in Android Marshmallow has been significantly improved over previous versions and enables you to see what’s using the most or least RAM on your device. And it’s easy to get that on older Androids too: since Android first appeared, the Play Store has been packed with Task Manager alternatives including rogue app killers and app managers that can analyze what’s doing what on your device. Here are some candidates:

• Best apps for monitoring system performance on your Android device

Apps such as Network Monitor Mini can help you diagnose performance issues.  / © ANDROIDPIT

Android Marshmallow feature: reorder the app drawer

The app drawer, the bit of Android that shows all the apps you’ve got on your device, has been changed for Android Marshmallow to make it more organized. The first four icons are your most-used apps, and after that the apps are organised alphabetically. In this case Google’s actually playing catch up with the Play Store, where you’ll find stacks of very good and very customizable app launchers. You’ll find some of our favorites here:

• Best Android launchers for your smartphone

There are stacks of great app launchers, including Buzz Launcher (pictured). / © ANDROIDPIT

Android Marshmallow feature: Doze and battery improvements

Battery life remains the Achilles heel of most devices, and in Android 6.0, Google has introduced a raft of energy-saving improvements including Doze and the ability to charge really quickly via USB-C. Sadly you can’t retrofit a USB-C port to your device but you can employ a variety of tricks to improve battery life and charging. We’ve included the best ones here:

• Android battery tips and tricks

You can't retrofit USB-C, but you can boost your battery life without Marshmallow. / © ANDROIDPIT

Android Marshmallow feature: clever SD card support

Android Marshmallow can treat SD cards as if they were internal storage, without the limitations that applied to external storage. That means goodbye to storage limits for app installations or data associated with heavy duty apps. If you’ve rooted your device, Link2SD does much the same.

Marshmallow treats microSD cards like internal storage. Link2SD does pretty much the same.  © ANDROIDPIT

Link2SD Is there a killer Android Marshmallow feature we haven’t listed here? Do you have a favorite app that recreates a great Marshmallow idea? Let us know below.