Google has confirmed to float an OTA downgrade for the Nexus 6. The company announced that the Android 7.1.1 Nougat will be downgraded to the older version of Android 7.0 Nougat.
Google pushed out the Android 7.1.1 Nougat update for the Nexus 6 after much delay on Jan. 6. However, now Google is reportedly attempting to bring the device back to Android 7.0.
Google then paused the update in early March due to concerns over Android Pay and SafetyNet.
Understandably, the latest news of the company rolling back the Android 7.1.1 update adds to the chagrin of Nexus 6 users.
When Android arrived with its 7.1.1 Nougat on the Nexus 6, it brought a host of bugs and glitches. These have been fixed in the monthly security update for March. The upgrade, however, brought a very prominent feature to Motorola's latest flagship namely the Android Pay support.
Why Is The Android 7.0 Downgrade Necessary?
Google has essentially forsaken the Android 7.1.1 update for Nexus 6 users and is pushing the downgrade forward.
"There was a recent OTA update for Android 7.0 that is causing confusion for some Nexus 6 users. For those of you that want to guarantee future OTA updates, you will need to get back on the 7.0 supported track. If you are experiencing issues after accepting the 7.0 update, please factory reset your device to help resolve any problems," said a Google community manager on Reddit.
To sprinkle salt on the wounds, it has been determined that none of the apps downloaded with Android 7.1.1 are compatible with Android 7.0. To use the apps, one needs to uninstall and clear the phone's factory settings. This is the final update for Android Nougat on the Nexus 6.
Android 7.1.1 Nougat: Notable Features
Android 7.1.1 Nougat has brought about many significant features in the Android interface. The most prominent being the return of app shortcuts. This was introduced during the beta phase and was temporarily scrapped. It has now returned with a bang.
App shortcuts are similar to the 3D touch software of Apple's iOS 9 and above. Users need to press and hold an app to access a featured list of actions. The Pixel launcher, present in the Google Pixel phones, already supported this facility and now third-party applications will be able to integrate this feature too. The apps are allowed a maximum of five shortcuts.
A power cycling mode has been also introduced in this update. When a user presses and holds the power button, both the power cycle and switch off options will show up on the screen.
Nexus 6 users are fuming, as they are certainly not looking forward to the downgrade and have been rendered helpless. This is due to Google's compulsion that users will have to download the software upgrade, in order to remain eligible for future OTA updates. This has proved to be a spot of bother for Nexus users.
Clearly, the downgrade to Android 7.0 is proving to be a tough pill to swallow for the Nexus 6 community.
Photo: Dag Olsen Hegnar | Flickr
