Android 5.1 OS update now live for first-gen Motorola Moto E smartphones: Rollout begins from India

Google's Android 5.1 (Lollipop) OS update, is now finally live for users of first-gen Motorola Moto E users, and as expected the latest update has bypassed Android 5.0.

The rollout comes after multiple soak tests of Android 5.1 were recently seeded to first-gen Moto E users.

As per an AndroidOS report, Android 5.1 has initially hit first-generation Moto E users in India; therefore, it should only be a matter of time before the OS update is made live for owners of first-gen Moto E handsets in other geographical regions of the world.

First-gen Moto E users, both in India as well as in other countries, are advised to check their smartphones for newer OTA notifications representing Android 5.1 and let us know the firmware upgrade's rollout status.

According to AndroidOS, Moto E users can check out for Android 5.1 OS update bearing version number 23.21.18.en.03.

Newer enhancements offered by Android 5.1, to first-gen Motorola Moto E users:

Android 5.1 brings along all the features of Android 5.0 and incorporates fixes to multiple known inherent bugs/issues.

New features offered by Android 5.0

• Notifications and improvements: Blocks interruptions until the next alarm. You can choose to enter a scheduled downtime early. Add icons to the volume settings panel that match those that will show on the status bar. You can also alter notification volume controls while media is playing. With the volume controls showing, a tap on the bell icon will bring up notification volume controls.

• Heads-up notifications: In addition to dismissing a heads-up notification, you can now swipe it up to remove it from your screen. It will remain in your notifications tray and you can dismiss it later.

• Quick notifications: You can quickly select different Wi-Fi access points or different paired Bluetooth devices with a new pull-down menu on each tile. Conditional settings tiles that only show if you use the feature - like Invert Colors or Hotspot - can now be hidden via a long-press on the tile.

• Device protection feature: You can quickly select different Wi-Fi access points or different paired Bluetooth devices with a new pull-down menu on each tile. Conditional settings tiles that only show if you use the feature - like Invert Colors or Hotspot - can now be hidden.

• New lockscreen: If you have enabled Ambient Display, the minimum swipe distance has increased to reduce accidental interactions.

Bug fixes incorporated by Android 5.1

Apart from the above newer aspects, Android 5.1 also incorporates fixes to multiple known issues inherent in Android 5.0 as listed below.

• Clock in the status bar isn't updating and alarms not going off
• Can't delete SMS messages when the SIM card is full
• No ringer audio while making an outgoing call
• Calculator floating point calculations
• Chrome crashes when launched
• Frequent restarts while watching Netflix
• Wi-Fi not automatically reconnecting to home Wi-Fi
• Wi-Fi not connecting after being idle all night
• Wi-Fi connection issues with multiple routers in one location
• Bluetooth discovery is not triggered when you refresh settings
• CPU wakelocks that contribute to heavier battery drain
• Connection and synchronisation issues with MS Exchange servers
• Incorrect default APN
• Cannot unlock the SIM with a PIN/PUK code
• Cannot play 'pinned' content

Currently, Android 5.1 is also active for Motorola's more recent Moto E (2015) smartphone. Owners of this device can check for a newer over-the-air (OTA) notification bearing build number 23.11.15.

How to manually search for Android 5.1 and install

Before manually searching for Android 5.1 and installing it, users need to connect to a Wi-Fi network; also ensure that the battery of the device has at least 50% charge.

• Select the Settings icon in the apps menu
• Select 'About phone'
• Select 'System updates'
• Select 'Yes, I'm in'. After the software is downloaded, select 'Install now'
• After the software is installed, your phone will re-start automatically.