Google announced the official name for their latest Android 8.0 firmware – Oreo. This latest version will feature several new functionalities, most notably a feature dubbed as “rescue party,” which supposedly can solve software-related bootloop problems with some Android devices.
The search giant said that OTA updates will be arriving soon for devices running stock Android, but there are reports that a few Pixel and Nexus smartphones already started receiving the latest firmware.
The Android Oreo
Most people know that this isn’t the first time Google names their operating system next to an official brand name.
Google partnered with Nestle in 2013 when Android 4.4 was released. The tech company wanted its operating system to have a “fun and unexpected” name, thus dropping its initial Key Lime Pie codename and went for the name KitKat instead.
This time around, Google collaborated with Nabisco to give its latest firmware the name Oreo. The Android 8.0 will bring several new features to your devices such as improvements to battery life, better Bluetooth audio and Google Play Protect. Notifications can also be grouped according to topic known as Channels.
Android Oreo will also have a new design and will have a much simpler customization of ringtone, alarm and notification sound. Google made improvements to its Autofill feature, which can recover saved password data from Chrome.
Once enabled, Autofill will work natively in several apps that require password entry. The new operating system will also boot much faster than before.
Android’s “rescue party”
Speaking of booting, one of the most interesting features Android Oreo has is its ability to repair itself from bootloop issues, at least when software is concerned.
It does not involve a hardware-related problem, according to a report from Android Authority.
In the past, some well-known devices such as Nexus, LG G4 and even Google Pixel, had issues with bootloop. Google is looking to address this problem by introducing its “rescue party,” which is turned on by default and requires no additional hardware.
The “rescue party” is activated automatically when the system detects problems with the phone’s booting process. This feature will perform a series of actions to try to resolve the problem.
If all else fails, the “rescue party” will boot the system to recovery mode and will ask the user to do a factory reset of the device.
