# I pit Android so hard **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 9, 2016, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-android-so-hard/774297 "2016-12-09T18:59:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Karen\_Lingel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karen_lingel/32/18649_2.png) [@Karen\_Lingel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Karen_Lingel)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2016, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-android-so-hard/774297/1 "2016-12-09T18:59:42Z")
So a couple weeks ago, my phone claimed it needed to do the first of two software updates for Android Lollipop, so I allowed it and now there is a new software update every single effing day for two solid weeks. And Verizon is charging me for the data to download these effing updates, which is 1.47 GigiBytes so far, and I’ve gone over my allowable data, and so now my phone is bricked for the next four days. Thanks, Trump! Seriously, WTF? How can a 2-part software update grow into 14 parts (and counting) AND you charge me for the data to download it? It used over 1 Gb last night! Let me tell you I will never allow another software update as long as I live. As of this minute, I intend to have a new phone and a new carrier by the end of the year. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2016, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-android-so-hard/774297/2 "2016-12-09T19:17:37Z")
Always Do Updates Over Wifi. I think the “okay this update” screens even say so. ---
**Author:** ![sevenwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@sevenwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sevenwood)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2016, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-android-so-hard/774297/3 "2016-12-09T19:29:11Z")
> [@Karen\_Lingel](#): > > Let me tell you I will never allow another software update as long as I live. As of this minute, I intend to have a new phone and a new carrier by the end of the year. Uhh - your “new” phone will probably have left the manufacturer quite aways back, and when you turn it on it will probably require a series of updates for its OS to become current. I’m just sayin’… And yes, +1 on the WiFi connection… ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2016, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-android-so-hard/774297/4 "2016-12-09T19:41:23Z")
> [@Karen\_Lingel](#): > > So a couple weeks ago, my phone claimed it needed to do the first of two software updates for Android Lollipop, so I allowed it and now there is a new software update every single effing day for two solid weeks. And Verizon is charging me for the data to download these effing updates, which is 1.47 GigiBytes so far, and I’ve gone over my allowable data, and so now my phone is bricked for the next four days. You’ve heard of Wi-Fi, right? (As others have pointed out). And you had to consent to doing the update over your mobile data, so don’t forget to pit yourself while you’re at it. > [@](#): > > Thanks, Trump! Low-effort off-topic trollery with correspondingly poor results. > [@](#): > > Seriously, WTF? How can a 2-part software update grow into 14 parts (and counting) AND you charge me for the data to download it? It used over 1 Gb last night! You always had 16 items to update. But there had to be a specific order: the first two, and then when they were settled in and running, the other 14 parts that depended on the updated version of the first two. It’s pretty close to universal, BTW. It’s called “dependency analysis”. > [@](#): > > Let me tell you I will never allow another software update as long as I live. As of this minute, I intend to have a new phone and a new carrier by the end of the year. Never update again? Good. I have some hacker friends who would like a nice soft target. And the only way “new phone, new carrier” might help if you switch back to a dumb phone on any carrier that would have you. A smartphone is not a phone. It’s a computer, with everything that comes with that. You would see exactly the same phenomena with Windows, Linux, or (probably – no first-hand experience) Mac. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2016, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-android-so-hard/774297/5 "2016-12-09T20:03:48Z")
Just in case nobody else said it, don’t use mobile data to download updates. Of course you’re going to pay for it. Use wi-fi instead. Also, why don’t you get an unlimited plan? You’ll get a cap of a few Gb of high speed data, but after that, they won’t cut you off, just slow you down. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2016, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-android-so-hard/774297/6 "2016-12-09T20:06:20Z")
I got a notice from my Android that it would not install a new update UNLESS it could use wi-fi. So I went to the Verizon store and got wi-fi. ---
**Author:** ![Karen\_Lingel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karen_lingel/32/18649_2.png) [@Karen\_Lingel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Karen_Lingel)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2016, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-android-so-hard/774297/7 "2016-12-09T21:39:16Z")
The phone doesn’t ask me if I want to DOWNLOAD updates; it does that all on its own, WiFi or no. It only asks if I want to INSTALL updates. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2016, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-android-so-hard/774297/8 "2016-12-09T23:21:22Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > I got a notice from my Android that it would not install a new update UNLESS it could use wi-fi. So I went to the Verizon store and got wi-fi. How much did you get? You cannot store that, you know, it goes bad pretty quickly. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2016, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-android-so-hard/774297/9 "2016-12-10T00:19:37Z")
> [@Karen\_Lingel](#): > > The phone doesn’t ask me if I want to DOWNLOAD updates; it does that all on its own, WiFi or no. It only asks if I want to INSTALL updates. Under [Settings] – [System Update], don’t you have the option to turn automatic updates off? My last few phones have all had that option. Of course, I don’t need it since I have Sprint’s totally unlimited plan with no throttling, but I just checked it and it’s there on my phone, I would think it’s a Samsung/Android thing and not a Sprint add-on. ---
**Author:** ![Karen\_Lingel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karen_lingel/32/18649_2.png) [@Karen\_Lingel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Karen_Lingel)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2016, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-android-so-hard/774297/10 "2016-12-10T01:19:52Z")
Thank you, SeaDragon, for the helpful advice. Alas, the only thing I get for Settings -\> System Update is “Install now” or “Install later”. (Oh gawd it’s trying to install Marshmallow now…) ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2016, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-android-so-hard/774297/11 "2016-12-10T03:17:46Z")
> [@Karen\_Lingel](#): > > Thank you, SeaDragon, for the helpful advice. Alas, the only thing I get for Settings -\> System Update is “Install now” or “Install later”. > > (Oh gawd it’s trying to install Marshmallow now…) That’s all I have on my LG phone. I WISH it would install Marshmallow, but unfortunately LG has apparently decided my budget model isn’t worthy of Marshmallow and I have to settle for Lollipop instead. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2016, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-android-so-hard/774297/12 "2016-12-10T03:43:21Z")
> [@SeaDragonTattoo](#): > > Under [Settings] – [System Update], don’t you have the option to turn automatic updates off? My last few phones have all had that option. Of course, I don’t need it since I have Sprint’s totally unlimited plan with no throttling, but I just checked it and it’s there on my phone, I would think it’s a Samsung/Android thing and not a Sprint add-on. My new phone (as of three days ago) does not have this option (LG K8W on Verizon). [Quote=cochrane] That’s all I have on my LG phone. I WISH it would install Marshmallow, but unfortunately LG has apparently decided my budget model isn’t worthy of Marshmallow and I have to settle for Lollipop instead. [/Quote] My K8W is one of Verizon’s budget models, and it runs Marshmallow. I must confess, however I haven’t a clue what makes that better. ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2016, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-android-so-hard/774297/13 "2016-12-11T18:43:37Z")
If I remember correctly, Marshmallow handles volume control much better than the previous version. For that reason alone I like it. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2016, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-android-so-hard/774297/14 "2016-12-11T19:38:09Z")
> [@Dag\_Otto](#): > > If I remember correctly, Marshmallow handles volume control much better than the previous version. For that reason alone I like it. What, it goes sideways as well as up and down? ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2016, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-android-so-hard/774297/15 "2016-12-11T20:38:07Z")
Re the phone being “bricked” by hitting the data wall that’s normally a user configurable option unless you have a strict “pay as you go” phone plan vs monthly billing. You can usually set your plan to allow data overrides and they will change you fee for that. Plus re the “bricking” (I assume you simply mean you can’t use cell data) The phone should be fully operational over wifi and for calls. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2016, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-android-so-hard/774297/16 "2016-12-11T22:23:30Z")
> [@Dag\_Otto](#): > > If I remember correctly, Marshmallow handles volume control much better than the previous version. For that reason alone I like it. So, the randomly switching between regular volume and alert volume isn’t just my tablet, then? ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2016, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-android-so-hard/774297/17 "2016-12-11T22:39:52Z")
> [@Dag\_Otto](#): > > If I remember correctly, Marshmallow handles volume control much better than the previous version. For that reason alone I like it. > [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > What, it goes sideways as well as up and down? It goes to 11. That’s one louder than 10. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2016, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-android-so-hard/774297/18 "2016-12-12T19:21:46Z")
Pressing either the volume up or down button also presents a slider at the top of the screen for the volume that is relevant at the time. If it’s not the volume you want to adjust then there is a button on the slider that will drop down individual sliders for ring volume, media volume, and alarm volume. In addition, Marshmallow’s “do not disturb” control is easier to use than previous versions. Now if they would work on smart lock being sensible, I’d be happy. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2016, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-android-so-hard/774297/19 "2016-12-12T19:40:04Z")
> [@Kamino\_Neko](#): > > So, the randomly switching between regular volume and alert volume isn’t just my tablet, then? There are volume control apps that let you set all the volumes (media, ringer, alert, a couple others I forget offhand) in one screen. The inability to lock the side buttons is one of Android’s most egregious omissions. > [@cochrane](#): > > It goes to 11. That’s one louder than 10. 😃 \ Damn! You’re right! ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2016, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-android-so-hard/774297/20 "2016-12-12T20:08:56Z")
The Sound option on the Settings on my phone has three different sliders for three different volume options. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-android-so-hard/774297.md?page=2)