The Android 2.2 update has begun rolling out, starting sometime last night, for owners of the original Droid.
The new version of Android is called “Froyo” and will include several enhancements including:
- flash support
- security option such as remote device wipe and lock
- rotate the screen 270 degrees to work with apps in any direction
- new shortcuts for access to the phone, application launcher, and browser from any of the 5 home screens
- enhancements for Exchange and calendars
- better browser performance
A full list of Froyo enhancements can be found on Verizon’s website.
I also wanted to address an issue users are having with Flash. If you read very carefully, Verizon states that Adobe Flash 10.1 beta is now supported, but it is not actually included in the update. The actual flash player application has not been released yet on the Android Market. So, people are trying to browse to flash sites and applications after updating, only to be disappointed that they still do not have flash working on their phones.
Wipe those tears because we are here to rescue you! I had recently rooted my Droid to use 2.2, so I already knew that the Flash app had to be installed separately, and also had to install it on Solidus’ phone last night after he received the OTA update. If you don’t want to wait for the official app, you can download the Flash apk, that was released for developers a long time ago, here. DISCLAIMER: Installing anything on your phone is risky. If you follow the instructions below, you do so willingly at your own risk!! GeekGods will NOT be held responsible if something goes wrong and your phone gets hosed!!
To install, you can either browse this link directly on your phone or download the file to your PC first. When you download directly to your phone, you will need a file manager app like Astro to browse to the download folder on your SD card. Click on the file once in Astro and it will ask you to open the App Manager which will install it for you. You might need to change your app settings to allow installation of non-Market applications. You should now see Flash listed in your Settings/Applications. To test, browse any site that uses flash. Enjoy!
