The official release date for Android 6.0 Marshmallow was October 5^th, but we won’t see the OS on phones until the Nexus 6P, Nexus 5X, and LG G4 start shipping to consumers later this month.

If you are not planning to upgrade to a new Android smartphone pre-installed with Marshmallow, you can check to see when Android Marshmallow will come to your phone on this handy list compiled by Pocket-lint.

While you wait for your update, take a look at eight new features Android Marshmallow will bring to your smartphone:

Google Now on Tap

Launched by holding down on the Home button from any screen or app, Google Now on Tap is engineered to understand the context of what you are currently doing on your Android phone and serve up relevant content and links.

For example, if you a have an address in a message or email, Google Now on Tap can give you directions and a link to Street View to help you find your destination. Similarly, a reference to a movie will see Google Now on Tap deliver info from the IMDB app (if you have it installed), YouTube, Wikipedia, or other sources of info.

For an in-depth look at Google Now on Tap, check out Ars Technica’s review on the feature.

Native USB Type-C support

This one is only useful to you if you are buying a new Android device with a USB Type-C port, but Android 6.0 Marshmallow ships with native support for this new connector standard, now found on most – if not all – of the latest smartphones, including the Nexus 5X, Nexus 6P, and others.

USB Type-C delivers faster charging, faster data transfer speeds, multitasking features like video output while also charging a device and reversible cables – no more checking that you have the cable the right way around.

Granular app permissions for more privacy

Along with Google Now on Tap, the ability to control app permissions is perhaps the single most exciting Android Marshmallow feature. Apps can now only ask for permissions when they need them instead of a user having to grant access to all permissions when they first install an app.

Granular app permissions put the user in the driver’s seat and allows them to, for example, grant an app access to the camera but not contacts.

To set app permission in Marshmallow, go to Settings and click on the Apps section. In Apps, click on the Gear icon and go to the app permission manager.

Unlock your phone and pay for stuff with your fingerprint

Fingerprint scanners on smartphones are becoming as commonplace as cameras and Android Marshmallow brings native support for this security-enhancing hardware.

As with Touch ID on the iPhone, Android users will be able to unlock their phone using their fingerprint and authorize mobile payments via Android Pay or Play Store purchases.

Longer battery life thanks to Doze mode

To conserve battery life, Android Marshmallow’s new Doze mode intelligently manages background processes. Using the device’s motion sensor, Android shuts down unnecessary background processes when its senses the device has been stationary for a long period with the screen off.

With Doze mode active, apps will stop performing actions, such as checking for updates, in the background. This is perfect for when your device is sitting idle overnight or while you are not using it for extended periods of time.

Read more about Android Marshmallow’s Doze mode here.

Easy, accurate text selection

Apple addressed this in iOS 9 by turning the keyboard into a trackpad, and Android Marshmallow now also makes it easier to select text, albeit with a different approach.

Android Marshmallow automatically extends your text selection to entire words, phrases, and entire sentences to help you capture exactly what you need easily and accurately. It’s worth noting that you can still select parts of a word by dragging the blue handles in from the front or end of your initial selection if you need to.

Quickly share content to your most-used apps and contacts

Sharing content with Android Marshmallow is a little bit faster and convenient thanks to the OS’ ability to learn your habits and adapt accordingly.

If you frequently use Facebook to share content or you’re always sharing content with a handful of contacts, you’ll find your most-used apps and contacts at the top of the Share menu for easy access.

Swipe left to access Google voice search

Swiping left from the Lock screen on Android Marshmallow brings up Google voice search instead of the phone dialer app as on Lollipop and older versions.

This lets you do quick searches for things like current local time, exchange rates, and more without unlocking your phone. Searching for personal information such as calendar info, contacts, etc. still requires you to first unlock the phone for access.

Photo by yamagiwa2000