Android M looks set to fix one of Lollipop's biggest flaws

Android M Developer Preview 2 has been released to app makers, and this early version has hinted at a new feature that could address a problem that has been annoying users of Android 5.0 Lollipop: memory management.

An improved memory management tool has appeared in Settings which lists apps that are running and how much memory they are using, along with how much RAM on average an app is using - even if it's not running.

The more memory being used, the slower you phone will run, so identifying memory hogging apps and closing them can help put a spring back into your handset's step.

Google's current version of Android, known as Lollipop, has had issues with memory leaks, as well as suffering from some apps taking up a lot of memory, both of which can drain the batteries of devices even when they're not being used, and the current memory management tools are hidden away, and rather limited.

By giving quick and easy access to memory management tools it will mean we can revive a lagging smartphone ourselves, so let's hope this feature makes it to the final release.

Other extras

Developer Preview 2 also adds in a few other changes which aren't quite as useful as streamlined memory management.

The Android M app launcher, which scrolls vertically rather than the more standard horizontal direction of previous versions of Android, has lost the letters that allowed you to jump alphabetically to apps – which was included in the first developer preview.

The Themes option to change the look of Android M has also been hidden away in Developer Preview 2, so for the moment it looks like one step forward, two steps back for Android M.

• It's official: Android M is coming this year

Via Techvalue.gr