Android 6 Marshmallow update: when can I get it?

The Android 6.0 update is out now

Update: The Android Marshmallow update is out now for certain devices. It's just out for the Nexus 5, 6, 7 and 9 as well as the Nexus Player. LG is the first third-party manufacturer to force its update through and if you're in Europe you'll be receiving the notification to update very soon. Many other manufacturers have also shared schedules for the Android Marshmallow upgrade so read on for more details.

Android Marshmallow is here. There are battery life improvements, greater app permission controls, standardised support for fingerprint scanners, more granular volume controls, USB-C support and new Google Now features, all part of a mix that makes this an exciting upgrade for users. But is your phone actually going to get it?

The release process for Android updates is more complicated than that for iOS updates, and just because an update has been launched that doesn't necessarily mean you'll have instant access to it. In fact, you probably won't. It's down to device manufacturers, and in some countries, like the US, carriers spend quite a bit of time with the new software before releasing it to their phones and tablets.

If you own a Nexus device you're in luck, as the software has landed on those first – and manufacturers like Motorola are generally better at getting updates out quickly. But other manufacturers are a little less predictable.

• Check out our Android Marshmallow tips and tricks

We are even seeing the gentle roll out of the Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow update with a few little bug fixes bundled in for good measure. It's only on the Android One devices so far though, and those aren't easy to get outside of developing markets.

To make the latest Android update less of a mystery, here's our constantly updated information on when it's likely to land on your phone.

Google and Nexus

Google's Nexus devices are the first to get the Android Marshmallow upgrade – one of their biggest selling points is speedy updates and stock versions of Android.

The new Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P come with Marshmallow pre-installed, but the update is already coming to Google's other phones.

Right now the Nexus 5, Nexus 6, Nexus 7 (2013), Nexus 9, Nexus Player and the whole range of Android One smartphones are getting the Android Marshmallow update right now.

Samsung

Samsung did a pretty good job of getting Android Lollipop on to its phones rapidly, but it seems to have slowed things down for the Marshmallow launch.

According to a leaked roadmap the two latest phones from the company will be getting Marshmallow first, with the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ set to get the update in December 2015.

It seems pretty certain the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 will see the update next month as another leak has also suggested it'll be with us by the end of the year. There was no news there about the Galaxy S6 Edge+ though.

That roadmap suggests the Samsung Galaxy S6 and Samsung Galaxy S6 Edgewill be updated in January 2016. The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 and Samsung Galaxy Note Edge will then follow in February.

The Samsung Galaxy Alpha and the Samsung Galaxy S5 are also set to get the update, but there's no official date yet.

It's not clear whether handsets older than the Samsung Galaxy S5 will get Android Marshmallow, but it's a remote possibility for the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S4 and Samsung Galaxy Note 3. Both of these once-high-end phones were updated to Android Lollipop, but they're now two years old.

As for tablets, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S range has been updated to Android 5.0, and is recent enough that we'd expect a Marshmallow update. The Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 may well get an update too, but we're not optimistic about the prospects for most other Samsung slates.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 (2014), for example, is still on Android KitKat, despite being relatively recent. It's possible that it will skip Lollipop and move straight to Android Marshmallow, but there's nothing yet to suggest that will be the case.

HTC

HTC tweeted out a list of its phones that will be getting the update a few weeks ago. The company said HTC One M9 and HTC One M8 would get Marshmallow before the end of the year.

It'll also be updating the HTC One M9+, HTC One E9, HTC One ME, HTC One E8, HTC One M8 EYE, HTC Butterfly 3, HTC Desire 826, HTC Desire 820 and HTC Desire 816. There's no official word on when it's coming to those devices though, and it may not be until 2016.

Sony

Sony has updated us on what phones will be getting the Marshmallow update, and the Xperia Z1 will be missing out this time. The full list includes the Xperia Z5, Xperia Z5 Compact, Xperia Z5 Premium, Sony Xperia Z3+, Sony Xperia Z3,Sony Xperia Z3 Compact, Sony Xperia Z4 Tablet and Sony Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact.

The Xperia Z2, Xperia Z2 Tablet, Xperia M5, Xperia C5 Ultra, Xperia M4 Aqua and Xperia C4 are also getting Marshmallow goodness.

In terms of what that update will bring, we've seen the first 'concept' for the Xperia Z3 and Z3 Compact. Tap to wake – whereby a quick double knock of the screen will activate the display from sleep – will be enabled, and the ability to connect MIDI devices through USB too.

New keyboards will also be added into the mix to improve tip-typing, and more FLAC (lossless hi-res audio) files will be supported too.

There's no official word on when the updates will starting rolling out, but Sony is well known for doing these things slowly – but at least concepts are appearing, so the update is in the works.