A brand new look and dramatically improved restore options await you in Lollipop With the release of new Android 5.0 Lollipop preview images, we're getting a much clearer picture of how the new OS will look and act on devices. After the initial preview images came out with a completely unfinished design, we now have a good look at something closer to a finished product. The first thing you'll notice when booting up a Lollipop device is the new setup process, which has been cleaned up, streamlined and improved coming from KitKat. It also includes dramatically better controls for restoring data from other devices, which is a welcomed addition for those who switch devices often. We're going to walk through the new design and features of the setup process in Android 5.0 Lollipop — hang on for the ride. Verizon is offering the Pixel 4a for just $10/mo on new Unlimited lines

1. Tap & Go automatic restore with NFC

The big new feature, aside from the design overhaul, in the setup process on Lollipop is "Tap & Go" setup. Tap & Go, as you may draw from the name, lets you tap your new device to your old device and transfer over content. It uses NFC to initiate the pairing of a Bluetooth connection between the devices, and then hands your account details from one device to the other. In the case of tapping a Nexus 5 to a fresh new Nexus 7, after selecting "Tap & Go" and putting the two devices together the new Nexus 7 automatically displays your Google Account and simply prompts you to sign in with your password. Interesting to note is that it bypasses the need for a two-step verification code, if you have it enabled. After putting in your password, the rest of the device's setup process is skipped through completely, and you're taken to the homescreen where you'll see all of your apps begin downloading automatically. The apps are downloading using Google's standard system, nothing new, so of course apps that don't support cloud save of progress/data won't be brought over. Meaning you'll still be signing into most apps manually after they download. If you use Google Now launcher on your old device, it will even copy over your homescreen layout of apps, folders and widgets. The apps and widgets that have yet to be downloaded will show up greyed out and you'll see them fill up with color and a progress bar as they're downloaded and installed. You'll also be automatically "opted in" to Google Now if you had turned it on on your old device. It's a surprisingly elegant solution, and it really feels like magic particularly when you see the homescreen auto-populate the way you want it. It isn't entirely clear how widely supported this feature is, but in our case everything went without a hitch between the two Nexus devices we have here, even though one was running KitKat and the other Lollipop. 2. Manual restore