Last Updated on April 12, 2017 by Mathew Diekhake
We’ve seen the GP edition’s getting updated over the last few days, and now it’s the Moto G’s turn to update the Google Play Edition to a fresher Android 4.4.4 Kitkat firmware version namely KOT49H. It is obviously an OTA update which means it will arrive over the air and alert the owner when it arrives with a notification. From there, the installation process couldn’t be simpler and after a few clicks of the buttons it will begin downloading. Of course, we always recommend doing this over the home WiFi connection because the mobile data is costly and less reliable.
You can’t go wrong with a stable WiFi connection, and it always results in a successful install. Nonetheless, people can always navigate their way to Settings > About phone > Software updates > Check now and take a look if it is ready to install that way because sometimes the notification slips by us. Just don’t get too carried away with checking every few minutes because it can take a matter of weeks before it finishes rolling around to everyone.
The new software comes with bug fixes and improvements over the last Android 4.4.3 software version, and it adds additional security. More specifically there was an issue with the SLL security, and the update implements some change there were it deems it necessary. Everything here is behind the scenes work that doesn’t come to us as features, but it’s still a great idea to update nonetheless because security is one thing you never want to compromise.
Google sent out 4.4.4 only two weeks after the 4.4.3 for the Nexus 5 that is a smartphone that the Mountain View company look after very well because they own it y. It doesn’t mean that every device gets it in quick succession like that which is why I used it as an example. However, it does let us know that the difference between the two is only minuscule as we advance to work our way towards the Android L shown off an the Google I/O keynote event last week.
It shows the same Easter Egg inside that the original Kitkat had by tapping on the build number, but if you tap this time it will show the Android 4.4.4 logo instead of the other version. It doubles as a nice Easter Egg to check out and also confirmation that it did update correctly and it working. Of course, it is quicker to just go to the ‘About Device’ section in the settings and check from there is that is something you wanted to do.
If you notice the new firmware build ready and waiting take the time to do a full backup of the data before you press install so that if you need to do a factory reset because something went wrong it didn’t matter so much. Backup the contacts using the internal memory of 8 GB’s. It lacks the Micros SD external option for storage so if you run out of space you have to delete old data or use Google Drive for storing some documents and other data in the cloud. You can also sync the contacts with your Google account. Try and store call logs, market apps using helium from the Google Play Store, videos, picture galleries and more.
The Moto G battery is 2070 mAh so make sure you have enough power left by checking the icon in the status bar to ensure it doesn’t turn off during the installation.