It’s finally that time for all of you Droid 2 owners out there to get your Gingerbread update. Go ahead and update your device and you will get Android version 2.3.3 Gingerbread on it. We were hoping for the newer Gingerbread 2.3.4 but hey at least Gingerbread is here.
Motorola Droid 2 Gingerbread Update Features:
- New Download Manager App
- Under Manage Applications, a new “Running” tab displays a list of active applications, as well as the storage and memory being used by each.
- Multi-Touch Key-Chording
- Improved Word Selection and Copy Functionality:
- New User Interface and Color Scheme:
- New widgets, icons and screens with refreshed colors.
- Three swappable icons and the App Launcher icon are fixed to the dock at the bottom of all home screen panels for easy and instant access.
- New App Menu allows creation of custom app groups
- Added Device and SD Card encryption.
- VPN enhancements integrate IPSec VPN clients into device security settings
Motorola Droid 2 owners have already reported a significant speed increase as well as smoother transitions between apps. Please let us know how the update goes for you.
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September 4th, 2011 at 10:23 am
Not happy!
So far the new and improved as killed my corporate exchange sync and I can watch the battery drain. battery life is several hours now, as opposed to several days before upgrade.
Please advise on how to fix this!
Steve
September 4th, 2011 at 12:11 pm
You no longer can delete contact groups.
September 5th, 2011 at 8:06 pm
Battery life sucks now!!! What can we do to fix it!
September 5th, 2011 at 10:35 pm
I have a droid 2 and i have not recieved the update. when i go to update my phone it says im uptodate. are they rolling this out to people in stages?
September 7th, 2011 at 3:07 pm
HATE HATE HATE IT!!!!! The fixed “Dock” on my Droid 2 doesn’t have the Launcher icon. In fact, I could not locate the Launcher ANYWHERE. Somehow was able to add an icon for All Apps to my home page. Don’t ask me how because I’m not sure where it was found… HATE IT!!!! I can no longer press the On/Off button to shut off the screen – i now have to slide the screen open and closed to unlock after the devices goes into sleep…Now my device turned off and it wont re-start… HATE IT!!!!! Battery Life SUCKS ROYALLY!!!! HATE IT!!!!!! oh and BTW did I mention I happen to hate the 2.3.3 update???
September 7th, 2011 at 6:45 pm
Jackie, if your phone is rooted it will not display the update as available
September 8th, 2011 at 1:39 pm
I’m with Alden, I HATE HATE HATE the update too!! It’s changed so many things for the worse & I’m ready to get rid of the damn thing!!! Then I find theres no way to go back!
September 9th, 2011 at 7:23 am
I believe an upgrade should be better, not just different. I like that I can now sort the contact list properly, but I’ve already bought Better Contacts for that. I still can’t sort email by sender or search for email from a particular sender or on a particular date. The voicemail unbelievably has the callback button right beneath the listen button, so its easy to accidentally return a call when you just want to listen. This is as bad as having the SEND button right beneath the email screen instead of off to the side like texts, so you can accidentally send when you merely tried to select a typo to fix (also not fixed). My call list now tells me how many days ago you called; I can only see the date when I open the call (who does that?). When I’m editing text or email, I can no longer highlight then copy/cut the highlighted text, I must take the word or all words, and nothing in between. At least now editing handles symbols better, without eliminating the space before the symbol. Can anyone tell me how to get back to a black screen with white letters? The screen now practically blinds me in a dark car or room, and alerts everyone to the fact that I’m using my phone (and I shouldn’t have to keep changing the brightness setting every morning and evening). I’m glad problems are being addressed. But if the net effect of a change is just to make something different, not better, or better only in some users’ opinions, give me the option to change – don’t force it on me.
September 10th, 2011 at 3:53 pm
My R2D2 downloaded the update last night, and I installed it this morning.
So far, I like it. Nice snappy and smooth app transitions, new notification bar and opaque window pane, new gmail and messaging layout, and my phone maintained my root access and apps. I haven’t found anything wrong yet, and probably won’t.
Good luck to the rest of yous guys, R2 and I welcomed Gingerbread with open hearts, minds, and moufs.
September 13th, 2011 at 9:45 am
I hate this! I no longer can delete things off my desktop the trash button is gone! Where did it go? Also what is up with the fixed dock I did not need that! How can I go back to the phone the way it was before the update! I miss my old phone!
September 13th, 2011 at 2:50 pm
Besides the dreadful battery life, I don’t like the fixed icons on the bottom of the screen. I liked keeping my home screen clean with only the couple icons I needed and could pull up the rest with the button to do so. Now it’s all cluttered, what’s the point of the fixed icons there? Just got the update and will be figuring out the rest soon.
September 14th, 2011 at 9:07 pm
Hate it. I also have the R2D2 which i loved before this update. Where did the speaker phone go that was on the dial pad, and I don’t like the dark color at the top now. You can get the trash can back if you keep tappin the widget. Also you can change the two fixed icons at the bottom to be what you want them by holding it down then select something from the widgets list. Learned by accident from hours of trying to remove them. STILL HATE IT!!!!
September 17th, 2011 at 7:18 pm
I have an R2D2 and I don’t like the new update. Tow items especially. Docked icons and dark blue notification bar can go. For those looking for the trash can it’s at the top of the screen when you drag an icon to the top.
September 20th, 2011 at 9:49 pm
HATE IT! The color is atrocious! I can’t stand looking at it so I hardly try to use my phone. I didn’t even realize the 3 icons at the bottom were fixed now until reading other comments. It wasn’t to hard to bring them up before so I am not sure why they need to be fixed now. Also my battery has died each night since the upgrade 3 hours before I go to bed. Typically I wouldn’t have to charge until the next morning.
September 22nd, 2011 at 8:25 am
Is anyone else having a problem with notifications? I had a ta-da notification set on incoming texts but not emails (too voluminous). Since the update, its reversed. I get notified of emails but not texts. Yet my settings under both are as I left them. Would appreciate ideas on how to fix.
September 27th, 2011 at 11:35 pm
I recently updated to Gingerbread (about 3 weeks ago) and really like it. However, this past weekend had to do a full phone reset. NOW, my Gingerbread has dock icons at the bottom (that were NOT there before) that I cannot move, change, or anything. Is there any way to remove the bottom dock, and move those icons to the main screen??
September 28th, 2011 at 1:20 pm
I dislike the new update so much I could scream. I bought my droidx because I have vision problems and I could see most things pretty well in my glasses. it was a dream come true for me after struggling with the small screen of a flip phone for years. NOW the buttons have changed, gotten smaller. The black bar at the stop has G3 and other items SO small I can’t see them IN my glasses. Same with the phone menu during a call. WHAT phone number against that awful gray background. Can’t see the number at all. Anyway, this is NOT the phone I purchased and I’m angry that they can change the phone after purchase to something I would NOT have purchased. If anyone finds a way to restore it to the look at feel from before the update, please post. Thanks
October 3rd, 2011 at 6:29 pm
I am an architect and I bought this phone over the IPHONE because of it’s cool stealth look and interface. I HATE HATE this update it is ugly blue and the contacts now are all on an ugly white background. I like the displays much better as they were before. This is a step backwards. So far there is nothing I like with this update including the name gingerbread how stupid. I called Droid to see how to change the displays back and they said I can not. This is not the phone I purchased I am really REALLY NOT HAPPY!!! I want my money back.
October 5th, 2011 at 2:22 pm
I’m with Lori… I also am having notifications trouble. I used to have phone set to notify ONLY for text messages. Now I get those PLUS a notification each time my phone syncs to personal or corporate email. (Thank God I don’t get a separate notification for EACH e-mail. I would have thrown my phone out the window by now)
I’ve dug as far as I know how into this phone to figure out how to set the incoming email notifications, but can’t find it. When I first got the phone, this was easy to find. Now, it totally eludes me.
Can someone help?
One thing I can say in Gingerbread’s favor: the keyboard is improved enough that I no longer hit the period between words when texting or typing messages. Thank you for one small blessing. The rest, well, I could do without.
October 6th, 2011 at 8:36 am
DISCOVERY to share! I vented on the phone with Verizon this morning about how we hate Gingerbread.
But in walking thru things w them, I did discover a couple things people have been asking about here. 1) the trashcan. it has moved to the TOP of the home screen. if you hold your finger down on an icon you want to trash, you’ll see the trashcan come alive in red in the upper horizontal strip of your screen. Then you can drag the icon into the trash. 2) email notifications are now controlled not via Settings, but via the email icon itself. to manage tones on my corporate email, I had to tap the little “stamp” icon for my company email. When the inbox was displayed, I hit the menu button, and chose the email settings button from there. The next list includes a ‘notifications’ option, which lets you choose your ringtone — which includes a “silent” option. It’s a similar process to govern tones for texts… tap the little envelope icon for texts on home page, and when your list of texts is displayed, hit the menu button and choose “messaging settings.”
Good luck all! Keep posting helpful insights here! Catherine
October 6th, 2011 at 8:39 am
Oh, and one last thing (I’ve obviously had too much coffee already): if any of you are irritated that apps like Kindle and Google Books download on your phone now without your giving permission, you are shit-outta-luck. Verizon said there is nothing we can do to stop these downloads; they are just part of the package. [sound of teeth gnashing]
October 6th, 2011 at 11:29 pm
Thank you Google for your mandatory update to the new Gingerbread! My once snappy responsive and impressive DROIDX has become laggy with every process, more difficult to navigate and search, and the most frustrating phone I have ever owned. Aside from phone calls, this thing is now a paperweight. So glad you included the option to just deal with it instead of revert to the version that worked. My wife noticed all the same problems I mentioned as well! Just in time to tell Google to go to hell as I reorder the iPhone 4s. Best of luck bailing water out of the ship you just decided to sink!
October 12th, 2011 at 3:40 pm
This update did not go well at all for my droidx. I can not update apps now. It stalls and will kill my battery if I let it go. I do not like the color settings and hard to see. Makes all my pictures dark now.
October 14th, 2011 at 9:45 pm
Where are all of my apps? Before I had a nice icon that listed all of my apps. Now I cannot figure out how to get into my apps, or better yet to get my apps icon back. HELP….I HATE THIS UPDATE.
October 19th, 2011 at 11:12 am
HATE IT HATE IT HATE IT!! If I’d wanted apps permanently docked at the bottom of the screen, I’d do it myself! And they are too far down, you can only see half of the icon anyway.
PUT IT BACK THE WAY IT WAS!
October 22nd, 2011 at 1:20 am
My phone just pushed the update lastnight (Droid 2), and although there are some improvements in the interface (you can noe organize your apps in folders, swipe is slightly improved, and bootup is a little faster…), the largest change is just the look of the system (font, color, icons). I do have a HUGE problem with this new update…my phone restarts itself about every 10 mins (yay for the faster bootup time, I guess). Also, this doesn’t help the battery life any (much, much worse). Does anyone else have this problem or have any insight on this? It’s really really annoying and makes me echo the sentiments of everyone who posted before me. HATE IT HATE IT HATE IT–ditto. (Any help with the rebooting problem would be much appreciated though…is there any way to go back to the previous OS without restoring factory setting? I really hate doing that…) Thanks for reading!
October 23rd, 2011 at 3:19 pm
I am a Droid 2 user and I noticed the games run faster, BUT I HATE EVERYTHING ELSE! Why force the update and why cant we go back? I miss my trash icon & hate the buttons at the bottom. I don’t effing need a repeat of icons all over.
November 1st, 2011 at 11:03 am
I am with the “HATE IT” crowd and this is going to cost Motorola and Google/Android customers. The 2.3.3 is absolutely terrible and I much preferred the previous version. The reason people went to Android was it’s customizable User Interface. We should not have to download an App to disable the stupid lock feature. This is a FAIL for Android and if they will not address our angst I am going to begrudgingly go to iPhone.
November 2nd, 2011 at 12:23 pm
HATE IS NOT A STRONG ENOUGH WORD. My DroidX is a business tool not a teenager’s toy. The colors are sickening and poorly thought out. I travel a lot for business and my phone lives on it’s dock on my dash serving as a communications center and GPS. THE COLORS AT NIGHT ARE ABSOLUTELY BLINDING especially the dialer, contacts, and music player. Half of the time I drive with the phone covered by my hat. How about giving us, the user, the ability to choose the color scheme that works best for us. I am about ready to throw the phone I used to really like through the window of my nearest Verizon store!
November 10th, 2011 at 12:02 am
i hate this new update so much!!! not only does my battery die so fast but now my phone freezes all the time. This deffinatelly needs to be updated to a newer version as soon as possible. I’m even considering buying a new phone, and not android because I have had so many problems with mine. The droid 2 used to be my favorite phone and I was happy with the old update version 2.2.1 but this new 2.3.3 is horrible!!!
November 23rd, 2011 at 7:28 am
if i wanted a crappy, basic looking Apple loadout I would have bought an I-phone.
the fixed icons??? wth? might as well call this os version kindergarten instead of gingerbread
December 16th, 2011 at 1:06 pm
Add me to the hate it crowd. Drains my battery, runs slow as molasses in the winter time, takes it like a minute to dial a phone number when I tap on the phone icon of a contact. Just awful. This is the second time one of these ota updates hosed my android phone. Making me want to switch to an iphone. Now a new quirk today. Just freezes up when I am in the middle of trying to type a text message. Im about ready to try the neuclear option and factory rest the thing.
December 17th, 2011 at 3:55 am
yep hate the update, hate the look, hate the mandatory icons and the mandatory books.
December 27th, 2011 at 3:52 am
I saw there was a new OTA update for my Milestone X. I decided to update. When it was finished, I was greeted with a new color scheme. I’m confused. Why go with a dark color scheme with pure white in different places? It doesn’t work. The music app feels out of place. It’s pure white. That’s blinding. What are you thinking? I think the color scheme needs to be much more consistent. If you want to put together a dark color scheme, keep it dark. Don’t throw in a pure white background for some menus or apps (Go look at the music app. That one is a good example.). The previous color scheme was fine. I wouldn’t mind the new one that was introduced with the update if the scheme was more consistent.
Also, when typing, I find it harder to move the cursor. Used to be able to move it with more ease by long-pressing in the typing area, then moving the cursor with my finger. Does anyone else find it difficult? Or maybe I just need to adjust more.
December 28th, 2011 at 3:02 pm
Fixing things that aren’t broken is always ill-advised. Since updating to 2.3.3, my Droid X now randomly turns itself back on, thus unwittingly draining the battery overnight (not to mention being disconcertingly “big-brother-esque”). Texting now randomly splits send and receive into two separate threads. Photo gallery now jams while opening, and must exit/re-enter panel. Nevermind all the offensive asthetic “enhancements”. I rue the day I allowed this update. Ruined what was previously a pretty good device with an intractible tissue of lame hacks.