Google updated Android 5.0 Lollipop to 5.1 Lollipop and included a number of bug fixes and performance improvements under the skin. Devices running the newer 5.1 version of Lollipop are noticeably more responsive than those running 5.0, which itself is more responsive than those devices running 4.4 Kit Kat. Motorola are usually one of the quicker manufacturers to release software updates for their devices, but we know that Verizon are also one of the slower carriers thanks to their extensive testing. With this in mind, it’s comforting that the over the air update to Android 5.1 Lollipop is now available – or will be available very shortly. However, the over the air update may not be available to all customers immediately. Or, it will not be available for those customers running with a rooted device.
Happily, help is at hand as you can manually download the new ROM and flash it to the device. If you want to manually flash the stock ROM onto your device, the first thing you need to do is grab the update file from here. The download is 771 MB so depending on the speed of your network connection, this will take a little time. If you have access to a power adapter, it’s a good idea to plug your Droid Turbo in both for the download and for the update process, because the update process can be especially hard on the device.
Once the download is complete, you’ll need to power down the Motorola and reboot it into Bootloader Mode. To do this, hold down the Power / Lock button and the Volume Down key. The device boots into a different mode and from here, use the volume keys to move the cursor onto “Recovery,” and select using the lock button. The device will switch into the Recovery mode and you’ll see an Android on his or her back; at this screen, hold the volume up key and push the lock key once more. From the next menu, select “Apply update from SD card,” then navigate to the over the air file, which is usually residing in your download folder. Select it with a quick tap of the power / lock key and the device will start the software update. This process will take several minutes. As a warning, if you have rooted your device you will need to factory reset the handset before applying the update and this will destroy your data. Be sure to back everything up that you need before you do this!