CyanogenMod 12.1 based on Android 5.1 comes out

The first nightlies of CyanogenMod 12.1 based on Android 5.1 have been released. That’s a week later than Cyanogen, the company behind the custom ROM, had planned. Android 5.1 has been available for Nexus devices for some time now.

Other than being based on Android 5.1, it seems that there are few other changes in the software version. There are no major changes in the post announcing the release of CM12.1. Android 5.1 itself isn’t a big change from Android 5.0 either.

It is unknown if CyanogenMod will regain all the features it lost to be able to quickly release builds of CM12. Features such as a pattern with 4×4, 5×5 or 6×6 dots on the lockscreen were not found in CM12 based on Android 5.0. Other changes that Cyanogen did make to Android 4.4 were also missing.

Cyanogen warns that it is necessary to update add-ons such as Google apps when running CM12.1 or they will stop working. The company also emphasizes that it only ships Microsoft apps with Cyanogen OS and not with builds of CyanogenMod. There was confusion about this after Thursday’s announcement, presumably because the names Cyanogen OS and CyanogenMod are similar.

CM12.1 on a Samsung Galaxy S3. Photo: HighOnAndroid.com