Everytime you wish to change something in your smartphone, you’ll at all times head to the Settings app. Nicely, that’s what most individuals do. The Settings app is full of show settings, privateness choices, notification administration, and rather more. That being mentioned, there are some helpful Android options that you just gained’t discover immediately within the Settings app. As an alternative, they’re tucked into fast menus, gesture menus, or hidden behind lengthy presses.
For those who haven’t found these options but, you’re lacking out on some surprisingly helpful Android instruments.
Pin an app to your display screen
No extra snooping dangers
Credit score: Brandon Miniman / MakeUseOfCredit: Brandon Miniman / MakeUseOfCredit: Brandon Miniman / MakeUseOf
Once you hand over your telephone to somebody, be it your pal, baby, sibling, or teammate, you won’t need them to flick thru your different apps and private information. For such conditions, Android has an app pinning characteristic, which locks your machine to a single app till you unlock it once more. It’s a safety characteristic that maintains your privateness when another person is utilizing your telephone.
Right here’s find out how to pin an app:
- Open the app you want to pin.
- Swipe as much as open the Recents display screen.
- Faucet the app icon on the high of the preview and select Pin.
As soon as an app is pinned, the consumer gained’t have the ability to swap apps or entry your notifications and private information till you unpin that app.
Cut up display screen for multitasking
Watch and chat with out app switching
Android has supported the split-screen multitasking characteristic for years, however many individuals nonetheless don’t use it as a result of they will’t discover it within the Settings app. This characteristic allows you to use two apps concurrently, facet by facet or one above the opposite. So, you possibly can simply multitask in your telephone. As an illustration, you possibly can watch a video and reply to messages, or browse the net and take notes with out switching between apps.
Right here’s find out how to use split-screen on Android:
- Open the primary app you want to use.
- Open the Latest Apps display screen and faucet the app icon above the app preview.
- Choose Cut up display screen or Open in break up display screen view.
- You possibly can select the second app from the latest apps or app drawer.
Now you can use each apps concurrently and alter the display screen house for every of them.
Use Reside captions for any audio
Transcribes audio in real-time
Android additionally presents a strong accessibility characteristic known as Reside Caption, which generates real-time subtitles for any audio taking part in in your machine, like movies, podcasts, social media clips, and voice messages. This characteristic works completely on-device, so that you don’t must depend on an web connection.
To allow Reside Caption in your Android telephone, you simply must press the Quantity button and hit the Reside Caption icon beneath the slider. This characteristic is particularly helpful whenever you’re listening to audio in loud environments or just wish to learn the captions for higher understanding.
Share Wi-Fi with a QR code
Skip lengthy passwords
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I’ve at all times discovered it annoying to kind lengthy passwords, particularly when my buddies and kinfolk need a fast connection to my Wi-Fi. For those who’re additionally like me, you’ll certainly love this Android shortcut that allows you to immediately share your Wi-Fi utilizing a QR code.
- Open your Wi-Fi settings.
- Faucet the community you’re presently linked to.
- Choose Share and a QR code will seem in your display screen.
When somebody scans this code, their telephone will routinely connect with the Wi-Fi with out having to kind an extended string of characters.
Hidden app shortcuts
Leap straight to what you want
Screenshot by Anindra Z. Siqueira (unique submit writer)Screenshot by Anindra Z. Siqueira (unique submit writer)Screenshot by Anindra Z. Siqueira (unique submit writer)
Many Android apps provide shortcuts to get pleasure from sooner navigation and entry hidden menus. These shortcuts seem whenever you long-press the app icon on the house display screen. They’ll reveal some hidden menus or take you on to particular options contained in the app.
Once you long-press Google Maps, you will note shortcuts like Work and Close by Locations. Equally, Chrome has shortcuts for New Tab and New Incognito tab. In order for you, you can even drag these choices to your house display screen and create shortcuts to your often used actions.
When you begin experimenting with long-presses, you’ll certainly uncover some helpful options throughout your put in apps.
Pin your go-to apps for after sharing
Screenshot by Yasir MahmoodScreenshot by Yasir Mahmood
Android’s Share menu presents a quick strategy to ship content material between apps. I take advantage of it on a regular basis to ship images to my buddies and share hyperlinks to my favourite apps. Over time, the Share menu will get cluttered with an extended record of choices. Thankfully, Android allows you to pin your most-used or favourite apps in order that they at all times seem on the high of the Share menu.
- Open the Share menu from any app.
- Lengthy-press the app you wish to pin.
- Faucet Pin.
You possibly can pin as much as 4 apps within the high row, and they’re going to seem in alphabetical order. For those who typically share content material through WhatsApp or another particular app, pinning it is going to prevent a number of pointless faucets.
Developer choices
Take management of your telephone
Tashreef Shareef / MakeUseOfCredit: Tashreef Shareef / MakeUseOf
Developer choices have a number of the strongest hidden instruments on Android. It’d sound like this characteristic is primarily made for builders, however it additionally presents some actually helpful options that may enable you unlock buttery clean efficiency in your telephone.
Developer Choices dwell contained in the Settings app. Nevertheless it’s hidden by default, and that’s why most individuals will not use it. You possibly can allow Developer mode by going to Settings -> About Cellphone and tapping the construct quantity seven occasions.
Developer Choices will now present you superior options like adjusting animation pace, USB debugging, background course of limits, Pressure peak refresh, and extra. It’s price figuring out that a few of these instruments are designed particularly for builders, so you could change these settings fastidiously.
Associated
8 Android Options I Want I Knew Sooner
I have been lacking out, perhaps you will have, too.
Android has extra hidden options than you assume
In fact, the Settings app is the principle management middle for Android, however it doesn’t reveal each helpful characteristic that your telephone presents. Due to this fact, instruments like app pinning and split-screen multitasking are simple to overlook in case you don’t know the place to look. When you begin exploring, you’ll notice that your Android telephone presents much more highly effective options than you have been utilizing. These instruments have modified the best way I work together with my telephone. They’ve helped me save time and minimize down on pointless trouble. For those who strive a couple of of them, you will marvel the way you ever lived with out them.
