When it involves trendy expertise, each second counts.It might sound foolish, but it surely’s true: A second is the distinction between an interplay in your telephone feeling instantaneous and feeling only a contact too gradual. And notably with how ceaselessly we are inclined to repeat widespread cell tech duties — switching apps, opening menus, firing up our cameras, and so forth — all of these seconds can add up quick.The excellent news: Android has no scarcity of hidden shortcuts that may allow you to save time and get stuff achieved extra effectively. All you must do is learn to use ’em.Ready?1. Snap between appsCut out delays in toggling between apps by placing Android’s semi-secret fast-snap perform to make use of: If your gadget runs Android 10 or larger and has Android’s gesture navigation system enabled, merely flick your finger towards the fitting alongside the underside fringe of the display to snap again to your most lately used app.If you then resolve you need to return to the app you got here from, you may flick your finger to the left in that very same space. JR Raphael / IDG
With Android’s present gesture system, flicking your finger alongside the underside fringe of the display will allow you to snap between lately used apps.
If your gadget runs an older Android model — or just does not have gesture navigation enabled — you may obtain the same impact with Android’s conventional three-button navigation system: Simply double-tap the Overview key (the square-shaped icon — or three-vertical-line icon, within the case of Samsung’s software program) to flip backwards and forwards endlessly between your two most lately opened apps.Both instructions will work from your property display, too, for a zippy return to no matter course of you had open final. 2. Slide into Quick SettingsAndroid’s Quick Settings panel is a shortcut in and of itself — a single place with one-tap toggles to a few of your gadget’s mostly used features, from Bluetooth to the flashlight and past.But take be aware: You can add your personal customized shortcuts into that space, too, each with buttons constructed into your telephone and ready to be uncovered (notably when you’re utilizing a Pixel) and with third-party add-ons that’ll develop your record of accessible choices.And better of all, you may double your pleasure and get a bit of meta through the use of a shortcut to this shortcut mecca: Just swipe down from the highest of your display with two fingers collectively, facet by facet. That’ll skip previous the usual notification panel and take you on to the absolutely expanded Quick Settings part.On many Android gadgets, you too can swipe down with a single finger from wherever on your property display — not simply the highest — to summon your Quick Settings panel with out having to succeed in. 3. Open menus like a professionalNot many of us understand it, however there is a quicker strategy to open these three-dot overflow menus in a variety of apps — together with core Google titles like Messages, Chrome, Gmail, Drive, Contacts, and Phone (which comes preinstalled on Pixel gadgets however will be put in on most any Android telephone, irrespective of who made it).Rather than tapping the icon to load the menu after which tapping the merchandise you need, merely swipe downward on the icon and transfer your finger on to your merchandise of selection — with out ever lifting your paw from the display. The menu will seem as you swipe, and no matter merchandise your finger is touching whenever you let go will likely be activated. JR Raphael / IDG
You can skip the faucet and as a substitute swipe on to the menu merchandise you want in lots of Google apps.
The one draw back: Once you get used to the velocity and smoothness of that gesture, you may begin to resent apps that have not adopted it.4. Stop disturbances with out the fussSometimes you should silence your telephone rapidly and discreetly. (You haven’t got to inform me the rationale. In truth, I’d desire it when you would not.) Whenever that point comes, do not mess with on-screen menus and icons: Many telephones, together with Samsung’s current Galaxy gadgets and Google’s present Pixel fashions, can merely be flipped face down on any flat floor to have all of their sounds silenced in a heartbeat. On Galaxy telephones, you may affirm that the setting for that perform is on by looking for “Mute with gestures” in your system settings. On a Pixel gadget, you may need to search your settings for “Flip to Shhh.”Other fast-muting shortcuts may be out there. Certain telephone fashions made by OnePlus, for example, characteristic a bodily alert change that allows you to transfer to a silent mode by sliding a bodily mechanism on the facet of the gadget. And on any Android gadget, you may at all times simply activate the show after which press both quantity button to disclose a easy silence icon throughout the on-screen quantity slider.5. Snap a screenshotSee one thing in your display you need to save or share? No drawback: Press your telephone’s energy and volume-down buttons on the similar time. That’ll trigger the system to seize a screenshot, which you’ll then entry and share by way of a notification that’ll seem in your gadget or by way of the “Screenshots” folder inside Google Photos (extra on that in a minute).If you are utilizing a Pixel gadget, you too can seize a screenshot rapidly and simply by on the lookout for the “Screenshot” choice inside your system Overview space — the interface that comes up whenever you swipe up about an inch from the underside of the display after which cease, with the present Android gesture system.Samsung telephones, in the meantime, have an choice to seize a screenshot by swiping your palm throughout the display. You can discover it and ensure that it is energetic by looking your system settings for the phrase “palm swipe” on any fairly current Galaxy gadget.And on any Android gadget the place Google Assistant is energetic and arrange for hands-free interplay, you may merely say Hey Google, seize a screenshot — and Assistant will do your bidding for you with out a lot as a single finger-lift required.6. See your screenshots in a snapSpeaking of screenshots, the everyday path for pulling ’em up is not precisely environment friendly. It requires plenty of digging round and menu-hopping in Google Photos — however, oh sure, you are able to do higher.The subsequent time you should entry your screenshots, press and maintain your finger onto the Google Photos icon (both on your property display or in your app drawer) for a second. That’ll pull up a sequence of out-of-sight shortcuts for leaping on to particular areas of the app, and a kind of is “Screenshots.”Tap it, and you may transport your self on to that part of Photos. And in order for you even quicker entry shifting ahead, press and maintain your finger onto that “Screenshots” shortcut, and you’ll drag and drop it instantly onto your property display for one-tap, anytime entry.Finally, if fingers-free is your fav, strive organising a little-known customized Assistant command for transporting your self there utilizing solely your voice. You’ll solely must set it up as soon as, and it will then simply work — no thought or ongoing effort required.7. Access any shortcuts from your property displayScreenshots aren’t the one in-app shortcut you may take pleasure in. Lots of apps — particularly Google’s — are filled with comparable kinds of shortcuts simply ready to be discovered.So identical to we did with Photos a second in the past, press and maintain any app’s icon on your property display or in your app drawer and see what usually out-of-sight choices seem.With Slack, for example, you may reveal single-tap shortcuts for leaping instantly into any particular workspace linked to your telephone in addition to for accessing widespread channels and features. With Google Keep, you may get shortcuts for creating various kinds of notes, together with lists and audio-based memos. With Google Calendar, you may discover direct instructions for creating new reminders or occasions. And with Google’s Android Clock app, you may uncover shortcuts for setting new alarms and timers, amongst different issues. JR Raphael / IDG
Skip steps and go proper the place you need with Android’s App Shortcuts system.
And the record of oft-untapped prospects simply retains going from there.8. Refresh the net with easeSay you are taking a look at a vital work-related net web page in Chrome (as a result of, clearly, that is the one sort of net web page you ever view out of your work-based cell gadget — proper?). For one motive or one other, you notice you should refresh the web page. What do you do?Sure, you might open the Chrome menu after which choose the refresh icon. Or you might skip a step and simply swipe downward from wherever on the web page. You’ll see a round refresh image seem on the prime of the display as you swipe. Make positive you pull down till the arrow throughout the image turns blue, then let go. (Once you get used to the gesture, you may discover {that a} fast downward flick is all it actually takes.) JR Raphael / IDG
See the round arrow icon to the fitting of the Computerworld brand? Its presence is how you realize it is OK to let go.
Now, is not that refreshing?9. Force a restartNo expertise is foolproof. If your Samsung-made Android gadget ever is not responding, press its energy and volume-down buttons on the similar time — even when the show is off — and maintain them down collectively for 10 to 15 seconds. On Pixel telephones, you may simply press and maintain the Power button by itself for that very same time period. And on most different Android gadgets, a kind of two processes will work.Unless one thing actually disastrous is happening (or your battery’s simply lifeless), that’ll pressure your telephone to restart, no matter what you had been final doing.10. Get to your digicam in a flashWhen a photogenic second arises — be it your youngster testing her first TPS report or your co-worker getting a bit of too loopy on the firm retreat — two seconds will be the distinction between an unforgettable snapshot and an after-the-fact picture. So do not futz round with unlocking your telephone and on the lookout for the on-screen digicam icon; as a substitute, simply double-tap the gadget’s energy button to leap straight into capturing, whether or not your show is on or not.That shortcut works on many present Android gadgets, together with each Pixel telephones and Samsung’s current Galaxy devices (although on pre-2017 fashions, you may want to make use of the bodily Home button as a substitute of the facility button). If it does not work in your gadget, strive looking your system settings for “gestures” to see if it or one other comparable choice is on the market and maybe simply requires you to toggle it on earlier than it will perform.11. Put notifications on noticeNext time you get an annoying notification, do not scream out in frustration. Actually, you realize what? Go forward and scream if it helps. But whenever you’re completed, press and maintain the notification in query to jump over to some useful superior settings. They’ll allow you to management precisely when and the way that app is ready to provide you with a warning. JR Raphael/IDG
The precise presentation will differ from one Android implementation to a different, however urgent and holding a notification will at all times convey up some method of superior choices for controlling how and when an app is ready to provide you with a warning.
12. Wake your display in a jiffYou would possibly by no means notice it, however fairly just a few Android gadgets help a super-speedy manner of waking the display: Tap your finger wherever on the display’s floor — both a few times, relying on the precise telephone or pill. That’s it!With Google’s Pixel merchandise, it is only a single faucet. With Samsung’s lately Galaxy telephones, it is two faucets. Devices from different Android producers might differ, so give it a whirl and see what works.And when you aren’t having any luck with any method of tapping, strive looking your telephone’s settings for the phrase “tap” after which on the lookout for any associated outcomes. In some circumstances, the choice could also be off by default and needing to be activated earlier than it will work.13. Split your display like a proWant to view two apps on-screen on the similar time? The choice for conducting that in Android has gotten oddly buried through the years, however you may completely convey it again to the floor.First, for the complete, typical path to get there: On most present Android gadgets, you may head into the Overview space — by swiping up about an inch after which stopping, with the present Android gesture system, or by tapping the square-shaped or three-vertical-line button throughout the legacy three-button nav setup — after which faucet the icon atop any app’s thumbnail to seek out the screen-splitting choice.The exception is an unfolded foldable telephone or a pill operating Android 14 or larger. In that situation, you may conveniently begin a display cut up both by dragging down on a notification from wherever within the working system or by swiping up slowly from the underside of the display to disclose Android’s new on-demand dock after which dragging any app inside it as much as both facet of your display. JR Raphael / IDG
Viewing two apps in your display on the similar time is delightfully simple with bigger gadgets as of Android 14.
No pill or foldable? No drawback. With the fitting app and some minutes of configuration, you may create your personal customized shortcut for initiating a display cut up in virtually any manner you need.14. Keep your assistant at your fingertipsNeed a serving to hand? Google’s shifted round its shortcuts for summoning Assistant an terrible lot over the previous a number of years, however you have nonetheless acquired loads of methods to maintain your pleasant neighborhood helper useful.First, as we alluded to a second in the past, practically all fairly current Android gadgets help Assistant voice activation — the place you merely say Hey Google to get your Assistant’s consideration. If that is not working in your telephone or pill, search your system settings for “Assistant” and look inside that part to seek out the choice.Beyond that, anytime you see a Google search bar with a multicolored microphone on your property display, you may faucet that mic to hop proper into Assistant. And when you aren’t seeing any such search bar, strive urgent and holding on an open space of your property display and choosing the choice so as to add a widget, then trying throughout the part for the self-named Google app to seek out it.And lastly, when you’re utilizing a current Google-made Pixel product, you may inform your gadget to fireside up Assistant anytime you press and maintain your bodily energy button. Search your system settings for the phrase “power” after which faucet on the “Press & hold power button” to set that up, if it is not already working the best way you need.15. Control your cursorGot Gboard? If you are utilizing Google’s Android keyboard app in your digital typing — and there is a robust argument that you ought to be — slide your finger alongside the house bar to maneuver your cursor left or proper inside any textual content subject.(That’s simply considered one of Gboard’s many helpful shortcuts!)16. Send a pleasant rejectionPhone calls — pshaw! Who has time for ’em anymore? When you get a name you may’t or possibly simply do not need to reply, look towards the underside of the display for a message icon, a “Reply” tile, or a “Send message” or possibly simply “Message” choice.Either faucet the icon or tile or slide your finger up from that space, and you will be introduced with an inventory of ready-made rejection messages you may ship to the caller whereas concurrently declining their name. JR Raphael / IDG
Reject a name politely and conveniently with a easy faucet or swipe.
On most gadgets, you may customise these messages throughout the Phone app’s settings, too.And a bonus tip: If you are utilizing a Google Pixel telephone, you may go a step additional and really have your telephone reply requires you after which display them — utilizing a mix of generic and particular questions, spoken by AI — that can assist you resolve if you wish to reply.17. End calls with easeWhen you do discuss in your telephone, discovering the on-screen button to finish a name is not at all times handy. But Android really has a neater manner — if you realize the place to seek out it.Open up the Accessibility part of your system settings, then activate the choice labeled “Power button ends call.” (On a Samsung telephone, you may first have to pick “Interaction and dexterity” after which “Answering and ending calls” to seek out that choice.)Now, whenever you’re able to say farewell, simply faucet your telephone’s energy button and delight in your shortcut-aided effectivity.Hungry for extra superior Android time-savers? If you have made it this far, congratulations: You’re prepared to start my in-depth Android Shortcut Supercourse. It’s a week-long e-course that helps you uncover all kinds of efficiency-enhancing Android magic — and it is fully free for you.This story was initially printed in October 2017 and most lately up to date in January 2024.
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