Your Android cellphone has a treasure trove of hidden options.
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Despite all of the variations in {hardware} and software program design amongst telephones such because the OnePlus Nord, Samsung’s Galaxy S20 or TCL’s new 10 Series telephones, the core expertise is almost the identical. They’re all powered by Android, in spite of everything, and have the identical options — a couple of of that are hidden. Take split-screen apps for instance. Using two apps on the identical time shouldn’t be solely one thing iPhone customers can solely dream about, however it’s additionally downright helpful and constructed into your Android cellphone — you simply must know the place to look. One of my favourite hidden options known as Smart Lock, a instrument that retains my cellphone unlocked when I’m at dwelling, then reverts again to requiring my fingerprint or PIN code the second I depart. It’s handy and it permits me to maintain my cellphone safe when I’m not at dwelling.
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Keep in thoughts, all the options under could not look or work precisely the identical on each cellphone, and that is as a result of completely different Android machine producers like to make use of distinctive interfaces. My recommendation? Use the search bar on the high of the Settings app should you’re struggling to discover a characteristic. Take management of alerts and notifications.
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1. Quiet the notifications that may wait Tired of each single notification inflicting your cellphone to bleep or boop? Tell your Android cellphone while you need an app to offer silent alerts by long-pressing on the alert till you set off a immediate, asking in order for you the notification to be marked as an Alert or Silent. Alert will enable the apps’ notifications to play sounds and present up on the lock display screen, whereas Silent will mute the alert, however nonetheless make it seen in your notification tray. Live Caption is big from an acessbility standpoint.
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2. Add captions to any video or podcast Live Caption is a powerful, but comparatively new characteristic that is slowly making its technique to extra gadgets. When lively, it provides real-time captions to any video, podcast or voice observe in your cellphone. It would not matter if the video you are watching is muted — Live Caption will nonetheless transcribe it for you. Since it was first introduced final 12 months, Google has expanded its Live Caption characteristic past the Pixel cellphone lineup to included Samsung’s Galaxy S20 and the OnePlus 8 sequence. There is not an official record of supported gadgets, so far as I can inform, and your cellphone must be operating Android 10 to ensure that it to work. To activate Live Caption (or examine in case your cellphone is supported), open the Settings app and seek for Live Caption. The Live Caption toggle is in a special place on the Pixel 4, Galaxy S20 and OnePlus 8 ($699 at Amazon). After turning on Live Caption, anytime you start enjoying a video — even should you depart the quantity turned off — a small black field will present up in your display screen, together with real-time dictation of no matter’s being stated. It’s very well executed and a characteristic that each cellphone ought to have, not simply Android. You can study extra concerning the characteristic, together with find out how to restrict profanity, and find out how to use it in our full information. Split Screen is simple to make use of on an Android cellphone.
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3. Use two apps on the identical time One of my favourite options in Android is having the ability to have two apps on the display screen on the identical time. It’s useful when I’m a Google Doc and sending an e-mail, or when I’m wanting up a recipe and sending the ingredient record in Messages. But it is not fully clear find out how to get apps in split-screen mode. Tap on the app switcher button, or should you’re utilizing Android 10 gestures, swipe up from the underside of the display screen to enter the multitasking view and faucet on the app icon on the high of an app’s card or thumbnail adopted by Split Screen. The first app will slide to the highest of the display screen, and the multitasking view will take up the underside part of your display screen. Either choose one other app from the multitasking view or launch an app out of your homescreen or app drawer. Not each app will help cut up display screen mode, and the one method I can work out to inform if an app lacks help is to easily attempt opening it in cut up display screen. Watch a video and browse Twitter on the identical time? Go on, I’m listening.
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4. Watch a video and use an app concurrently Along the identical concept of split-screen apps is Android’s Picture-in-Picture (PiP) characteristic. Using it couldn’t be less complicated, you simply must know it is there. I like to look at my favourite Twitch streamers whereas I browse Reddit or examine my emails. To set off PiP, begin watching a video after which return to the house display screen. Really, it is that simple. Once you permit the app, if it helps PiP mode, the video will present up as a small window in your cellphone’s display screen. You can drag it round, resize or shut it. To view an inventory of apps put in in your cellphone that help this characteristic, open the Settings app, and go to Apps & Notifications > Special app entry > Picture-in-picture. This can also be the place you’ll be able to go to disable PiP for an app. For instance, if you do not need Google Maps persevering with to point out you turn-by-turn instructions after you have left it, and slightly the app utterly shut down. Turn on Smart Lock to maintain your cellphone unlocked at dwelling.
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5. Use Smart Lock to maintain your cellphone unlocked while you’re dwelling One of my favourite hidden options can preserve you from having to enter your PIN or scan your fingerprint everytime you’re dwelling or at work. You can set it to maintain your cellphone unlocked while you’re in a selected location. You may also set it to maintain the cellphone unlocked when it detects you are lively, like while you’re strolling round whereas holding the cellphone pressed to your face or talking over Bluetooth on wi-fi headphones. Open Settings > Security > Smart Lock and enter your PIN code when prompted. From there, you’ll be able to decide which facet of Smart Unlock you wish to use and when. Just remember that if in case you have Smart Lock set to maintain your cellphone unlocked at dwelling, which means anybody you reside with will have the ability to get into it. Notification Log in your Android cellphone could be a life saver.
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6. Recover by accident cleared notifications Ever faucet the button to clear your notification tray, solely to note an warn you wanted to learn on the final second? I do know I’ve. Thankfully, there is a hidden Notification Log that may present you a operating tally of each alert and notification you have acquired for the previous few days. The solely technique to entry it’s via a house display screen widget. Long-press on any empty spot in your display screen, then choose Widgets from the menu. Find the Settings possibility, then choose Notification Log. The subsequent time you miss an alert, faucet the widget, and you will see an inventory of all your alerts. If your cellphone would not have a Notification Log, give the Unnotification app a attempt. Android 10 makes it a breeze to share Wi-Fi networks with a QR code.
Screenshots by Jason Cipriani/CNET
7. Quickly share your Wi-Fi community creds with friendsGiving your Wi-Fi community password to a good friend or member of the family could be a problem, particularly if it is a lengthy, advanced sequence of numbers and letters. Or chances are you’ll be hesitant handy over your credentials as a result of it is a password you utilize some place else — I get it. Granted, having individuals over or visiting a good friend’s house is one thing most of us are avoiding proper now, however as stay-at-home orders start to raise, and issues start to return to regular, it is positive to turn out to be useful. Thankfully, with Android 10 you’ll be able to show a QR code in your cellphone’s display screen that may enable anybody who scans it to hook up with your Wi-Fi community. You can scan or create a QR code in your machine by opening the Settings app and deciding on Network > Wi-Fi. If you are sharing your community credentials, faucet on the community title after which Share. If you are connecting to a Wi-Fi community, faucet on the QR Code icon subsequent to Add Network. This characteristic additionally turns out to be useful should you’re organising a brand new cellphone and do not wish to undergo the method of copying your password. Now that you’ve got mastered Android’s hidden options, be sure to’re utterly acquainted with Android 10’s options, like new privateness settings and a devoted darkish mode, and take a look at among the Android 11 options we’re wanting ahead to probably the most.
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