Have I ever talked about how a lot I like shortcuts?All proper, possibly I’ve. (Maybe, erm, someplace within the neighborhood of 7,942 occasions, come to think about it.) But oh, it’s true. There’s simply one thing so impossibly satisfying about figuring out you are rising your effectivity and slicing soul-sucking seconds out of your day.And on Android, whoo boy, have we acquired some superior alternatives for chopping out steps and attaining Mega-Nerd™ ranges of effectivity obsession.Today, as your pleasant neighborhood Mega-Nerd™, I need to remind you about an simply ignored possibility for including some additional step-shaving shortcuts immediately onto your private home display screen. These shortcuts are buried deep inside a few of Android’s most productivity-oriented apps. And you’d must be — nicely, an efficiency-obsessed Mega-Nerd™ to even understand they’re there.My buddy, put together to attain Mega-Nerd™ standing.[Psst: Love shortcuts as much as I do? My Android Shortcut Supercourse will teach you tons of time-saving tricks. Sign up now for free!] Android’s out-of-sight shortcut sorcerySo, this is what’s particularly attention-grabbing in regards to the Android shortcuts of which we converse: They’re virtually equivalent in type to the usual Android App Shortcuts system — y’know, that factor the place you possibly can press and maintain any app’s icon on your private home display screen to disclose a collection of direct hyperlinks to particular features throughout the app — solely with these, you actually must exit of your option to discover ’em.Those normal Android App Shortcuts are spectacular and equally all too simple to neglect about. (I’ve acquired a primer and a bunch of particular ideas right here, for those who might do with a refresher.) But those we’re speaking about right this moment are much more mysterious. With particular Android apps, y’see, you possibly can create your personal customized shortcuts to particular person objects throughout the app from contained in the app itself.That would be the most complicated sentence I’ve ever written, I understand. But it is a robust idea to convey with out simply strolling by way of a real-world instance — so let’s try this, we could?This chance tends to be current in productiveness apps the place you are coping with a lot of particular person paperwork, information, or different such objects. So for our first instance, let’s begin with Google Drive.Open up the Drive app on Android and discover any file and even folder that you simply have a tendency to tug up usually out of your cellphone. Tap the little three-dot menu icon alongside it, and look carefully on the sprawling checklist of choices that seems in entrance of your blinking peepers. Midway down that checklist — and also you may even must scroll a bit of to see it, relying on the scale of your system — it’s best to see an innocuous little possibility referred to as “Add to home screen.” JRTap that son of a gibbon, and the way ’bout that? You can really add a one-tap shortcut to that precise merchandise proper onto your private home display screen for super-speedy, direct entry. That means you may get to it simply, anytime, with out ever having to open up the principle Drive app or do any method of digging. JRWhat’s attention-grabbing is that these similar kinds of shortcuts will typically present up if you press and maintain the related app’s icon, however as a rule, they will not. That space of the Android interface tends to incorporate a mixture of features inside an app together with one or two not too long ago accessed objects. But when there is a particular file or folder you are eyeing, it is as much as you to dive into the precise app and discover it — then discover the choice so as to add it onto your private home display screen from there.And Drive is not the one place the place this puzzling chance exists. Shortcuts, shortcuts, everywhereRemember how I stated it is principally productiveness apps the place this technique comes up? Maybe it will not shock you, then, that one other Android app that is an ideal place to discover it’s Google Docs.Open up Docs, faucet the three-dot menu icon subsequent to any doc you’ve got acquired, and hunt for the “Add to home screen” possibility within the panel that seems. (Here particularly, you may virtually actually must scroll down a bit of to search out it. Told ya it was hidden!)Tap that sucker, and shazam: You’ve now acquired a one-tap shortcut that’ll beam you on to that particular doc — proper from your private home display screen. JRDoesn’t get a lot simpler than that. And the identical factor is feasible in Microsoft Word on Android, too, by the best way, if that is your jam.The idea applies to the spreadsheet entrance as nicely, like within the Google Sheets Android app: JRAnd it is obtainable throughout the Google Contacts Android app, too. Just open up any particular person contact there, then faucet the three-dot menu icon within the upper-right nook of the display screen to present your self a fast ‘n’ easy hyperlink to that particular Homo sapien’s hub.The most distinguished instance — although one which’s nonetheless super-easy to miss and/or neglect about — is Chrome. There, you possibly can faucet the three-dot menu icon whereas viewing any particular web site so as to add a direct hyperlink to that web site onto your private home display screen.And there’s another facet of this technique value contemplating.Wait — widgets?!What’s particularly complicated about this setup is that the types of shortcuts we’re speaking about are technically thought of Android widgets — although in actuality, they actually aren’t. They’re shortcuts.Here’s how I do know: Widgets cannot be stacked. Try to pull one widget on prime of one other, and nothing will occur (aside from discovering your self feeling barely foolish for a second).With these app-added shortcuts, in distinction, you possibly can drag and stack to your coronary heart’s content material. And, in actual fact, that opens up one other attention-grabbing chance: You can create folders of associated shortcuts to present your self a customized productiveness command heart. JRThat widget miscategorization is essential to remember, although, ‘trigger you may often encounter a shortcut like this that may solely be accessed by way of your cellphone’s widget-adding menu — not by way of the app itself.That’s the case with Gmail, as an example. Press and maintain your finger anyplace on your private home display screen and discover the widget-adding possibility, then discover Gmail within the checklist and search for the “Gmail label” merchandise. That’ll allow you to add a one-tap shortcut to any particular label out of your inbox on your private home display screen, and identical to the opposite shortcuts we have been constructing, that shortcut can then be mixed with any others right into a folder for maximal group.The similar is true with Microsoft’s OneDrive app for Android in addition to the Google Maps Android app — which affords up the choice to make a one-tap hyperlink for opening up instructions to any particular vacation spot. You simply must look in that widget-adding menu to search out it.So use the examples we simply went over as a place to begin after which poke round to see what else you could find. One factor’s for certain: You’ve acquired some superior choices for additional effectivity at your fingertips. And now that you’ve this Mega-Nerd™ information in your noggin, precisely the way to uncover ’em and take advantage of their potential.Get much more superior shortcut information with my utterly free Android Shortcut Supercourse. You’ll study tons of time-saving tips on your cellphone!
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