10 HIDDEN ANDROID
FEATURES
Many of Android's useful features are hidden away within a labrynth
of menus. Those are uncovered here.
1 ZOOM
IN ON ANY SCREEN
Though Android smartphones allow you to have big text on your
display through the `large text' option in Settings, it is only limited to the
UI and stock applications. But that does not mean you cannot magnify content
other than text in and outside the stock apps.
With `magnification gestures' in Settings, you can temporarily
magnify everything on your screen without installing any third-party
application or taking a screenshot and then zooming it, which is a sheer waste
of time.
To activate, go to the Accessibility menu in Settings and turn on
Magnification gestures. After this, you can triple tap on any screen to magnify
the content. You can also drag two or more fingers to pan across the display to
see the content.
2 LET
YOUR PHONE READ NOTIFICATIONS
It is not advisable to read and reply to text messages, emails,
etc. while you are driving. However, there are times when you just can't miss
an important email or text even if you are behind the wheel or in a situation
where you can't operate your smartphone manually.
In such scenarios, you can download a third-party app to do the
job for you. Shouter, Read it to Me, Speak Me, etc. are apps that can read your
notifications from a number of stock and third-party applications. You can
prioritise the applications for which you want the app to read notifications
while you drive.
3 FIND
YOUR PHONE EVEN WHEN ON `SILENT' MODE
There are instances when you put your smartphone on silent mode
and accidentally keep it in your bag or a drawer. Now you have no idea where it
is, and calling your number from a friend's phone will not work. In such cases,
you can utilise the functionality of Android Device Manager. This can be used
to locate your Android device, lock it, or erase data in case it is stolen.
To activate, open a web browser and type `Find my phone' through
Android Device Manager. You will be asked to sign in from your Google account.
You will find three options ring, lock and erase. Choose according to your
requirement.
4
RESTRICT CALLS AND TEXTS
If your smartphone is running Android 5.0 Lollipop or above, you
can set permissions to the contacts of your choice to call or send text
messages to you.
To activate this feature, go to `Sound and notification' in
Settings and scroll to `Interruptions'. There you will find `Callstexts from'.
Tap on to prioritise the list of contacts from which you want to get calls and
text messages.
5 ADD
FREQUENTLY USED APPS TO THE NOTIFICATION PANEL
If you have utilised all your homescreens and are still left with
some frequently used app shortcuts, then you have the option to place them in
the notification panel.
For this, you can install Bar Launcher, Notification Toggle, Power
Toggle, or 1 Tap Quick Bar. These free apps let you customise your notification
panel to include a number of app and settings shortcuts.
6
PROTECT PRIVACY WITH NOTIFICATIONS RESTRICTIONS
You would not like anyone to go through your text messages,
WhatsApp or Facebook notifications when you are not around your smartphone. To
protect the sensitive content, you can hide the con tent of such notifications
through the Settings menu.
To do this, go to `Sound and Notifications' under Settings menu.
Scroll to notifications and tap on `When device is unlocked'. You can then
choose to display or hide all or sensitive content in the notifications.
7 CHECK
YOUR PHONE'S HARDWARE STATUS
To make sure your smartphone's hardware is work ing properly, you
can install `Phone Tester' from the Play Store, which gives you complete
information about your smartphone's hardware. The free app offers detailed
information of your smartphone's sensor activities, battery temperature and
camera information in real-time and lets you check if the display is
functioning correctly.
8 GET
THOSE DELETED NOTIFICATIONS BACK
We often mistakenly delete notifications from the notification
panel and then realise that some of them needed our attention. If you are a victim
of this, then this trick will come in handy.
To activate, follow these steps: Long-tap an empty space on your
Android home screen and tap Widgets. Find the Settings shortcut widget by
swiping left and place it on the homescreen. The settings shortcut will then
open a menu from which you can select the Notification log.
Just tap on it and a Notification log shortcut will display on
your homescreen.
Thereafter, you can tap on it to check your notification history.
9
AUTOMATIC PHONE UNLOCK AT TRUSTED PLACES
Setting up a lock pattern or passcode is vial as no one wants
their personal information compromised. However, entering the password or
unlock pattern every time to check notifications even at places where your
personal information is safe can be irritating.
In such instances, you can use the `Smart lock' feature (Android
5.0 and above). The stock feature bypasses the PIN or passcode in trusted
environments, like home or work.
To activate, go to Security option in Setting menu. There you will
find the `Smart lock' feature. Tap on it to set up the `Trusted places' where
you don't want to type a passcode every time to unlock your Android smartphone.
The feature utilises your GPS sensor to set up a trusted location.
You can also set up a trusted voice and a trusted device to unlock
your Android smartphone in case you have a wearable gadget. Users running
Android 4.4.4 Kitkat on their smartphones, can install `Smart lock screen' from
the Play Store.
10 SEE
ALL THE APPS YOU'VE EVER INSTALLED
As Android works on your Gmail account, you will be happy to know
that you can actually check all the applications you have downloaded on your
device till date.
To see the entire list of the applications installed till date
from your Google ID, tap on the three lines on the Google search bar in Play
Store.
There you will find the `My apps' section under `Apps and games'.
Tap on it to see the list.
Of course, you can also install `My purchases' from the Play Store
that shows you everything you've paid for at the Google Play Store with the
respective prices, but the above meth od is way cooler, don't you think?
|
Rohit
Arora @TechRadarIN
|
MM30NOV15
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