GUIDE - 10 HIDDEN ANDROID FEATURES

GUIDE - 10 HIDDEN ANDROID FEATURES

Many of Android's useful features are hidden away within a labrynth of menus. We uncover them for you

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 notifi cation' 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 working 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 pass-code 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 pass-code 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 pass-code 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?

Source | Mumbai Mirror | 30 November 2015

Regards

Pralhad Jadhav

Khaitan & Co