10 Clean Android Tips And Tricks You May Not Know About
Enable developer mode.
It's one of the most popular tricks, but it's still important, so we're going to add it.
Go to Settings> About phone and tap your phone's blood number seven times
. You will receive an on-screen countdown, followed by a message that says "Congratulations, you are now a developer".
Change animation speed.
For the most part, the latest Android phones are already feeling fast.
However, some lower end phones only ship with 4GB of RAM, and in extreme cases, only 2GB.
One solution is to change your phone's window animation scale, transition animation scale, and animator duration scale from 1x to 0.5x. Well, it won't really speed up your phone, but it will make it feel faster.
Go to Settings> System> Developer Options and scroll down to two thirds below the list to find the required options (you will need to enable developer mode first).
Clear app defaults.
This is annoying when a link opens in a specific app instead of a browser.
This could be a YouTube link, a tweet, or a Facebook page; you'll wait while your phone closes Chrome (or the browser of your choice) and starts something else.
This is easily fixed.
Go to Settings> Apps & Notifications and find the app that keeps opening. Once there, tap on Advanced, scroll down.
If that doesn't work, try to do the same with your browser app.
. Change your Wi-Fi network quickly.
Oddly enough, the way to quickly switch between Wi-Fi networks is not very clear.
Sure, you can go to Settings> Network & Internet> Wi-Fi and change it there, but there has to be a faster way, right?
If that doesn't work, try to do the same with your browser app.
Swipe down twice from the top of your screen to open the Quick Settings menu, and instead of tapping on the Wi-Fi icon (which disables it), tap and hold the icon.
You will be immediately given a list of all the networks around you.
Quickly access the Quick Settings menu.
Speaking of the Quick Settings menu, did you know that you don't really have to double swipe to access it?
Instead, a two-finger swipe at the same time will have the same effect.
Cast your screen
.
Do you own a Chromecast? If so, you can easily create a mirror image of your Android screen (and individual apps) using the Cast function.
Just open the Quick Settings menu and click Screencast.
Your device will find your Chromecast (assuming it's on the same local network), and you're ready to go.
It's great for playing games on a big screen, showing pictures to family and friends, or playing your music through a loud set of speakers.
Although many apps, such as YouTube, have a dedicated cast button inside the app for easy access.m
. Find disturbing information.
Do you get reports of annoying apps, but not sure which one is causing them?
There's a simple solution - just press the pending notification for a while, and your device will tell you
. Manage app notifications.
One step further from the previous tip, after long pressing the app you will see an information icon. Click it, and you'll be presented with notification settings for the app in question.
You can do things like block all (or some) of its information, allow it to override preferred mode, and hide its private information.
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Do not disturb
mode
Don't disturb mode is probably one of the most used and underused features on the entire operating system.
In short, it allows you to put your phone in silent mode but still allows some "noise" to pass.
These can be calls from specific contacts, texts, or WhatsApp, notifications from some apps, or important alerts such as alarms.
To set up Don't Disturb, go to Settings> Sound> Don't Disturb, then select the options you need.
It can be quickly turned on and off from the Quick Settings menu.
Zoom map
Ever need to use Google Maps with one hand? (No, not when you're driving!)
Just double tapping the screen to zoom in and double tapping to zoom out; this is much less than tapping your fingers and trying to hold your phone at the same time!
For more accurate control, tap and hold your finger twice on the screen.
Then move your finger up and down to zoom in and out
Smart lock is very useful.
This eliminates the need to use a key padlock when you're at home or in another "reliable" environment
.
It can use GPS, specific networks, your face, or even your voice to prevent your phone from locking itself, which can be a very fast and hassle-free experience.
To configure it go to Settings> Security> Smart Lock.
App pinning
If your kids use your phone regularly, this is a great way to make sure they don't accidentally pay heavy bills or look for age-appropriate content.
.
You will need to enable the feature (oddly enough, it is turned off by default).
Do this by going to Settings> Security> Advanced and scrolling down on the app pinning and flipping the toggle at the top of the window.
.
To pin the screen, open the app, press the overview button (square) and then the pin icon.
If you wish, you can choose to protect the pinned screen with a pin.
Turn on notification history
.
We've all accidentally swiped information before. This is frustrating, especially if you haven't seen the app. Android 11 and above has a solution in the form of a notification history feature.
It's easy to turn on. Just go to Settings> Apps & Notifications> Notifications> Notifications History and slide the toggle to the on position. Once activated, tap History in the notification shed to see what you've missed.