- HubPages»
- Technology»
- Communications»
- Smartphones
The best Android tips you never knew about
Lost your phone?
If you have misplaced your Android, did you know that you can find the location of your phone using Google Play from a PC?
Simply log into Google Play, then click on the Android Device Manager on the right and select your Device.
As long as both the phone and GPS is ON your PC will report to location within around 20-30 meter radius. Very useful.
Installing Apps without touching your phone
Magic from Google Play again. You can install an App directly to any device on your Google account from any PC simply by going to the store. The left hand sides will list what devices are available and also let you know whether it is compatible or not. It will then automatically install the Application or Game directly to that phone, no matter where you are. You phone can even be off, once the phone powers up it will automatically install.
Getting the most out of your battery
In many Android models you can see the percentage battery remaining in the top right of the screen. However depending on the model, this may be represented by a bar. A number is probably better to have displayed as you will be able to squeeze the battery down to 1% before recharging, which is better for the batter in the long run.
The can normally be configured from SETTINGS → DISPLAY → BATTERY
Pull down the status bar
The is obvious for veteran Android users but not for those who are not familiar with Android OS. You can view status, email header and communication modes such as Wifi, Bluetooth etc. by swiping and dragging down the status bar at the top of the phone. No need to go into setup every time or even click on the mailbox icon.
Make it safe for children
Very simple to do in order to protect young ones from downloading inappropriate content. Simply go to the Play Store, press the Menu icon which is normally located at the top left, then go to contents settings.
From there you should be able to select from a list of safety levels.
Weird Android Display
For Android 4.0 or later if you go to Settings -> About Phone and repeatedly tap Android Version, a number pops up and starts spinning as you pinch / expand the screen. Then the Android version logo shows up. Kit Kat in my case.
Fast Bookmark and Tab switching
Using to explorer default browser on the phone you are able to quickly switch pages with an semi-circular mini menu.
On IE starting simply go to Menu -> Settings -> Labs and then check quick control. Go back to the browser or you should find a mini menu pop up when you hold either the left or right edges of the screen.
Getting a screen shot of your phone
This may differ from phone to phone but the majority of Android phone just be able to do a screen capture by holding ON and Power down for around a second.
Disable Animations
Depending on your device, this can make your phone run a lot smoother. You will need to access the Developer Options at Settings or About Device.
If developer options can not be turned on you may need to go to Build number and tap it a number of times until it says "You are a developer!".
When you get the the develop options you will see Windows Animation scale, duration and transition. Try turning these off for a faster and smoother performance.