The Android versus iPhone debate continues to grumble on. But one thing is certain Google’s phone software is more protean and customizable than Apple’s immolation. Dig into the settings and tweaks available for your Android phone and you ’ll find a host of clever features and useful tools. We ’ve collected 8 of them right then.
A quick note before we begin Android has a wide variety of makes, models, and performances, which makes it more delicate to find features that will be harmonious across all bias. We only vindicated the following tips on stock Android 12 — they should also work on affiliated systems, but some of the menus and procedures may vary slightly.
1. Cast your Android screen
For a number of times, you ’ve been suitable to broadcast your Android phone or tablet’s display to the larger screen of a TV using a Chromecast. In addition to beaming videotape from all the usual movie and Television apps, this streaming device can image your phone. Take advantage of a mirroring roadway in the Quick Settings pane, which you can pierce by dragging down from the top of the screen with two fritters. You should find a Screen Cast option in this menu. However, swipe left on the Quick Settings menu for further options, or tap the pencil icon at the bottom to add the roadway, if it doesn’t show up.
There’s also another way to set up mirroring. First, check to make sure you ’ve installed the Google Home app for Android — you presumably formerly used this program to set up your Chromecast. Open the app and choose your Chromecast and your device’s display should appear on the big screen. On your phone, valve Media and choose from Music, Video, Podcasts, or Radio and elect a service to start streaming.
2. Run apps side- by- side
This point has been around since Android7.0 Nougat, but it’s one of the many druggies tend to forget about. This view side- by- side or top- and- bottom app view (depending on the exposure of your screen) comes in handy when you want to display prints, optimize your social networking, or multitask.
To set it up, open the app carousel by doing a short swipe up gesture from the bottom of your screen. There, swipe your way to the recent app you want to use and press on the indirect icon at the top of the app exercise. On the arising menu, you should see a Split top option. Keep in mind that not all apps support this point (like Instagram, for illustration), so if you don’t see this option, it’s because you can’t use it like this. However, valve Split top, and the app will automatically place itself at the top or leftism of your screen, if you see it. On the other side, you ’ll see the app carousel, from where you can open an alternate app. This time, just swipe your way to it and tap on the exercise to open it.
You ’ll notice a thick black line separating both apps — from the middle drag it up or down to re distribute your screen. To exit Split Screen mode, just drag the black line all the way over or down.
3. Make textbook and images more visible
Still, alternately, if you want to army as important content as possible onto the display and don’t mind doing a bit of squinting along the way — you can zoom in or out on textbook and objects, if you ’re floundering to see what’s on the screen — or. Not all the apps will respond to these adaptations, but utmost of them will.
To change size settings, open Settings and go to the Display title. From there, tap the Font size and drag the slider at the bottom of the screen to make textbook larger or lower as demanded.
4. Change volume settings singly
Your device plays several different types of audios — including ringtones, announcements, admonitions, phone calls, and media. However, and opened Sound & vibration, you ’ll have seen that you can use individual sliders to acclimate these audio types collectively, if you ’ve ever gone to the Settings menu.
Still, Android gives you a quick- and-easy roadway. Tap the physical volume buttons on the side of your device to make whatever’s presently playing softer or louder (if no media is playing, this action will acclimate your ringtone volume). When you do, a small box will pop up on the screen, showing which volume setting is changing and how. At the bottom of that box, you should see three blotches. Tap them, and the box will expand to show multiple volume sliders at formerly. This can save you a trip to Settings.
5. Cinch phone borrowers inside one app
Still, you presumably know that unforeseen anxiety that comes with the possibility of them going through your private information or posting to your social media accounts, If you ’ve ever lended a friend or youthful family member your phone. App cascading lets you be generous without giving up your sequestration, and will lock one app to the screen until someone enters the cinch screen law again. Basically, the stoner won’t be suitable to pierce any other corridor of your phone without your law.
Screen cascading is easy to set up. Open Settings, go to the Security menu, choose Advanced Settings, and App cascading. Once you ’ve turned on the point, launch the app your friend needs to use. Also, open Overview by making a short upward swipe from the bottom of the screen. Swipe your way to the app you want to jut and tap on the indirect icon at the top of the exercise. On the arising menu, valve Leg. To unpin the app, swipe from the bottom of your screen and hold. This will lock your phone and you ’ll have to enter your cinch pattern, word Leg, or biometrics to use it.
6. Disable the cinch screen at home
To keep your device safe, you need to set up Leg law or biometrics overlook to unleash your phone. But this makes it more inconvenient to pierce your apps. Google’s Smart Lock point lets you remove this handicap, giving you instant access to your phone — but only when you ’re safely at home.
From Settings, valve Security, go to Advanced Settings, and choose Smart Lock. As well as disabling the cinch screen when you ’re at home (that’s the Trusted Places option), you can also disable the screen when your phone’s Bluetooth is connected to a trusted device, similar as your auto stereo unit, or when it detects you have it on you.
7. Choose new dereliction apps
One of the differences between Android and iOS is that Google’s mobile operating system lets you choose different dereliction apps for web browsing, texting, viewing prints, etc. A dereliction app is the bone that opens automatically when you try and do commodity on your phone — so when you click a hyperlink, for illustration, your dereliction web cyber surfer app will open that link.
Take advantage of this inflexibility by setting up the defaults as you want them. Head to Settings, go to Apps, and choose Dereliction apps. Elect any of the orders on screen to see a list of installed apps that can take over dereliction duties. For illustration, if you ’d prefer to sputter with musketeers via Facebook Messenger, rather than your phone’s erected- in SMS app, you can make Facebook’s product your dereliction messaging app.
8. Bring back lost announcements
It happens — you accidentally swiped down one of the announcements that you wanted to read completely and now you have a troubling sense someone posted you, but aren't sure. However, you ’re in luck, if you want to review all of your recent announcements on Android. This capability is possible — though the option isn’t easy to find.
Tap and hold on an empty part of the home screen, and a screen- conforming mode will pop up. Choose Contraptions, and find the Settings roadway. Drag this icon to an empty space on one of your home defences and drop it in place, and a list will automatically pop up. Choose Announcement log from the list and tap the icon to open up Android’s announcement history.