Bet you didn’t know your Android phone could do these 6 things

Tech
Lisa James
September 9, 2021
0
1036
12 minutes read

There’s been a feud between Android and iPhone users for the longest time, and one of the core arguments of the Android camp is that their OS has more functionality.

Android phone let you do everything from minimizing incoming calls to put widgets on your home screen. And even though you may be team Android, the odds are that you didn’t know about these 6 features.

But don’t worry because after reading this article, you’ll have even more ammunition against the iPhone camp

1. Revisit notifications you accidentally closed

One of the few annoying things about smartphones is the notifications. They never seem to stop, especially if you’re receiving desktop notifications from chrome websites.

Sometimes, you get into a swiping frenzy and accidentally close notifications you actually need. You can actually bring these back, even though it’s not so visible. All you have to do is use an inbuilt widget.

Steps to set up

Tap and hold on an empty portion of your screen and select “choose widgets” when the list of options pop up. Next, select “settings” and drag it to your home screen. Once you do that, you’ll get another pop up with a list of options. Choose “notification log.” Now, you can scroll through all the notifications you’ve recently gotten on that widget.

2. Stop YouTube links from opening on the YouTube app

I use this feature myself, especially when I’m trying to download a video from YouTube. The problem is, every time you click a link, it opens straight on the app without giving you the option to choose.

Sure, you can copy the video link from the app and paste it into your browser. But we’re Android users and we deserve options! Luckily, all you need to do is clear your app defaults.

Steps to set up

Navigate to “Settings,” then “apps,” then “YouTube.” Scroll down past all the “uninstall” options and find “open by default.” All you need to do now is click it and choose clear defaults. After this step, your phone will give you a list of options every time you want to open a link. This works for other apps as well – video players, Facebook, Pdf readers, and so on.

3. Keep your phone unlocked without compromising security

Android security seems to be getting better with every OS. Now, phones are near impossible to root, and fingerprint technology lets you unlock your phone very easily. But what if you’re tired of reaching to the back of your phone every time you want to send a message or read a notification?

Well, that’s why Google gave us Smart lock. Smart lock lets you choose trusted Bluetooth devices or GPS locations to keep your phone unlocked. As long as it’s connected, your phone won’t request a password or fingerprint swipe.

Steps to set up

Navigate to “Settings,” then “security,” then “Smart Lock.” Once you enter your password, you can select certain GPS locations or Bluetooth devices to keep your device unlocked. Now, you won’t have to enter your password each time.

You may think this feature is unnecessary, but it’s just another perk of technology. Why not enjoy it?

4. Keep certain apps from closing

There are many ways to do this one, but I’m going to share a method I’m certain you didn’t know about. You know when your phone starts to lag so you go to the overview and “close all apps?”

That always frees up some space except for one problem – it also closes apps you’re currently using. You may be watching a YouTube video or reading an article about fitness on the website of a health and fitness copywriter; all that progress goes down the drain. By locking the app, you can keep it open even if you close all the others.

Steps to set up

The specific details of this vary depending on the OS and phone you’re using. But to initiate, go to your app overview and click the icon right next to the name. You should see a couple of options including “open in split screen,” “Close app,” and “lock app.” Select the lock app and you’re done!

5. Reduce the size of all the characters on the screen

This feature is the coolest, in my opinion. I made it second-last as a treat for people who read it this far into the article.

This feature lets you change the size of everything, from the icons on your home screen to the spacers in your settings screen. It’s called “Minimum width,” and it can completely transform the way you use your phone.

If you’ve always found the characters too large, the settingcan make everything smaller, making you feel like you have more space on your phone. On the other hand, if you have vision problems, this feature makes everything larger and easier to see.

It’s a little difficult to describe, so I’ll just show you how to do it and let you experience it for yourself.

Steps to set up

You’ll first need to activate developer options. If you haven’t unlocked it, navigate to “Settings,” then “about phone,” then software information. Tap “Build number” rapidly until you get a message that says “you’ve now unlocked developer options.” You may need to tap up to 10 or more times.

Once that’s done, open developer options and navigate down till you find “Minimum width” Increase the number to “500 dp” to make everything smaller. Reduce the number to “350 dp” and watch everything get really big.

You can experiment with these numbers until you find a size that works for you.

Caution: Developer options affect a ton of stuff on your phone, so resist the urge to fiddle with other settings unless you know exactly what you’re doing.

6. Make absolutely everything black and white

Here’s yet another treat for you. What if you could make everything black and white, from videos on YouTube to pictures on your website?

If you have visual problems, the monochromatic mode can make things easier for you. It’s also another feature that can make your phone even more exciting. Let’s jump quickly into how you can make it happen.

Steps to set up

You’ll need to access developer options again. If you haven’t followed the steps in the previous trick, go and do that.

Done? Good.

Navigate to “Simulate color space” under developer options and select “Monochromacy.” Once you do, everything will be black, white, or a shade of grey. Don’t worry, if you take pictures or screenshots in this mode and you go back to normal, everything will retain color. The setting only affects what you see.

You can also play around with other color space models, like “Deuteranomaly” and “Tritanomaly.” I personally don’t like these, but you may!