Android has secret features that are hidden just a few taps away. Some of these features can save you a lot of time every week. Others can help keep your things private in ways you might not have thought of. Some of them are just really cool.
Here are 10 hidden Android features you might not know about
1. Turn on Developer Options
To turn it on, you have to go to Settings> About Phone> Software Information, and tap “Build Number” seven times. You will see a message that says “You are now a developer.” Then you can go back to your Settings menu and find Developer Options.
Once you are inside, you can make your phone’s animations faster, limit the things that are running in the background to save battery, and even enable USB debugging for advanced things.
2. Stop accidental app switching.
Have you ever given your phone to a kid or a friend? Then found out they were looking at your messages or photos. Android’s screen pinning feature can solve this problem completely.
When you pin an app, it locks the screen to that one app until you unpin it with your passcode or fingerprint.
To turn it on, you have to go to Settings> Security> Advanced> Screen Pinning. Then you have to open the app you want to lock, tap the apps button, and tap the pin icon on that app’s card.
3. Unlock your Phone in a trusted place with Smart Lock
Unlocking your phone at home multiple times a day can be annoying. Smart Lock lets your phone stay unlocked in trusted locations or when connected to trusted devices like your car stereo or smartwatch.
You can find it under Settings>> Security> Smart Lock. From there, you can set places, trusted devices, and even a mode that keeps the phone unlocked while you are holding or carrying it.
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4. Transfer files to nearby Android devices quickly.
If you have ever been jealous of iPhone users who can pass photos and files around instantly, you will be happy to know that Android has had its way of doing this for a while now.
Nearby Share lets you wirelessly transfer files, links, and photos to nearby Android devices in seconds.
You can find it by swiping down from the top of your screen to access your Quick Settings panel. If you do not see Nearby Share, you can tap the pencil icon to edit your shortcuts and add it.
5. One-Handed Mode
Phones keep getting bigger, and for people, reaching the top of a big screen with one thumb is hard. Android’s one-handed mode solves this by pulling the entire screen interface down to half of your display.
On some Android phones, you can go to Settings > System > Gestures, and then One-Handed Mode to turn it on. On phones like Samsung Galaxy phones, you can look for Settings> Advanced Features> One-Handed Mode.
Once it is enabled, you can activate it with a swipe down on the bottom edge of the screen or a double-tap on the home button.
6. Create a Guest Mode Personal Space
Android offers a feature for people who share their phones or want a separation between work and personal life. Guest Mode creates a blank version of your phone with no access to your apps, contacts, or files.
Some Android phones have a Secure Folder, which is an encrypted, separate space on your device where you can store apps, photos, and files that are completely hidden from the main interface.
You can access Guest Mode by pulling down your notification shade and tapping your profile icon, then selecting “Add Guest.”
7. Check Your Clipboard History
How many times have you copied something and then copied something else by accident and lost the first thing forever? Android’s clipboard history feature keeps a log of everything you have recently copied so you can get it back later.
The catch is that this feature lives inside your keyboard, not in the system settings. On some keyboards, you can tap the clipboard icon in the toolbar above your keypad to see recently copied items ready to paste with a tap.
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8. Scheduled Do Not Disturb
Most people know they can manually turn on Do Not Disturb. Few know they can schedule it automatically, so they never forget to turn it on before bed.
You can go to Settings, Sound & Vibration, then Do Not Disturb, and then Schedules to set it up. From there, you can create a schedule called “Sleeping.” Set the start and end times.
9. Live Captions on Audios
This is one of the impressive hidden Android features that most people do not know exists. Live Captions automatically transcribe anything playing on your phone in real time, including videos, podcasts, voice messages, and even phone calls on supported devices.
You can enable it by pressing a volume button and tapping the captions icon that appears in the volume panel.
10. App Pairs / Split Screen
You can run two apps side by side in split-screen mode, which is especially useful on larger phones and tablets but works on most Android devices.
To activate it, you have to open your recent apps view and tap the icon at the top of an app card. Then you have to select “Open in split screen view” and choose the app.
Your Android phone is more capable than you think. From the Developer Options menu to Live Captions and Smart Lock, these unique Android features are designed to make your day easier, your device more secure, and your experience more personalized.
You do not have to enable all of them at once. You can pick one or two that seem useful and try them for a week to see how they work for you.