Android Phone Hacks: Things You Didn’t Know Your Phone Can Do

By Nick Hadji 10 months ago

1. Secretly listen to your voice notes

Image Source: MsnTechBlog

What happens when you’re out and about and you get sent an important voice note, but you can’t listen to it because you forgot your headphones…well, it turns out if you place your phone near your ear when playing it, the voice note will be played as if you are on a phone call.Original content sourced from Femanin.com

2. The offline map

Image Source: Android Authority

It can be a scary prospect when you are trying to navigate your journey using Google Maps and then you realise your android phone is about to die…but fear not, there is a handy solution. Make sure you lowland the ‘offline map’ before your journey so you’ll never get stuck again!

3. Retrieve lost notifications

Image Source: Android Central

How annoying is it when you see notification pop up on your phone and you accidentally swipe and delete it? We’ve all been there! But don’t worry, there is a way you can retrieve these lost notifications by switching on your ‘notification history’ in settings.

4. Drag and drop

Image Source: Tech Advisor

It can be a fiddly task to copy and paste large sections of text from Google Chrome to other applications, such as WhatsApp or e-mail. But luckily, android phones have a clever hack which will allow you to drag and drop text using the split-screen mode.

5. Scan and go

Image Source: Kiiky

This is one of the best hacks yet…Google Drive now enables you to scan and turn a document into a PDF. Simply open the Google Drive app, press the ‘+’ icon and select scan. This will use your camera to scan to document and automatically convert it to a PDF file.

6. Flip your phone to silence a call

Image Source: NextPit

How many times have you accidentally answered a call when you didn’t mean to? If you want to quickly silence calls, go to your settings and enable the ‘flip to silent’ mode. This will enable you to quickly flip over the screen of your android phone to silence calls.

7. Mega-zoom

Image Source: Baymard Institute

If you want to zoom in on something on your android phone simply triple-tap on the screen and this will activate the ‘magnification’ feature. You can easily adjust the degree of magnification by spreading your two fingers apart to zoom in, or bring them back together to zoom out. 

8. Narration feature

Image Source: MakeUseOf

This is the perfect feature if you need to proof-read a document or you’ve forgotten your glasses! Google Assistance will now read out loud for you, so save the eye strain and let your android phone do the work. You can even adjust the speed of the narration to your liking.

9. Perfect pictures

Image Source: The Vienna Blog

If you want to improve the quality of the photos you take using your android phone, this is the hack for you. Make sure to enable the ‘grid lines’ feature, which will insert two horizontal and vertical lines on the screen when you open the camera to make sure you capture the perfect shot.

10. Hide your files

Image Source: EaseUS

If confidentiality is important to you then listen up…android phones will let you hide important files away from easy access without downloading a dodgy app. Simply add a full stop symbol to the front of the files name and it will immediately hidden from prying eyes.

11. Game-mode

Image Source: antaranews.com

If you’re main reason for owning a high-tech android phone is for the purpose of gaming, you need to know about the ‘game mode’. This feature will optimise your device for gaming performance and improve battery life, making it the ideal option for serious mobile gamers.

12. Speed up your phone

Image Source: Review Geek

I bet you didn’t know this hack about android phones…you can actually speed up the reaction time of your phone by changing the animation speed. All phones are programmed at 1x speed, so simply go to the ‘developers option’ and lower it to 0.5x speed. 

13. Incognito mode

Image Source: Android Gadget Hacks

If you want to avoid Google Maps storing your location and map use history, make sure you enable ‘incognito mode’ on your android phone. You can do this by going to the Google Maps application, selecting your profile icon and switching on ‘incognito mode’. 

14. Smart alert

Image Source: Android Gadget Hacks

If you’re a busy person and you’re rarely on your android phone, you should enable the ‘smart alert’ feature. This will activate your phone to vibrate every time you pick it up if you have been sent a message or a call, meaning you’ll never miss anything important.

15. The power of 'do not disturb'

Image Source: Android Central

Do you find it annoying when notifications and calls are constantly popping up on your phone, even when you aren’t using it? This is why you should make use of ‘do not disturb’ which silences them for as long as you want to without missing the important stuff.

16. Pin your chat

Image Source: Android Central

We all have that one person we chat to all day every day…but it can be quite frustrating to open the messaging app every time you want to reply to them. Instead, make sure you pin the chat to your home screen so you have easy access to the thread of messages.

17. Tap don't swipe

Image Source: Gizbot

Although android phone technology has been designed to be as convenient for their users as possible, sometimes swiping to accept or reject a call can be unreliable. Make sure you enable the ‘single tap mode’ which will allow you to respond to a call by simply tapping the screen.

18. Speed up your charging

Image Source: Gadgets To Use

No matter how old or new your android phone is, this hack will work for everyone. If you ever need to speed up the rate of charging, make sure you switch on ‘airplane mode’. This will stop your phone wasting battery in the background, and you’ll be back to 100% in no time.

19. One-handed mode

Image Source: Android Central

Android phones are getting even bigger as time goes on…and while this may be great for watching videos and browsing the web online, it can make it difficult to complete daily tasks. This is why you need to use the ‘one-handed mode’ in the advanced features.

20. Hold the call

Image Source: The Verge

How many times have you been left on hold waiting to connect? Well, you don’t have to waste your time anymore because Google Assistant will do it for you! Tap the three dots in the left hand corner and choose ‘hold for me’ and they will alert you when it has been connected.

21. Google Lens

Image Source: The Keyword

This is probably one of the best android features out there…Google Lens. There is no need to spend hours surfing the web or flicking through brochures, if you want to find out what the item is in front of you, simply open the Google Lens app and point the camera towards it!

22. Pin the screen

Image Source: Guiding Tech

This is one for all the parents out there…in this modern era, we all know how obsessed young children are with phones. But if you’re worried your child might open something they shouldn’t, you can pin the screen to lock the phone on the page of your choice.

23. Find the name of any song

Image Source: PCMag 3

How annoying is it when you’re out and about and a great song comes on that you don’t recognise? That’s why need to know about Google Assist! Simply voice activate it by using the command ‘Hey Google’ or hold down the home button, then ask what song is being played.

24. Dark mode

Image Source: CNET

If you’re looking for new ways to save your android phone battery, this is the hack for you. Enter “chrome://flags” into the URL box on Google Chrome and select ‘auto dark mode for web contents’. This will force all webpages into dark mode, savings tons of juice.

25. Never lose your phone again!

Image Source: PCMag

Our greatest fear is misplacing our android phone…they are just too valuable and expensive to lose! But don’t worry, luckily there is a special feature on android phones called ‘find my device’ which will allow you to locate exactly where you left it.

26. Create an app shortcut

Image Source: PCMag

How handy would it be if you could open your most used app on your android phone at the single click of a button…well, it turns out you actually can! You can programme your power button to open any app or feature of your choice, making life so much easier.

27. Minimise distractions

Image Source: Android Infotech

If you are easily distracted by the bright coloured app icons and message notifications popping up on your android phone, you need to try ‘monochrome mode’. This will make your screen black and white, which may look boring but is much less enticing if you’re trying to concentrate.

28. The dialler button

Image Source: Regendus

If you call the same number frequently and want to easily dial the last number you last contacted without accessing your recent calls list, you need to use the ‘dialler’ button. This will automatically show the last number you contacted, making life a lot easier.

29. GBoard

Image Source: NextPit

Have you heard of GBoard? If you haven’t then you need to know more! GBoard is the unique Google keyboard which come with most android phones. The beauty of this keyboard is you can customise however you want to make life easier. You can even use it to create personalised meme stickers.

30. Virtual measuring tape

Image Source: CNET

This one is revolutionary…how many times have you needed to measure something to make sure it is the perfect fit, but you don’t have access to a standard measuring tape. Well, now you measure the length of objects by using your android phone camera.

31. Use Google Goggles To Search Online Pictures

Image Source / GoogleYou might find it hard to look up the name of a photo, or even a painting, online and the tags and descriptions don't always cut it. With Google Goggles, you can use the app to search pictures online to find exactly what you need.

32. Google Goggles Can Help You With QR-Scanning, Too

Image Source / Help Desk GeekScanning QR codes is always so handy, especially when you're busy or when you're running a business with lots of parcels to post, maybe. But you don't need a specific QR-scanning app to take advantage of this - you can just use the Google Goggles app already on your phone.

33. You Can Solve A Sudoku Puzzle With Your Phone

Image Source / WikipediaStarted doing Sudoku to help your brain but really struggling with that latest one? The multi-talented Google Goggles app can help you with that, too. Simply take a photo of the Sudoku puzzle you're about to rage-quit with and it'll help you solve it.

34. Store Your Ideas With Google Keep

Image Source / PCMag UKGoogle Keep is there to keep your thoughts, ideas and feelings safely in the Cloud. If you're someone who likes to use their phone for all their ongoing ideas - maybe to-do list, on-the-go reminders or maybe your new book idea - then this is the ideal feature for you.

35. Run Apps Side By Side On Split Screen

Image Source / Android : Gadget Hacks
The split-screen option on the Android is a great feature. You can run apps side by side, horizontally, so that you can have one app on top and a different one on bottom - perfect if you need to multi-task, do other things while keeping an eye on emails or social media, or even use for gaming.

36. View Your Screen On Your TV Instead

Image Source / YouTube
With Android phones (and tablets), you can share your screen to your TV - only if your TV has Chromecast, though. Chromecast will let you connect your smartphone to your TV. This works for both visuals and audio. This way you can 'Cast' your screen to your TV and enjoy the larger viewing experience.

37. Save And Download Media To Use Offline

Image Source / Systango
If there are areas you go to often that you know have hopeless internet connection, this feature is going to be extremely helpful. You can still watch videos to cure your boredom, even if you don't have internet connection, by downloading them to your phone.

38. Still Play Your Music Without An Internet Connection, Too

Image Source / App Store - Apple
This same trick applys to your favourite musical tracks and albums. This is perfect for times when you're commuting, such as on a plane, and might not have internet connection. If you have Spotify, this also allows offline listening if you download the songs, regardless of whether you have Android - but it's always worth knowing!

39. Use Your Phone As A Surveillance Camera

Image Source / CNETObviously for a good reason! But if you download the IP Webcam for Android on the app store, it will stream your mobile camera to your PC. Note - it won't very well for long-term surveillance, but if you need to keep an eye on something for a short time, it's perfect.

40. Disable Your Lock Screen While At Home

Image Source / Stack OverflowYour lock screen is there for phone security when you're out and about, but at home you don't want to be messing with phone screen unlocking every time you pick it up. You can therefore enable Smart Lock, which recognises when you're in a trusted area - like your home - and disables the lock for these particular places.

41. Encrypt Your Phone's Data

Image Source / LifewireProtecting your phone date is essential to keep your personal information safe. You can do this on Android by going to settings and selecting Security. You can then select 'Encrypt Phone' (on certain phone models) otherwise you'll have to go into 'Choose a PIN or password' and can then select 'Encrypt Phone' from there.

42. Set Your Default App Preferences

Image Source / Times Higher Education
Everyone has their own preferences when it comes to apps, and if you like, you can choose your default ones. You can do this for whatever you like: your browsers, your messages or your downtime apps. Just go to settings and then select the cog symbol. You can customise from here.

43. Avoid Extra Data Usage Using Data Saver

Image Source / BestusefulTipsIf you're someone who usually always goes over their data, or maybe always worries about doing so, this one could be for you. Data Saver Mode keeps your data usage in check, so it makes sure that you don't go over your limit. It stops background apps from using too much data, and if you're okay with not getting push notifications for certain things, then it's ideal.

44. Customize Your Contact Notifications

Image Source / CNETIf you want to be able to easily recognise notifications from certain people so that you can more easily see them come through amidst a pile of other notifications, then you can customize the way it sounds when it comes through so you can hear the second it comes through from your favourite person.

45. Wake Your Phone Up By Speaking

Image Source / GoogleIf you want to use Google Assistant without reaching to the other side of the sofa for your phone, you can say 'Hey Google' - but only if you have the Voice Match feature and if you've taught Google Assistant to recognize your voice. You can do this under settings and record your voice.

46. Go Into Priority Mode

Image Source / LifewireThis is extremely useful if you're a fan of 'Do Not Disturb' but don't want to mute every single one of your notifications. Priority Mode means you can allow through only certain notifications that you really don't want to miss, while muting everything else. You can do this under settings -> do not disturb -> select the notifications you want to let through.

47. Stop Links Loading Up The App Rather Than The Browser

Image Source / CNETSometimes we'll accidentally click an 'open in app' feature when we wanted to stay on the browser, and you can stop this from happening by clearing your default app list and going to settings, then apps and then looking for the apps you don't want to keep opening by accident. Find where it says 'Open By Default' and then select 'Clear Defaults'.

48. Change Your Independent Volume Settings

Image Source / Android: Gadget HacksSometimes you can end up turning down your overall phone volume when really you just meant to turn the volume down on one specific thing you're doing. You can avoid using your phone's general volume buttons and get more specific by tapping on the physical volume buttons shown on your phone and using the slider to adjust anything you'd like.

49. You Can Type By Swiping

Image Source / YouTubeIf you don't like manually tapping on each individual key then you can swipe instead; simply drag your finger across the keyboard from letter to letter, which is especially helpful if you only have one free hand to type with. You can find this option through Google keyboard.

50. Tap Your Phone Against Another Phone To Share Stuff

Image Source / Android HeadlinesCalled the Android Beam, this lets you exchange anything with another phone, like photos, contacts and music, simply by touching your phone against another (usually pressing them back to back). You can then press 'send' when prompted to confirm. Both devices need to be NFC-enabled to do so.