Some interesting Android tips and tricks

Android tips and tricks

One of the main reasons people choose Android phones is the flexibility offered by the operating system. By changing a few settings, you can significantly improve your user experience. In this article, we’ll explore 11 lesser-known tips and features that you can try on your Android device.
Make Fingerprint Unlock More Reliable

You can increase the reliability of fingerprint unlock on your Android phone by registering the same finger twice. This technique increases the likelihood that the phone will recognize and match your fingerprint, thereby reducing failed attempts. This method is especially useful for people with calluses on their fingers and phones with less reliable fingerprint scanners.

Improve Call Quality

Before making a phone call, you can improve network consistency on your device by turning on airplane mode, waiting a few seconds, and turning it off again. This allows your phone to reconnect to the nearest cell tower, providing a stronger and more stable connection, and ensuring you don't lose signal during your call.

Schedule Messages on Google Messages

You can schedule messages on Google Messages to send at a particular date and time, similar to scheduling emails on Gmail. This feature saves you the hassle of creating a draft and waiting to send your message when the time is right. To schedule a message, write your message, long-press the Send button, set the desired schedule in the pop-up window, and tap the Send button.

Use Voice Commands to Take Photos

Samsung phones allow you to take pictures by saying voice commands like "Cheese" or "Smile." This feature is especially helpful when taking group selfies and your phone is out of reach. To activate this feature, open the Camera app, go to Settings > Shooting methods, and toggle on Voice commands.

Use the Floating Shutter Button

Samsung devices have a Floating Shutter button that adds an extra shutter button that you can move anywhere on your screen. This feature makes capturing shots more comfortable since you can place the shutter button wherever your thumb naturally rests on the screen. To enable this feature, open the camera app, go to Settings > Shooting methods, and toggle on Floating Shutter button. Drag the shutter button to reveal a second one and place it wherever you want on the screen. Some Android phones also allow you to use the volume keys as a shutter button.

Use App Shortcuts

App shortcuts allow you to access specific features of an app without having to search for them. Long-press on the app icon to access shortcuts for tasks like calling someone, creating a text note, viewing screenshots, and scanning QR codes. Drag the shortcut to an empty spot on your Home screen and drop it.

Buy Anti-Dust Plugs to Seal the Ports Modern smartphones don't come with built-in anti-dust plugs that seal the charging port, headphone jack, and speakers. Dust and lint can accumulate in the ports over time, affecting charging and audio. To maintain your Android phone, it's advisable to buy anti-dust plugs that are cheap and easily found on Amazon. Some phone cases come with plugs built-in.

Hide Private Albums from the Gallery

The Samsung Gallery app allows you to hide sensitive albums containing private photos or videos. You can unhide them later when you want to view them. If you need extra protection, you can move the album or individual photos and videos to the Secure Folder app, requiring a password or biometric unlock to view content. If you don't have a Samsung phone, use the Locked Folder in Google Photos instead.

Add Words to Your Gboard Dictionary

If you speak more than one language, you've likely experienced the annoyance of having your keyboard mistakenly autocorrect words you've typed because it doesn't recognize them from your mother tongue. Fortunately, you can enhance your typing skills on Gboard by incorporating customized vocabulary into your personal dictionary. This will allow the keyboard to acknowledge and accept the word you've typed rather than replacing it with an unintended substitution.

To accomplish this task, launch the Gboard application, navigate to the Dictionary menu, choose the Personal dictionary option, and then select the language you prefer.

Turn on Dark Mode

Dark Mode has become increasingly popular among users as it reduces eye strain and saves battery life, particularly for phones with OLED screens. Android phones have had a system-wide dark mode since Android 10, which means it can be applied to most system apps and third-party apps that support it.

To turn on Dark Mode, go to Settings > Display > Dark mode, and toggle it on. Some phones also allow you to schedule Dark Mode to turn on and off automatically based on your local sunrise and sunset times.
Customise Your Navigation Bar

Most Android phones have a navigation bar at the bottom of the screen that includes the Back, Home, and Recent Apps buttons. Some phones allow you to customise this bar by adding additional buttons or changing its layout.

To do this, go to Settings > Display > Navigation bar, and choose the layout and button combination you prefer. Some phones also allow you to hide the navigation bar entirely and use gestures instead.


In conclusion, these 11 tips and features can help you improve your Android user experience and make the most of your device. Give them a try and see which ones work best for you.