If you are a typical smartphone consumer, you common almost five hours a day in your telephone now. But past video and social media apps, you won’t know the tweaks and settings that may may make these hours simpler, and even shorter.
The Android Settings display screen is full of extra choices than you in all probability notice, choices that may make your telephone extra handy to make use of, preserve your information safer, and allow faster connections to different gadgets. These all seem within the Settings app on the most recent model of Android 13 in so-called “pure Android,” which you get on Google Pixel gadgets and different calmly touched fashions, however different handsets, like these from Samsung or Motorola, ought to have comparable choices in comparable locations.
Turn Wi-Fi on Automatically
You may need Wi-Fi switched off while you’re away from residence or the workplace. If so, Android can flip it again on for you while you get again inside vary of a community that you’ve got beforehand logged on to. Head to Network and Internet, then Internet, and Network Preferences to search out the Turn on Wi-Fi mechanically swap.
Use Less Data
If you are abroad, on a restricted information plan, or in an space with spotty mobile protection, you will get your telephone to make use of much less information by tapping Network and Internet and Data Saver. This works in a lot of other ways: Certain apps might test for updates much less typically, for instance, whereas photographs on the net won’t load till you faucet on them.
Add Extra Security for Contactless Payments
Apps like Google Pay allow you to pay together with your telephone by means of the magic of NFC, which implies anybody who picks up your handset might doubtlessly make a fee with it. You can stop that by ensuring NFC funds require a display screen unlock. Head to Connected Devices, Connection Preferences, NFC, and activate Require system unlock for NFC.
Start Driving Mode Automatically
Android now comes with a particular mode for while you’re driving, which makes it simpler to carry out sure actions with voice instructions, and suppresses different notifications. You can have this mode begin up mechanically when your telephone connects to your automotive’s Bluetooth stereo: To set this characteristic up, select Connected Devices, Connection Preferences, and Driving Mode.
Set Default Apps on Your Phone
Certain actions, like opening hyperlinks or answering calls, want default apps related to them. To management which apps are related to which jobs, select Apps after which Default Apps—you are then capable of decide a sort of app (like an internet browser) and select which one is used first. All the obtainable apps matching that sort shall be listed on display screen.
Manage What Apps Can Do on Your Phone
Apps typically request permission to entry sure information or components of your system, like your contacts and your telephone’s location. To view—and if crucial edit—these permissions or restrict entry to solely while you’re utilizing the app, open Apps after which choose See all apps to decide on a specific app. Then faucet on Permissions to test the settings and make modifications. You’ll even be proven the final time a specific set of permissions was used.
Pause Permissions on Unused Apps
You don’t need outdated apps you now not use preserving maintain of their permissions, which is why by default Android now pauses permissions on apps you have not used shortly. To management this for particular person apps, select Apps, then See all apps, then decide an app and choose Permissions and Pause app exercise if unused. (Now’s a superb time to take away any apps you actually do not use anymore, by the way in which.)
Check Your Notification History
Android retains a document of your notifications, in case you swiped them away too shortly and must get them again. You can activate the characteristic and see latest notifications out of your apps by choosing Notifications after which Notification History. Note that presently snoozed notifications seem on this checklist in addition to notifications that you’ve got dismissed.
Hide Sensitive Notifications on the Lock Screen
You do not essentially need delicate or private notifications popping up in your lock display screen the place anybody can learn them. You can cease this from taking place by selecting Notifications and disabling the Sensitive Notifications toggle swap. The sensitivity of a notification is definitely managed by the developer of the app that sends it, however direct messages will sometimes be included.
Hide Silent Notifications
You in all probability get sufficient notifications with out all of the silent ones. These are ones that perhaps let you know the climate, or that there is visitors in your space, or {that a} podcast is downloading within the background. If you’d quite not have these seem in your telephone and distract you, select Notifications and allow Hide silent notifications in standing bar.
Show the Battery Percentage within the Status Bar
It will be tough to inform simply how a lot battery life you have bought left in your telephone by trying on the small icon within the standing bar. To get a proportion studying up subsequent to it, select Battery after which activate the Battery Percentage toggle swap. All the opposite icons on the standing bar will shift to the left accordingly, and the same old battery life icon stays in place.
See Which Apps Use the Most Storage
If you are operating out of room in your telephone, see which apps are taking on essentially the most area by going to Storage after which Apps. The largest apps by way of cupboard space are proven on the prime of the checklist. The figures proven embody all of an app’s recordsdata—so downloaded Spotify playlists and Netflix reveals rely in addition to the precise Spotify and Netflix apps, for instance.
Add Live Captions to Videos
The capability to caption speech in movies—in actual time—is out there on a rising variety of Android telephones, and it is helpful even in case you’re not listening to impaired. You can discover the choice by tapping Sound and Vibration after which Live Caption. Captions generated by Google’s AI processing will then seem mechanically every time speech is detected, whether or not it is in a video on social media or on a video name.
Get the Screen to Lock Sooner
Your lock display screen protects your telephone from unwelcome customers, so ideally you need it to activate as shortly as doable when you set it down. You can alter this period by opening up the Display after which selecting Screen Timeout from the checklist—you will sometimes be capable of choose durations from just a few seconds to some minutes.
Make Everything Onscreen Bigger
If you are struggling to learn textual content onscreen, head to Display and Display Size and Text in Settings. You’ll see two sliders, one for Font Size (which makes the textual content greater or smaller) and one for Display Size (which makes every thing greater or smaller, together with icons and menus). Tap the Reset settings to return to the usual settings.
Unlock Your Device in Trusted Places
If there are specific locations that you just’re positive nobody untrustworthy will get at your telephone—at residence, for instance—you may have the display screen mechanically unlock itself in these places for further comfort. Head to Security, then Advanced Settings, then Smart Lock, and eventually Trusted Places. Add a location and also you’re good to go.
Add Your Medical Information
Suppose you are unlucky sufficient to be concerned in an emergency medical state of affairs. In that case, you won’t be capable of inform first responders about your blood sort, medicines, allergic reactions, and different necessary data. You can, nevertheless, inform your telephone—by way of Safety and Emergency and Medical Information—and these particulars will then be accessible from the lock display screen.
Set Limits on App Use
If you are involved you spend an excessive amount of time on TikTookay or Twitter, Android may also help you out right here. If you faucet Digital Wellbeing and Parental Controls, after which select Dashboard, you may see how a lot time you have spent specifically apps through the day—and if crucial arrange limits for the way a lot time you need to use them sooner or later.
Enable Guest Mode
Guest mode is a superb manner of permitting different individuals to make use of your telephone with out them having the ability to entry your social media accounts, your banking apps, or your gaming excessive scores. It works similar to a consumer account on macOS or Windows, and you’ll set it up on Android by choosing System, Multiple Users, after which enabling Allow a number of customers.
