Nowadays, many people have smartphones but have no idea about using them wisely. Thus, we are delighted to share 10 Android tricks to make your phone more useful in this article. 

1. Configurate your lock screen

The first tip we want to introduce on our list of 10 Android tricks is to configure your lock screen. Why is there a need to do that? If someone gets hold of your phone without a lock screen, the thief suddenly has access to everything on your device. While some of your apps will require passwords and multifactor authentication, many apps, like your photos and notes, typically do not. Therefore, configuring a lock screen on your Android phone is necessary to protect your personal and sensitive data.

There are different types of lock screens you can use on your Android phone, such as fingerprint, face, pattern, PIN, or password. Each type has its own advantages and disadvantages in terms of security and convenience. You can choose the one that suits your needs and preferences best. To set up a lock screen on your Android phone, go to Settings > Security > Screen lock and follow the on-screen instructions. The steps may vary depending on your phone model and Android version.

2. Uninstall Bloatware

Software bloat, or bloatware, is a set of apps or programs you do not want. Sometimes, manufacturers get paid to pre-install apps onto new devices. Bloatware can also simply be apps you once used but don’t anymore. Therefore, you can free up your space by disabling or uninstalling bloatware. To remove bloatware, navigate to Settings, choose Apps, find the app you want to disable and select it. Lastly, you need to click Uninstall to permanently remove it or Disable to stop the app from running in the background.

3. Digital Wellbeing

Digital wellbeing is important because it enables employees to be more engaged and productive and lead healthier lives during and outside work. Adopting digital wellbeing practices can enable employees to focus on their work and cause less exhaustion and distraction. For example, you can check your screen time with Digital Wellbeing tools. Available from Android 9 onboard, this suite lets you set app time limits, track usage, and even fade the screen to grayscale at nighttime. Also, Android released an article about Digital Wellbeing with the title “New ways to find balance for you and your family.” 

4. Choose Do Not Disturb Settings

Android comes with a handy mode called Do Not Disturb built into the software. This allows you to turn off all or just some notifications for a set time. You can also let Android System Intelligence handle turning Do Not Disturb on or off by setting a schedule. It’s one of the fantastic parts of Android. Hence, we list it as one of the 10 tricks to make your phone more useful. To turn Do Not Disturb on, swipe down from the top of your screen, scroll down and tap Sound, tap Do Not Disturb, then tap the Turn on now button at the top of your screen. Moreover, a quick settings option toggles Do Not Disturb on and off. You can access this by swiping down from the top of your screen and tapping the Do Not Disturb button. Long press this button to find the full range of DND settings.

5. Make sure your photos are backed up automatically

Ranking number five on our list of 10 Android tricks to make your phone more useful is ensuring your photos are backed up automatically. Google Photos is a great photo-storing service that is simple to use. Generally, Android phones like the Samsung Galaxy S21 can seamlessly use Google Photos as their default photo-storing app. Therefore, you should protect your precious memories by enabling auto-backup in Google Photos. You can ensure your photos are safely stored by following the prompts in the apps, with options for both “original quality” or “high quality.”

6. “Hey Google” voice match

Google Assistant is built into almost every Android device. For instance, you’ll find most Android phones and tablets have access to Google Assistant, including top-tier devices like the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra and Google Pixel 7 Pro, as well as more budget offerings like the Nokia G60 5G. As a result, you can enhance Google Assitant accessibility by enabling “Hey Google” everywhere. Head to the search settings, enable “Access with Voice Match,” and train your phone to recognize your voice for hand-free commands.

7. Swipe Input on the Keyboard

You can speed up text input by swiping input on the keyboard. In the case of “swipe typing,” the user touches the first letter of a word and continues “swiping” or “moving” his finger from one letter to the other. When the user lifts his finger, several decoding candidates are shown to the user, each ordered by a score. You can use apps like Gboard or Swiftkey for a more efficient typing experience. On your Android device, open the Settings app, tap System > Languages & input, tap Virtual keyboard, and then Gboard > Glide typing.

8. Set up Emergency SOS

Although it’s not one of the fancy features, setting up Emergency SOS features should be high on the priority list on your Android phone. While the exact array of features varies between manufacturers, Emergency SOS provides a way to call your emergency contact without doing much more than pressing your power button a few times. Whether you are in an accidental crash, have a robbery at home, or are stuck in an undesirable situation in an unknown location, the built-in Emergency SOS features can come in handy to avoid fatal outcomes. To set up Emergency SOS, open the Settings app, scroll down and tap Safety & emergency. This menu can be found in the Advanced Settings menu on earlier versions of Android (Android 11 and earlier). Then, you tap Emergency Contacts, tap Add Contact, and select Emergency Contacts from your contact list.

9. Autofill Service

Android autofill saves personal information, addresses, payment methods, and passwords. It connects to Google apps, including Google Maps, Google Pay, and Chrome password manager. Also, if you use a different password manager, you can add that, but you can only have one autofill service at a time. Here, this is how to enable autofill, adjust settings for autofill on Android, and edit the information Google saves. First, you open the Settings app, scroll down and tap System > Language & Input, tap Advanced to expand the section, tap Autofill service and tap Autofill service again. Then, you tap Add service and select a password manager. Google will prompt you to confirm that you trust the app. Tap OK if you do.

10. Download the offline map on Google Map

Downloading offline maps on Google Maps is a useful feature that can help you navigate without an internet connection. To save offline maps, you need to follow these instructions. First, you open the Google Maps app while connected to the internet. Second, you search for a place, like your favorite restaurant. At the bottom, tap the name or address of the place. Then, tap the three-dot menu button in the upper-right corner and select Download offline map. Finally, adjust the area you want to save and tap Download.

10 Android tricks to make your phone more useful

It’s been a while since we introduced the top 10 tips for getting longer battery life. Our article on 10 Android tricks today gave useful information for Android users to use it more efficiently. Which trick impresses you the most? Let us know in the comment section! Stay tuned for more updates from us!