11 little-known Android tips to make your life easier

Check out 11 little-known tips and features that you should try on your Android device.

1. Make fingerprint unlocking more reliable

You can make fingerprint unlocking more reliable on your phone by registering the same finger twice. That way, when the phone scans your finger, the number of failed attempts is reduced.

This is especially useful for people with calluses on their fingers, as well as those whose phones don't have a reliable fingerprint scanner.

2. Improve call quality

Before you make a phone call, a quick way to improve network consistency on your device is to turn on airplane mode, wait a few seconds, and then turn it off. This allows your phone to reconnect to the nearest cellular base station for the strongest and most stable connection, ensuring you won't lose signal while on a call.

3. Schedule Google Messages

Unknown to many people, you can schedule messages on Google Messages to be sent at a specific date and time the same way you schedule emails on Gmail. This is easier than creating a draft and waiting for the message to be delivered when the time is right.

To do this, go to the conversation you want in Google Messages, write the message, and then press and hold the Send button . You will see a pop-up window where you can set a schedule. Once done, tap the Send button .

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4. Say "Cheese" to take a photo

If you're trying to take a group selfie but your phone is out of reach, you can choose to set a timer. But that option isn't ideal, as it can sometimes take longer than expected for people to style or retouch their hair.

To make this easier, Samsung phones let you take pictures by saying voice commands like "Cheese" or "Smile". The phone will recognize your voice and take a photo. To enable this, open the Camera app, go to Settings > Shooting methods and enable Voice commands .

5. Using the Floating Shutter . Button

Another great camera feature on Samsung devices is the Floating Shutter button which adds an extra shutter button that you can freely move anywhere on your screen. This makes shooting a bit more comfortable, as you don't have to reach for an uncomfortable position, but can instead place the shutter button anywhere that fits your thumb. .

To enable this feature, open the Camera app, go to Settings > Shooting methods and enable the Floating Shutter button . Once done, go back to the camera app and drag the shutter button to reveal the second button and place it wherever you want on the screen.

Some Android phones, including Samsung and Pixel devices, also let you use the volume keys as the shutter button, which can also be useful in many cases.

6. Use app shortcuts

You know about apps and widgets, but often unused app shortcuts. App Shortcuts enable application-specific features, so you don't have to go around looking for them.

For example, you can set shortcuts to call someone, create text notes, view screenshots, scan QR codes, and more - all with a single tap.

To find an app shortcut, press and hold the icon of the app you want to open a small menu of shortcuts. Press and hold the shortcut you like, drag it to an empty spot on the home screen, and release.

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7. Buy dustproof plugs to cover the ports

In the past, many "brick" phones used to come with a built-in dustproof button that sealed the device's charging port so dust, lint, and water couldn't get in.

Modern smart devices don't have those so the charging port, headphone jack and speaker are always open. Your phone may have an IP68 rating, but dust and lint can still build up in the ports over time, affecting charging and sound.

So you should buy dustproof button. They are quite cheap and can be easily found on e-commerce platforms.

8. Hide private albums from gallery

One of the best features of the Samsung Gallery app is that it allows you to hide some albums from the main page that may contain sensitive photos or videos. You can always unhide them later when you want to see them.

If you want extra protection, you can move albums (or individual photos and videos) to the Secure Folder app; view content that requires a password or biometric unlock. If you don't have a Samsung phone, you can use Locked Folder in Google Photos instead.

To hide albums, open the Gallery app on your Galaxy device, tap the three-dot menu, and select Hide albums . Next, select the albums you want to hide from the list. To move your album to Secure Folder, go back to the main page, press and hold an album, select More > Move to Secure Folder .

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9. Add words to the Gboard dictionary

If you are a bilingual or multilingual user, you may find it annoying when your keyboard automatically corrects what you write because it doesn't recognize words in your native language.

Luckily, you can improve your typing on Gboard by adding custom words to your personal dictionary. That way, the keyword will actually recognize the word and not automatically correct it for something you didn't intend to type.

To do this, open the Gboard app and go to Dictionary > Personal dictionary , then select your preferred language. Next, tap the + icon and enter the word you want to add.

10. Automate your phone with routines

Probably the most underrated feature on Samsung One UI is Modes and Routines (formerly Bixby Routines); it's an automation tool that allows you to perform various actions on your device at the same time without user input. You can use Modes and Routines to set your morning routine, daily commute, assignments, bedtime, and more.

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If you don't have a Samsung phone, you can also use the built-in Routines feature in Google Assistant. But frankly, Google Assistant's Routines are not comparable to Modes and Routines.

11. Use hidden SOS flashlight

Not every user needs this feature, but if you're stranded in a remote location with no signal and need help, you can get rescuers' attention by using this feature. Use hidden SOS flashlight on Samsung phone. It's one of those features that makes you feel secure to own but hopefully never have to use.

Most people tend to just use the phone right out of the box, with default settings. But as any techie will tell you, it only takes a few minutes of tweaking your phone's settings to dramatically improve your experience on it.

This is true for all Android devices, but especially for Samsung users because One UI has more features than most other Android skins. It gives you more space to personalize your device and make it work best according to your lifestyle and usage.

Marvin Fry

Update 11 March 2023