5 Android Smartphone Hacks That You Probably Didn't Know

One of the things that made the use of Windows PC to be fun and easy while working with is the use of shortcuts.Instead of using your mouse to scroll or select all articles or item, you can easily press ctrl+A to select all items and then ctrl+C or X to copy or cut, depending on your preference. In this same manner, use Android phones can be more fun and enticing if you knew some secret codes or functions that can be performed with our phone, other than charring and texting and all sorts of things.

So in this article, we will be talking about at least 5 Android smartphone hacks that you might not already know about. You will also learn their functions and how to execute each and every one of them. 

1.   Take Screenshot

You are browsing the internet with your phone and then you come across a picture or a page that interests you, but there is no option to save the item, You can simply take a screenshot by pressing and holding the Power button and Volume down button. Once the screenshot has been captured, you will hear a camera shutter sound and then the content on your phone's screen will be saved as a picture on your phone.

Now taking this screenshot can be different on several phones like the Sammys. To take and screenshot in older Galaxy phones, just press and hold the Power button and the Menu button. For Galaxy S series, you can swipe your hand from side to side to take a screenshot. And if you by any chance own an iPhone X, you can follow this guide here to take a screenshot with your iPhone X.

Bonus advantage of taking screenshots from websites or social media is that it is safer, compare to downloading the file or image which is likely to be embedded with a malware. We have seen a case of this when hackers embed malicious coded in pictures share on Facebook and Linkedin.

2.   Print From Your Phone or Tablet

As from 2013 when Google launched Android 4.4 KitKat, they also introduced Cloud Print which makes it possible to print documents so directly from your Android phone or tablet – and no separate app required.  

Some newer printer models come with built-in compatibility with Cloud Print then for older printers that aren't compatible, you just have to do the following: 

==>>  login to Google Chrome on a computer that connects (either locally or over a network) to the printer you want to use on the Android mobile device. 

==>>   Next, click the gear icon on Chrome (in the upper right corner), then select Settings, Advanced Settings, and choose the option to set up Cloud Print.

==>>   You’ll need to choose the printer to set up and click Share, to make the printer available through Google Cloud Print. 

==>>   Copy and paste the link into an email to yourself, using an account that’s set up on your phone.

==>>   Bring up the email on your phone and click the link, then select Add Printer, and you should see a confirmation message.

3.   Cloud Services Rule

If you still email photos and videos to yourself from your tablet or phone? Then it's time to try out something new, ancient and more convenient like a free cloud storage service. The likes of Dropbox or Google Drive that’ll automatically sync your media files with your computer and other devices. This way, you won’t lose all of your precious photos and videos and the memories they hold if in any case, something bad happens to your phone (such as loss, damage or theft), and you also get to never worry about how to transfer files that are too large to email.

Cloud services like Dropbox will give you at least 2 GB of free storage, while Google Drive gives you 15 GB storage free of charge. But you can pay for additional space if you desire

Google Drive’s free 15 GB of cloud storage includes whatever space you use for your Gmail account, which probably isn’t much. You can pick up some additional Google Drive space on the cheap, or you can upgrade to a G-Suite subscription. which costs as little as $5 per month and gets you 30 GB of Google Drive space plus access to their professional office software suite for creating and editing documents, presentations, and spreadsheets. 

Plus, you can use your own company’s domain for your email address and a host of other cool perks, including 24/7 support. G-Suite comes with a 14-day completely free trial.

4.   Voice Typing

If you're feeling lazy just like I am right now, or your both hands are tied that you don't get much time to type and text, then you are welcome to try out voice typing. You just have to touch the microphone key to start speaking your text instead of typing it.

Your Android phone might also have apps called Voice Commands and Voice Search depending on the preference but they pretty much do the same job but under different circumstances. 

With Voice Commands, you tell the phone what to do and how to do it. For example, you might say “Text Mom I’ll be home by 8.” while Voice Search lets you conduct a Google search by voice command.

Depending on the phone brand and model you are using, the device might also let you wake it with your voice and execute commands without ever touching it. Some Android phones even offer a ‘driving mode’ so you can go completely hands-free, speaking your desired commands and having the phone read to you any texts or emails that arrive.

5.   Set Up Remote Lock and Wipe

The recent Android phone comes with a contingency measure that comes in handy should in case your phone gets stolen or lost. It is called Android Device Manager, once you've used your Android phone to log in to your Google Account, then set up remote lock / erase. You must set this up before a loss or theft occurs. Plan ahead and login to Android Device Manager now and do the needful.

Also Read:   How To Connect Xender to PC and Easily Share Files

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