These Android settings are each underappreciated and underutilized

As a cellular software program platform, Android has been round since 2008. The working system has quickly developed over the course of just some quick years, and at this time it is a feature-rich and mature OS that stands toe-to-toe with the likes of Apple’s iOS and iPadOS choices.

One in every of Android’s largest strengths is its customizability and its general mantra of ‘openness.’ On most builds of the OS, you’ll be able to spend hours tinkering and toggling by choices upon choices. A few of these settings are well-known and appreciated, whereas others are extra obscure or just underutilized.

Listed below are 5 lesser-known settings I all the time reap the benefits of when every day driving any Android handset. I’ve grown fond of every of those settings over time, they usually stay an enormous a part of what retains me tied to the Android-based smartphone scene.

1 System animations might be sped up for a zippier UI expertise

The choice is tucked away inside Android’s developer choices menu

I am typically a fan of the default velocity of Android’s varied inventory interface components, however I discover sure producer skins to tug on within the animation division. Whereas unknown to most, it is truly fairly simple to hurry up (or decelerate) animations at a system-wide stage.

To regulate the velocity of system animations on Android, you may first have to allow developer options. This may be achieved by navigating to Settings > About telephone and tapping on the construct quantity seven occasions. From right here, navigate to Developer choices > Window animation scale / Transition animation scale / Animator period scale and swap to the .5x possibility.

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2 Setting a customized lock display screen message is a pleasant contact

This considerably obscure Android setting brings me additional peace of thoughts

Because the starting, Android has allowed you to put a brief block of textual content instantly onto your telephone’s lock display screen. In my case, I typically set this up with a secondary telephone quantity, within the occasion that I misplace my telephone, and it is stumbled upon by a Good Sameritan. Usually, this message reads some variant of: “if discovered, please contact xxx.xxx.xxxx.”

So as to add your individual customized lock display screen message, navigate to Settings > Show & Contact > Lock display screen > Add textual content to lock display screen. From right here, you’ll be able to enter your required textual content.

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3 Double-tapping on the app switcher is a serious time saver

The characteristic features very similar to alt+tab on a PC

Whereas most Android telephones now ship with gesture-based navigation by default, the normal 3-button software program navigation stays out there for many who favor it. One profit of selecting buttons over gestures is the entry it offers to a little-known shortcut: you’ll be able to double faucet on the multitasking key to swap between your two most lately working apps shortly. The characteristic is simple to overlook, but it surely allows a desktop PC-like navigation software on cellular that I all the time make use of.

To reap the benefits of Android’s built-in fast app switching operate, you may have to first allow the software program button navigation possibility. Navigate to Settings > System > Navigation mode > 3-button navigation. As soon as toggled on, merely double-tap on the devoted multitasking (square-shaped) key to shortly swap between lately opened apps.

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4 App pinning is each handy and ingenious

For one motive or one other, the setting is obscured on most flavors of Android

One of the crucial underappreciated Android settings of all of them is a little-known possibility referred to as app pinning. When enabled, the characteristic permits you to lock a selected app to run within the foreground in your telephone, whereas briefly denying entry to the remainder of the working system. This software is useful when passing your telephone over to somebody to make a fast telephone name, offering an added layer of safety.

For one motive or one other, most flavors of Android ship with the characteristic toggled off by default. To allow Android’s app pinning characteristic, head to Settings > Safety & privateness > Extra safety settings > App pinning and toggle the choice on. As soon as enabled, it is easy to pin apps instantly by way of your telephone’s multitasking display screen. Merely faucet on a working app’s icon, after which hit the Pin button.

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5 Third-party launchers preserve the smartphone expertise contemporary

App launchers present numerous advantages, however hardly anybody is aware of of their existence

Android launchers are apps that function residence display screen replacements for the OS, they usually provide up a ton of customization choices. Certain, the existence of launchers is well-known inside most Android circles, however they continue to be a largely area of interest possibility on a broader scale. There are a ton of wonderful third-party launchers out there for obtain — some of my current favorites embody Niagara Launcher, Lawnchair, and Olauncher.

To swap between put in residence launchers, merely navigate to Settings > Apps > Default apps > Dwelling app and choose from the record supplied. Word that you’re going to have to obtain and set up launcher apps from the Google Play Retailer or from different sources to have them populate on display screen.

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