Google packs each new Android replace with an enormous variety of helpful options, a lot of which fly below the radar whereas the highlight stays on the large stuff. As we transfer in direction of the seventeenth main Android launch cycle this yr, it’s simpler than ever to lose monitor of simply how a lot has been added over time.
Past the headline options you’re probably already conscious of, there’s an extended checklist of lesser-known options and instruments in Android, together with much more enhancements layered in by producers. Lots of them can genuinely enhance on a regular basis use, but most individuals aren’t even conscious they exist. So listed below are a couple of of these obscure options I take advantage of on a regular basis—and also you would possibly wish to begin utilizing too.
I by no means fear about dismissing notifications by mistake anymore, due to notification historical past
Android retains a hidden file of notifications you’ve got cleared
Let’s be trustworthy, everybody swipes away a notification or two throughout the day with out actually interested by it. The motion has virtually turn into second nature. You swipe down, clear the muddle, and transfer on—particularly whenever you’ve simply woken up from a day nap and haven’t even had a sip of espresso but.
The issue is that a couple of minutes or hours later, you’re left making an attempt to recollect what you truly dismissed.
Typically it’s nothing. Different occasions, it’s not. A follow-up e-mail out of your boss lands in your inbox the subsequent day, asking why you missed the quarterly assembly. A buddy will get slightly passive-aggressive since you by no means replied to their invitation to exit. Or, should you’re notably unfortunate like me, you miss a dentist appointment and find yourself having to beg them to reschedule you.
The excellent news is that Android has a notification historical past characteristic that permits you to verify each single notification you’ve swiped away. The dangerous information is that you must understand it exists, as a result of it isn’t available within the notification shade; as an alternative, it’s tucked away in your telephone’s settings.
You possibly can allow and entry Notification Historical past by going to Settings > Notifications & Fast Settings > Extra settings > Notification historical past. Alternatively, you may simply use the search bar and sort “Notification historical past.” As soon as enabled, you’ll have the ability to see a log of your lately cleared notifications.
Once you wish to view notifications you’ve dismissed, you may head again to the identical menu. If you happen to personal a Pixel telephone, you may as well faucet the No notifications textual content whenever you pull down the notification shade to open notification historical past instantly. Sadly, that shortcut doesn’t work on my OnePlus 15.
- SoC
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Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
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6.78-inch 2772*1272 (FHD+)
The OnePlus 15 options the newest Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 SoC that permits gaming options by no means earlier than seen on a smartphone. The 165Hz show is ideal for cellular gaming, and when not gaming, it runs at 120Hz, making it superb for on a regular basis utilization. The triple digital camera array is fairly nice, and the 7,300mAh battery lasts a number of days on a single cost.
The hidden “Alt-Tab” gesture helps me multitask a lot quicker
A fast swipe can take you to your lately used app
One of the crucial frequent actions I do a whole bunch of occasions a day is open and shut apps. I’ve discovered that the quickest solution to do it isn’t mentioning the current apps display, however merely swiping throughout the very backside fringe of the display from left to proper.
You may as well do it in reverse, from proper to left, to leap again to the app you used final, and there isn’t any restrict to what number of swipes you are able to do. It’s just about the cellular equal of the Alt-Tab shortcut on Home windows PCs.
You do want gesture navigation enabled for this to work, however should you’re utilizing 3-button navigation, don’t fear—there’s another.
You possibly can shortly change between your two most lately opened apps by double-tapping the Current apps button on the backside of the display. If you happen to faucet it quickly, you may as well scroll by means of current apps, though it’s not fairly as intuitive as swiping with gesture navigation.
In fact, you’ll nonetheless must open the app drawer for apps you don’t use usually, however for something you’ve lately had open, this shortcut is well the quickest solution to change.
I can not dwell with out this underrated Android gesture
A easy answer to a standard drawback.
Drag and drop lets me transfer content material between apps in seconds
Share textual content and pictures with out utilizing screenshots or copy-paste
One of the crucial frequent on a regular basis actions I do on my telephone is taking a screenshot or copying and pasting textual content or a picture from one app after which sending it as a chat message to somebody.
Android 14 launched a characteristic that considerably improved this, but I not often see individuals use it within the wild: you may drag and drop content between apps.
Merely choose a bit of textual content, a picture, or a hyperlink, then faucet and maintain for a second and drag it towards the underside of your display to share it within the app of your selecting. Higher but, maintain the merchandise with one hand and use your different hand to swipe throughout the underside of your display (the characteristic I lined earlier) to modify to the app you wish to drop it into, then launch.
You possibly can even drag and drop in multi-window mode. It’s extremely intuitive when you understand that, identical to with a pc mouse, you may drag and drop nearly something anyplace.
Some apps even take it a step additional. As an example, my OnePlus 15’s gallery app routinely isolates the particular factor in a picture I’m holding, permitting me to ship cutout pictures in seconds. It is like magic!
Be aware that help varies closely relying on the app. I haven’t been capable of get this characteristic to work in some apps, like Messenger, the place tapping and holding textual content brings up the reactions menu as an alternative.
App pinning stops individuals from wandering by means of my telephone
Lock your machine to a single app earlier than handing it over
App pinning means that you can lock your display to a single app whereas blocking entry to the remainder of the telephone. That is good when it is advisable hand somebody your telephone and don’t need them to snoop round. If you happen to give your telephone to children to allow them to watch YouTube or play video games, that is the precise characteristic you by no means knew you wanted.
Earlier than you should utilize app pinning, it is advisable allow it. Go to Settings > Safety & privateness > Extra safety & privateness > App pinning.
The wording in your machine could differ barely, so it’s usually simpler to make use of the search bar as an alternative. Additionally, some telephones received’t allow you to use app pinning with gesture navigation, so you might want to modify to 3-button navigation earlier than enabling it.
As soon as app pinning is enabled, open the app you wish to pin, convey up the current apps display, faucet the three-dot icon subsequent to the app, and faucet Pin. To unpin the app, you’ll normally be requested to unlock your telephone.
Pinned shortcuts take me precisely the place I must go with out opening apps
Sticking to the theme of pinning issues, do you know you can pin varied actions in particular apps to your property display? That is an extremely handy characteristic, particularly should you all the time head to the identical part of an app on a regular basis. As an example, you may pin shortcuts to your Amazon orders or cart as an alternative of simply the primary Amazon app shortcut.
Pinning a shortcut could be very easy. Merely faucet and maintain the app you wish to create a shortcut for, and when the app shortcuts menu seems, maintain and drag the particular shortcut to an empty spot on your property display. That’s it.
The most effective half is that there’s nearly no restrict to the sorts of actions and menus you may pin. For instance, I’ve arrange shortcuts for beginning a operating exercise in my health tracker, opening chats with essential contacts, launching ChatGPT voice mode, creating a brand new alarm in my alarm app, opening the selfie digital camera, looking out on Spotify, and so forth. The sky (or, extra exactly, what the developer has enabled) is the restrict!
There is a good probability your favourite Android characteristic is one you have not discovered but
I’ve solely lined a small variety of my favourite Android options right here. I’d guess there was at the least one you didn’t know existed, and hopefully it’s one thing you’ll find yourself utilizing daily now that you simply’ve come throughout it. There are many different helpful options in your Android telephone simply ready to be found. So get exploring!
