[General Topics] areeb47:
Hello XDA Community.

Here is a thread that will help you make the most of your Android device.

Watch the video or go through the below list of tips and tricks.

You might find it useful. :)

Tap for AOD and Double-tap to wake.

If you have a premium Android smartphone, you ought to have both of these features. A lot of people are unaware and always use the side key. Save your side key from unwanted presses, simply tap once for AOD and double tap-to wake the screen. These options can be configured and personalized in the settings.

Double tap to lock.

Done with your work and want to keep the phone back in your pocket? Do that simply with double tapping on the screen to lock it. If it’s not working for you, your phone might not support this feature.

Double swipe down for quick-settings.

Sometimes, it can be lengthy to pull down the notification section twice, especially if you have a lot of notifications and want to change the brightness or want to toggle a quick-setting. A faster way to get there is to swipe-down using 2 fingers. It’s a handy magic trick that you can use to get things done faster.

Open camera without unlocking your phone.

A lot of times, we unlock our phone and give it to others for taking a photograph. This can be unsafe and somebody might go through sensitive information on your phone. Next time you’re at an event, just swipe on the lock screen to open the camera. This way, your personal information will stay secure and you’ll be at peace of mind.

Mark messages as read from the lockscreen.

Oftentimes a day, we get a lot of messages. It can be difficult to open all the messages to get them marked as read. A quick trick is that you can mark messages as read from the lockscreen itself. This works for SMS as well as popular messaging apps like WhatsApp.

Press and hold app icons for shortcuts.

If you are using lengthy approaches for tasks, this is bound to pave the way for a lot of shortcuts. You can tap and hold on icons for getting things done faster. Each app (depending on the developer) will show you a bunch of quick tasks that can be very useful. Tap and hold the dialer icon to add a contact, tap and hold chrome’s icon to quickly open an incognito window. Instagram shows quick options such as Camera, New Post, View activity or Chats.

Find your phone using Google Assistant.

This trick will work only if Google accounts are the same on your phone as well as smart speakers. Just say “Hey Google, where’s my phone?” and your phone will start ringing. This can be useful if you’re struggling to find your phone after a party. It might have hid in the sofa, under the bed or another dimension. Find it easily using your Google Assistant.

Check the phone's battery using Google Assistant.

About to fall asleep and don’t have the energy to check your phone, just ask Google. Simply say, “How much battery is there on my phone?” and the mighty Google will respond.

Get directions to places using Google Assistant.

Planning to go somewhere, simply ask your Google Nest device. Try saying, “Send me directions to the airport.”

Multi window

Wanna use multiple apps at once? Android has got you covered. Simply open the combination of apps in split screen view. This can be quite useful if you want to read something while completing a project. Drag and drop can also be done among windows. Also feel free to resize the apps as per your need.

Pop-up view

Doing some calculations and don’t want to switch back and forth between the apps? Use pop-up view instead. Bring up the calculator as a pop-up window on your screen to make quick calculations. The possibilities are endless.

Swype keyboard

Are you still typing the old school way? Time to change things. Swype is a great way to type faster. Turn it on from the keyboard settings if needed, and swype away. Say goodbye to typing one key at a time.

One-handed mode

Screens are getting bigger these days. Gone are the times when everything was usable with one-hand by default. To counter this, there are software enhancements. Turn on one-handed mode from settings to easily use the phone and reach all corners.

Mirror screen

Got an Android TV at home? Use the Google Home app which is downloadable from the play store to mirror your phone’s screen. This can be really useful if you have guests over and you want to showcase your gallery pics. Or just show them a presentation.

Cast content

While screen mirroring is cool, it’s not recommended for watching content. Use casting instead. Common streaming apps like YouTube, Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+ have this feature. Just ensure your TV and phone are on the same network, then use the Cast icon present in the app to play things on TV and control them using the phone. Pretty handy.

Control home devices

Once you have added your Smart devices to Google Home, simply use the Devices option to control them quickly. This can be useful to turn lights on or off, change the volume on TV or Play/Pause smart speakers.

Get rid of app drawer - Home screen apps

Recently switched from an iPhone or want a simpler home screen layout? There’s an option for that. Go to launcher settings and use the Home screen apps option. You will now have a simpler life and won’t have to open the app drawer again and again. Swipe up to perform a spotlight like search. Thanks Android for such good days

Extra-dim

It’s important to take care of our eyes during the night. Bright displays in bed while the lights are off can be stressful. Thanks to Android 12, there’s an Extra dim feature built in. Simply turn it on to make the screen easily readable even in the darkest situations.

Turn off notifications

Too many notifications from unwanted apps annoying you? Simply hold a notification to bring up notification settings, quickly turn off all annoying notifications from here.

Take calls from PC

Your phone app on Windows 10 and 11 offers a ton of features. One of them being the ability to take calls from your PC. This trick really saves from back and forth switching while working on a laptop. Make your life easier, pair your phone to Windows and take calls from the PC.

Messages from PC

Making a transaction on your laptop and don’t want the trouble to look at your phone? Your phone app helps you see all SMS on your PC itself. You can even reply or copy-paste to get content on your laptop.

Control your phone from PC

Here’s a quick trick to get your phone’s screen on your PC. Use the Your Phone app and click on the phone's icon. Grant permission from your phone. Phone display will turn up on the PC and you’ll be able to control it from there. Pretty handy if you want to take screenshots of the app you’re developing.

Notifications/Whatsapp/other apps on PC

Stay focused and forget the hassle of switching between devices. Thanks to Your Phone app, all your phone’s notifications are visible on the PC. You can manage them easily. Someone pinged you on WhatsApp? Don’t pick up your phone, reply to them right from your PC. You can use other apps too and even Pin them on your PC’s taskbar. Amazing trick indeed.

Photos on PC

Your phone app will keep your devices in sync. All your Gallery photos magically appear on your PC. You can even save them to the PC without having to worry about finding USB cables.

Create AR Emoji [SAM]

AR stands for Augmented Reality. You can create an avatar for yourself and do fun things with it.

Take measurements [SAM]

Download Measure tool in AR Zone to take quick measurements of your room. Next time you want to buy a carpet, just use this trick on your phone first before stepping out.

Edge screen [SAM]

This is a great way to access your apps and multi-task. The edge screen is highly customisable and you should definitely check out all the options to make it most productive for you.

Edge screen tools [SAM]

The magical thing about the Edge screen is that it doubles as a toolkit. Find options to view compass, tally counter, ruler and more. Next time you’re on an exploration, definitely bring up these tools.

Assistant Menu (Assistive touch)

Want a helping hand? Turn on Assistant Menu from settings. It is similar to assistive touch that you would find on an iOS device. Helps quickly take screenshots, open notifications and more. Customize and personalize it as you see fit.

Auto-complete in dialer

This is a very old trick of the book. Typically, a person wastes a lot of time in finding a contact and calling them. Quicker way it auto-complete. It works like a T9 dictionary which used to be present in Nokia phones. For eg. in order to dial John, you would have to press 5646. John’s name will automatically come-up. Use similar approach for others.

Powerful photo edits

Post taking photos, the photo editor offers a lot of options. You can make changes to a photo’s background, color and more. It’s quite powerful and definitely worth checking out to make photos stand out.

Scan documents [SAM]

The Samsung Notes app has an option to scan documents. Once you’re done scanning, save them to pdf format and share away.

Export text from image

There are times when we come across images and have to note something down manually. To counter this problem, export text from images easily. The Google Keep app comes to the rescue. Add an image to a note. Tap on that image, go to options and choose Grab image text. Easy life!

Connect mouse

Connect a mouse for precision of a cursor. Get the added advantage of right clicking while browsing for an organized and enhanced experience. Make any changes in settings if needed.

Connect keyboard

Want to complete typing that lengthy article on the go? Just pair a bluetooth keyboard for effortless typing. Finally, work can be done on the go.

Connect gamepad

If you have an Xbox or PlayStation controller lying around, pair it up using bluetooth. Gaming on the go. Sit back in the lawn and enjoy easy gaming. OR put your phone one a stand and play away. Hello GTA.

Identify plants/objects/fishes

The Google lens feature is pretty cool. Easily identify and get information about what’s in front of you. No need to save the image and do a reverse image search.

Cast presentations and docs

Google slides work amazingly in the ecosystem. If you have a Chromecast device on the same network, you’ll be able to present your content wirelessly to the audience. Goodbye HDMI cables.

Record calls [SAM]

The built in call recorder can be turned on from dialer settings. Open the dialer, tap 3 dots, choose Settings. Find the Record calls option and turn on auto record calls.

Record screen

Want to record app instructions for a friend, or complete a project? Record your screen. In the quick settings section, find the screen recorder option. You can choose recording options as needed. Start recording. Once you’re done, the recording will be saved to the Gallery.

Wireless powershare [SAM]

This feature might or might not be available in your device. Easily charge another gadget that supports wireless charging, ranging from iPhones to Smart Watches. Perfect when traveling.

Wired powershare

If you have a type C to C cable, you can charge another device. Plug the ends to different phones to share power. Perfect for saving your friend who’s running out of battery.

Developer options

There are some advanced options which are hidden by default. A lot of you might already know this, but for a lot of new Android users, tap on the build number a couple of times to unlock developer options. Know that these options are advanced and you really shouldn’t be messing with them unless you know what you’re doing.

Use screensaver

Screensaver is a great way to enhance your experience during charging. Choose from built-in screensavers or find a good one on the Play Store. A big shout out to the developer of this screensaver that I found. I will leave a link for it in the video description. It’s free and highly customizable. [link here]

Display contact info on lock screen

This is a useful way to show important info on the lock screen. You can choose to display your name or contact info, or go for your nick name.

Find my device

Find and ring your device using the Android device manager. Perform a google search “Android device manager”. Open the page and see your devices there. Find options to ring or even erase content from your device.

Flash notifications

Getting difficult to find your phone in the dark? Or just want to flaunt off your device? Turn on flash notifications in settings. Whenever you’ll get a call, the flashlight will go crazy.

Pin windows

Annoying kids want to play games on your device? Don’t worry, there’s a way to safely do that without them having access to phone’s settings or personal data. The app can be pinned, making it impossible for anyone to access anything else. Take a sigh of relief when you hand over your phone to anyone, just pin the app first.

Identify tracks

We all love music. Sometimes, you hear great music around you and it can be difficult to identify the song. Thanks to the magic of Shazam, easily identify the tracks being played near you. It’s a great app for music lovers.

Sensors and hardware check - *#0*# [SAM]

This is a secret code which helps you check all the sensors and hardware. Very handy and useful if you’re planning to buy a used phone or want to troubleshoot an issue with your existing phone.

Thanks.