World's most popular mobile OS – things like how to make Google Maps available offline, how to manage an Android smartphone remotely, and how to track the whereabouts of a missing or lost handset, to name a few. Regardless of how knowledgeable you are about Android and its peculiarities, checking out our list of Android tips and tricks would be a good idea. Let us know in case you've learned something new and don't hesitate to share some of your Android experience with us all down in the comments!
1. Monitor what's using your data
Chances are that your smartphone is
almost always connected to the internet, be it over Wi-Fi or 3G/4G. Do
you know what apps consume most of that data? If not, then try Android's
built-in data usage monitor, available from the Settings menu, or just
get an app for the job – Onavo Count or Traffic Monitor Plus. Keep an
eye out for data-hogging apps.
2. Keep your storage space clean and tidy
It seems like the on-board storage
space on smartphones is never enough. That's why moving your stuff –
music, videos, apps – onto a microSD card is a good idea. Also, try to
get rid of apps and games that you don't use since these occupy space as
well. Just go to Settings > Apps and uninstall whatever software
isn't needed. To get a better idea as to what files and folders really
take up the most storage space, get DiskUsage from the Play Store. It
represents visually each folder with a rectangle – the bigger the
rectangle, the more space it occupies. Then just move or delete all the
stuff you don't need using a file manager. ES File Explorer is one we'd
recommend.
NOTE: Don't delete any files or folders unless you're absolutely sure they aren't in use by an app or the operating system!
3. Monitor what apps are loaded and running
When a smartphone is turned on, it
loads a whole bunch of apps and services that run in the background.
Most (if not all) of these are harmless, but others just sit there,
taking up memory and keeping the CPU busy. Autorun Manager is one of the
apps that can show you what software is loaded on start-up and what's
running on your device. Feel free to disable or uninstall apps that you
don't need.
4. Avoid suspicious ad-supported apps
We have nothing against ad-supported
software, but some apps take that concept to the extreme, with ads
being displayed on the notification bar. Some even add links to shady
search engines to your home screen and suspicious bookmarks to the
browser. These apps should be avoided since their ads consume data and
battery life, not to mention that they might put your private
information at risk. To see what ad-supported apps you have installed on
your Android device, give Lookout Ad Network Detector a try.
5. Monitor apps' battery usage
There is a built-in battery
monitoring tool in the Android operating system, accessible by going to
Settings > Battery. Keep an eye out for apps that consume excessive
amounts of power without being used that often.
6. Make parts of Google Maps available offline
In case you use Google Maps on a
regular basis, you might want to save frequently viewed areas for
offline use. That will save you data whenever Wi-Fi isn't available. To
do that, open the menu in Google Maps, tap on "Make Avaliable Offline"
and select the area you want to cache onto your device. Note that saved
areas may be up to 100MB in size.
7. Monitor the permissions of installed apps
Do you know what kind of information
your apps have access to? If not, Clueful Privacy Advisor is the app
you should consider downloading. It scans your Android device for
suspicious apps, including apps that may leak your passwords, phone
number, and other sensitive data.
8. Know how to track a lost or stolen phone
In case you have not heard of these
already, there are Android apps capable of tracking a lost or missing
smartphone – apps like Lookout, which is also a good anti-virus tool,
and Where's My Droid. Just make sure you have these installed and
configured before actually losing your phone.
9. Automate your phone
Your phone is smart enough to mute
itself while you're at work, to turn the Wi-Fi and 3G off at night, and
to do all kinds of stuff automatically. you just need the right app for
that – an app like AutomateIt, Tasker, or Phone Schedule, to name a few.
10. Try an alternative virtual keyboard
Not entirely happy with your
smartphone's on-screen keyboard? Well, there's plenty of alternatives to
try, including SwiftKey, TouchPal, Swype, and many more.
11. Get an SMS counter
Obviously, this tip is for people
who don't have unlimited text messages included in their monthly plan.
To them we recommend trying the SMS Counter app, which will keep count
of both incoming and outgoing text messages.
12. Take over your notification light
In case you have a notification
light on your phone, you may customize the alerts it displays using the
Light Flow app. And in case you don't have one, make your camera's LED
light flash at specific events with the Flash Notification app.
13. Cut the wires
There's this neat application called AirDroid, allowing one to manage their Android smartphone from a computer over Wi-Fi or 3G/4G connection. In other words, with this app you can access your phone from a PC and then copy files from and onto your smartphone, send text messages, install or uninstall apps, view photos, music, video files, and much more.
Source: Android Circle
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