5 hidden Android options I want I knew about sooner

It is well-known that Android units provide a wide selection of options and settings to discover. With Android 16 now accessible and Google regularly engaged on new options, it is simple to miss among the extra helpful and fascinating options which have been a part of Android for some time.

Though options like Live Updates and Adaptive Battery are spectacular, listed here are 5 helpful Android options that I consider are sometimes neglected and that I want I had found earlier.

I’ve examined all of those on each my Galaxy S25+ and Pixel 8a, so you may attempt them on any Android gadget you personal. You do not want any extra apps both, as all of those options are constructed straight into Android’s settings menu.

1

Maintain your telephone unlocked at house

Prolong Lock retains your telephone unlocked in trusted locations

One in every of my favourite options on Android known as Extend Lock (previously referred to as Sensible Lock). It has a quite simple premise, and what it does is hold your telephone unlocked in trusted areas. For instance, you may set Prolong Lock to unlock your telephone whenever you’re at house. This makes it straightforward to rapidly choose up and use your gadget at house with out coming into a PIN or utilizing biometrics.

In fact, utilizing this function requires trusting these you reside with, but when you do not have prying eyes at house, it is a helpful device. As quickly as your telephone leaves the deal with or map space you set on Prolong Lock, it instantly requires a PIN or biometrics to unlock once more.

Prolong Lock additionally provides two extra choices: On-Physique Detection and Trusted Units. On-Physique Detection retains your telephone unlocked whilst you’re strolling with it, and Trusted Units unlocks it when related to a close-by trusted gadget, like your smartwatch. Personally, I solely use the trusted location setting, as I discover it extra dependable and safer.

To check out Prolong Lock your self, comply with the steps under:

1. Go to Settings > Safety and Privateness > Extra Safety and Privateness.

2. Scroll down and faucet Prolong Unlock.

3. Enter your gadget PIN.

4. Choose Trusted locations to arrange an space the place your telephone stays unlocked.

2

Always remember a notification

Notification historical past helps you recall notifications you’ve got dismissed

I’ve completed this about 1,000,000 instances on my telephone: I get a notification, I take a look at it, swipe it away, after which utterly neglect about it. Fortunately, that is why Notification historical past exists. Because the title of the function implies, it retains a historical past of all of the notifications you will have acquired. So, should you unintentionally delete a notification you wish to learn, you may verify your Notification historical past to see what it was, somewhat than being left at the hours of darkness.

The perfect half is that enabling Notification historical past solely takes just a few seconds and saves you lots of complications. Here is learn how to allow it:

1. Go to Settings > Notifications.

2. Choose Notification historical past.

3. Toggle on Use notification historical past.

4. Your notifications will now be saved to this menu.

3

Pin an app to your display to guard your privateness

Cease prying eyes from seeing an excessive amount of in your telephone

One other helpful Android safety function that I consider is not talked about sufficient is App pinning. First launched with Android 5.0 Lollipop in 2014, this helpful function means that you can pin a single app to your display so it could possibly’t be simply swiped away. So, should you’re handing your telephone over to a child, member of the family, or buddy to have a look at, and you do not need them to pry into something in your gadget, this prevents that by locking one app to the display.

Once you pin an app to the display, you may solely exit it by swiping up and holding the house bar, or by holding down the triangle and sq. buttons for just a few seconds (relying on the kind of gesture navigation you will have enabled). You may also allow PIN safety, so if the particular person taking a look at your telephone now is aware of learn how to exit App pinning, your PIN is required as an extra step to flee it.

To check out App pinning, comply with these steps:

1. Go to Settings > Safety and privateness > Extra safety and privateness.

2. Scroll down and choose App pinning.

3. Toggle on Use app pinning.

4. Moreover, on the identical display, you may allow or disable Ask for PIN earlier than unpinning.

5. To pin an app, go to Overview, faucet the app icon, and select Pin.

4

Share Wi-Fi by way of QR code

By no means fear about typing your lengthy Wi-Fi password once more

It is the query everybody hears when family and friends go to their house for a very long time: “What’s your Wi-Fi password?” When you’re bored with handing out your Wi-Fi password like sweet on Halloween, this Android function makes it very straightforward to share it rapidly with out the effort of typing your lengthy and presumably complicated password on their telephone by sharing your Wi-Fi by way of a QR code. So, if somebody is visiting, they’ll scan the code in your telephone, and voilà, they’ve entry to your Wi-Fi.

The perfect half is, you do not even have to allow something for this setting to work. Simply comply with these steps, and you will be sharing your Wi-Fi by way of a QR code like a professional:

1. Go to Settings > Community and Web.

2. Choose your Wi-Fi connection, which brings up a Community particulars web page.

3. Underneath the title of your Wi-Fi, you will see three choices: Neglect, Disconnect, and Share.

4. Tapping Share will generate a QR code you can share with others to connect with your Wi-Fi.

5

Open Google Pockets immediately

The ability button is extra helpful than you suppose

Lastly, I discover this function important on my Android gadget: opening Google Wallet with a double-press of the facility button. Launched lately in Android 16, it makes funds extra handy — no have to open your telephone and faucet Pockets in Fast Settings. Simply double-press the house button, and Google Pockets launches immediately for contactless funds after unlocking your telephone.

For Pixel customers, it is a new function with Android 16. At the moment, it is restricted to Google Pockets and the digicam app on Pixel units, however I hope Google will develop this performance to all apps sooner or later. For Samsung Galaxy customers, the choice to pick any app to open with a double-press of the facility button has been accessible for some time. So, in case you have a Galaxy telephone, you may select Google Pockets or every other app you favor.

That mentioned, this is learn how to open Google Pockets in seconds in your Android gadget:

1. Go to Settings > System > Gestures.

2. Choose Double-press the facility button.

3. Toggle on Use double press.

4. Choose Pockets.