Hot Android Posts
How To: Make Your Volume Buttons Control Media Volume by Default, Not Ringtones
The volume buttons on the side of most Android devices—also known as the volume rocker—make it easy to adjust sound output without having to dig around in any settings menus. But the trouble is, they control notification and ringtone volume by default, and will only adjust media volume after a song or video has started playing.
How To: Take Screenshots on Android Without Pressing Any Buttons
You no longer need two fingers to take screenshots on Android. As long as you have Android 6.0 or higher on your phone or tablet, you can use Now on Tap to take screenshots for you without pressing any hardware buttons.
News: 5 Free Photo Editing Apps for Android That Kill the Competition
Smartphone cameras are so good nowadays that there's almost no reason to own a point and shoot. Once the megapixel spec race was finally settled (hint: more isn't always better), manufacturers started focusing on the quality of their camera sensors, which has led to a huge jump in color accuracy, dynamic range, and image clarity.
News: The Complete List of Marshmallow-Compatible Xposed Modules
The Xposed Framework was just recently made available for Android Marshmallow, but everything isn't quite back to status quo just yet. Sure, some Xposed modules function properly, but others are a bit buggy, and several don't even work at all. This is mostly a result of changes to the Android system that Lollipop modules relied upon, and such modules will need to be updated for Marshmallow compatibility.
How To: Encrypt Your Calls & Texts on Android
In the digital age, maintaining your privacy is a never-ending battle. All sorts of companies and agencies have access to your data, and quite a few can eavesdrop on almost every method of modern communication.
Android Basics: How to Use Android Beam to Wirelessly Transfer Content Between Devices
Android Beam is one of those features that makes you look at technology in awe, wondering how exactly something like that works.
How To: Get SwiftKey's All-Black Ninja Themes for Free
Ask around anywhere that Android users gather online, and you'll find that SwiftKey is almost unilaterally the most highly-recommended keyboard for our favorite mobile operating system. It's no surprise either—SwiftKey's combination of insanely accurate word predictions and rapid-fire gesture typing comprise a hard combination to beat.
How To: Get All of Apple's New Emojis on Android
Apple just sent out a new update to their iPhones, and while that normally wouldn't have any impact on Android users, the fact that they included 184 new emojis means that the text messages you receive from friends and family members with iOS devices might come across with blank or missing characters.
How To: This Hack Lets You Touch Your Galaxy's Home Key Instead of Pressing It
Samsung's Galaxy series of devices have one common design theme that ties them all together—the physical home button at the bottom of the phone. This button can wake the phone, take you to your home screen, and even scan your fingerprint to securely unlock your device.
News: The 16 Best Google Android Apps You Didn't Know About
It would only make sense that Google is one of the most active app developers on the Android platform, particularly when you consider that they develop the platform itself. From my count, there are an astounding 117 unique apps that the search giant and its subsidiaries have published on the Google Play Store.
How To: Automatically Back Up Everything on Your Android
NANDroid backups are one of the best reasons to root your Android device and install a custom recovery. They're essentially a snapshot of your phone's entire operating system and all installed apps, so if you ever screw something up when installing a flashable ZIP or custom ROM, you can restore your NANDroid backup to get everything back to normal.
How To: Make the Fingerprint Scanner Work Faster on Your Galaxy Device
In general, the fingerprint scanner in Samsung's 2015 flagship phones is quick and accurate, but when you get that "No Match" message while trying to unlock your phone, it can be incredibly annoying. To help curb these issues, I'll go over three tips for speeding up the unlocking process that should work wonders on your Galaxy S6, S6 Edge, S6 Edge+, or Note 5.
How To: 7 Surefire Ways to Share Your Current Location with Others
Instead of wasting time asking where your friends and family are at a given moment, then having them waste time by describing their location, there are several Android apps you can use that will automate this whole process. To top it off, it doesn't have to be about invading privacy or spying on someone, since most of these apps are offer two-way location sharing, or at least let you share locations only when you feel comfortable with it.
Android Basics: How to Take a Screenshot on Any Phone or Tablet
If you ever need help troubleshooting an issue that you're having with your Android device, one of the most useful tools you have available to you is the screenshot. Essentially, this is an exact copy of everything that is showing on your screen at any point in time, which you could use to capture the issue you're having, then share the screenshot with your tech support.
News: The 5 Best 'Car Mode' Apps for Android
In general, smartphones and cars don't mix—but this is mainly because you have to take your eyes off the road to poke around on your handheld gadget. In reality, the only difference between your smartphone and your car's FHWA-approved infotainment system is that the latter is mounted in a fixed position and has an oversized interface that makes it easy to use without looking away from the road.
News: The 5 Best Free Camera Apps for Android
Practically every smartphone comes with a built-in camera app, but these apps are generally created by the device's manufacturer. And let's face it, manufacturers are hardware companies first and foremost, so they don't always produce the best software.
How To: Unlock Android Pay on Your Phone Right Now
In response to the success of Apple Pay and an attempt to stave off the appealing Samsung Pay service, Google is completely revamping Android's mobile payments system. Instead of just using Google Wallet as an app to make payments with your phone, a new service called Android Pay, with an extensive underlying framework and API, will soon make its debut—and maybe even sooner than you'd think.
How To: Reinstall Apps Faster After Resetting or Installing a New ROM
If you've switched ROMs before or flashed quick mods on your Android device, you've probably used TWRP or another custom recovery to install them. But another great purpose for flashing through a recovery is to install your own custom .zip file filled with everything a fresh ROM needs—namely, all your apps.
How To: 6 Useful Android Gestures You Might Not Know About Already
People like to cite the iPhone as the device that started the smartphone craze, but the truth is, smartphones had existed for years by the time Apple got into the game. The real groundbreaking feature that this device brought to the table was a multi-touch screen to go along with its "smart" functionality, and this is still the main method we use to interact with our devices today.
How To: Download All the New 6.0 Marshmallow Wallpapers on Your Android Right Now
Android 6.0 Marshmallow is due out later this fall, but Google has already released three preview builds of the upcoming version. So if you really wanted to give Marshmallow a try, you could install the preview on your Nexus device right now. But if you just wanted to get a little taste of what's to come, we went ahead and pulled all of the brand new wallpapers out of the latest release.
How To: Get the New Android 6.0 Marshmallow Boot Animation on Any Android Device
It's official: The next version of Android will be code-named "Marshmallow," and we're getting a whole number bump to version 6.0. Lots of exciting new changes are coming to the world's most popular operating system, including a "Now on Tap" feature that will give you relevant information about any screen at the press of a button.
Android Basics: How to Connect to a Wi-Fi Network
If you're just starting out with Android—or smartphones in general, for that matter—there are a lot of little things to learn. One of the first terms you'll likely encounter is "Wi-Fi," which is a wireless internet connection served up by a router in your home, office, or local coffee shop. This differs from your smartphone's regular "Mobile Data" connection, which is provided by your cellular carrier and included as part of your monthly bill.
How To: The Best Way to Wipe Data & Completely Delete Your Data on Android
Whether you are sending your phone in for repairs or finally selling it to upgrade to a new flagship, you are going to need to make sure all of your personal data is removed from your device.
How To: 21 Apps You'll Need When Switching from iPhone to Android
So you finally decided to make the switch from iOS to Android, huh? Well first off: welcome to the world of tomorrow. And secondly: good call, mate.
Android Security: 13 Must-Know Tips for Keeping Your Phone Secure
These days, that pocket-sized computer we call a smartphone is home to your entire digital life. But with the onset of mobile payments and online banking, the line between your virtual world and the physical realm is becoming increasingly blurred.
How To: Global Find & Replace, Undo, & Redo Finally Comes to Android
Make no bones about it—having an "undo" option is a freaking godsend. Whether you accidentally deleted an entire essay, screwed up the shading on a Photoshop job, or sent an email that wasn't quite ready, having the option to undo a click or button-press can definitely be a lifesaver.
How To: Improve Sound Quality on Android: 5 Audio Mods for Better-Sounding Music & Videos
Whether I'm in my car or making dinner, I always have music playing. And since I don't like to keep my headphones on me at all times, I end up using my Android's built-in speakers a good portion of the time.
How To: The One Android Setting You Must Change Before Traveling Abroad
With all the stress that goes into booking flights and lodging, packing (and not forgetting) everything you'll need, finding pet sitters, and everything else that goes with a trip overseas, there's the added stress of staying connected while abroad.
How To: Max Out Your Clash of Clans Village Faster on Android
It would be an understatement to say that Supercell hit it big with Clash of Clans. The game has topped both Google Play and the iOS App Store for years and shows no signs of ever slowing down.
How To: Disable Heads-Up (Pop-Up) Notifications in Android Lollipop Without Root
Android Lollipop, introduced an array of new features and aesthetics that pleased many loyal users. One of those additions being the new heads-up notifications. Taking subtle inspiration from iOS, these notifications are visually appealing and can be easily dismissed or expanded, but they do require that you take an action before they go away immediately. Of course, you can always wait 10 seconds for them to disappear, but that can be really annoying if you're in the middle of a game or editi...
How To: Create & Restore Backups, Flash ZIPs, & More Without Tripping KNOX on Your Galaxy S6
KNOX is a major pain for Samsung owners who like to modify their devices. Its combination of hardware and software security measures make things rather difficult when you're trying to modify system-level files and functions without voiding your warranty.
How To: Conserve Data Better with a Detailed Report of Your Data Usage on Android
Amazingly enough, some of us still have to worry about exceeding our monthly mobile data limits. You'd figure carriers would have given the customers what they want by now by offering truly unlimited plans, but with two conglomerates sitting atop the U.S. cellular market with fat pocketbooks that make for limitless lobbying, they can basically do whatever they want.
How To: Get Real-Time Effects That Describe the Weather Outside on Your Android's Wallpaper
Living in Southern California means I don't really have a need to check the weather all that often. But every now and then, I'm caught off guard by a particularly chilly or hot day—no one wants to be the only person walking around with a T-shirt and sandals on a rainy, 50-degree day.
How To: Bypass Location Restrictions to Use Any Snapchat Geofilter You Want on Android
In 2014, Snapchat introduced a special type of Filter called Geofilters. Geofilters only appear when you're in a specific location. For example, a Disney Land Geofilter will only appear if you're actually there. Rather, your phone needs to think that you're at Disney Land. By spoofing your GPS location, you can effectively travel all across the globe — at least in the eyes of Snapchat.
How To: 4 Ways to Clean Up the Status Bar on Your Galaxy S6 (Without Rooting)
The Galaxy S6 might just be the best Android phone on the market right now. From a hardware standpoint, Samsung truly knocked this one out of the park with its finely-crafted build quality and amazing screen.
How To: Make Contact Photos Look Sharper & Less Pixelated on Android
For every contact photo you add, Android keeps two copies. The first is stored at a 720p resolution, and this is used for high-definition imagery when you're looking at a full-sized contact card. But the second image is only 96 pixels by 96 pixels, and this is used for all thumbnails throughout the operating system.
How To: Get iPhone Emojis on Your HTC or Samsung Device (No Root Needed)
It's hard to not to like the look of iOS emojis. Sure, Samsung and other Android phones have emojis, but they're all kind of goofy-looking. And since iPhone emojis continue to be viewed as the standard, it comes as no surprise that you can actually get them on Android—and without root!
How To: The Easiest Way to Record Your Android's Screen Using a Mac
As a Mac and Sasmsung Galaxy S6 user, I quickly realized that the two devices don't play well with one another out of the box, and using ADB commands to record my Android's screen isn't as simple as it is would be with a Windows PC.
How To: Secure Photos, Videos, & More on Your Galaxy S6 Using Private Mode
If you have a smartphone, chances are you have something on it you don't want others seeing. Whether it be photos, videos, or documents, some things are best left private. Not everyone is a saint, after all.
How To: Swap the Back & Recents Keys on Your Samsung Galaxy S6
The buttons on most Android devices are laid out (from left to right) in a Back, Home, Recent Apps format. Samsung is the lone exception to this rule, which flip-flops them, so this can make for an inconsistent experience if you own multiple Android devices.