Android How-Tos
How To: 10 Ways Your Galaxy Is Getting More Secure with One UI 3.0
Google's been on a mission to improve the privacy and security of Android lately, and Samsung's always been at the forefront in these areas. As a result, One UI 3.0, which is based on Android 11, is the most secure OS version to ever hit Galaxy phones thanks to few key changes and new features.
How To: Resize Picture-in-Picture Mode Videos in One UI 3.0
With Samsung's beautiful, large displays, the Galaxy S and Note series are great tools for multitasking. This goes beyond the hardware with tools like split-screen mode, floating windows, bubbles, and picture-in-picture mode. And in One UI 3.0, that last one is becoming even more useful.
How To: Bring Back the Screenshot Button in Your Power Menu on Android 11
Android 11 has a new power menu with integrated contactless payment cards and smart home toggles. It's definitely futuristic — so much so that it pushed out a tool many of us use in the present: the screenshot button.
How To: Turn Your Galaxy Note 20 into a Google Pixel in 11 Steps
You can't beat Samsung's hardware, but their software still isn't for everyone. That's the thing, though — software can be replaced. So if you're more a fan of Google's vision for Android, but you can't get enough of Samsung's beautiful screens and build quality, you're just 11 steps away from getting the best of both worlds.
How To: Use Notification Bubbles in One UI 3.0 to Turn Any Conversation into a Popup Chat
From browsing social media to creating films, your smartphone can do it all. But even with all that power, for many, it is primarily used to communicate with others, particularly via text. In One UI 3.0, Samsung and Google drastically changed this core functionality with a new-ish feature called notification bubbles.
How To: Quickly Find Your Google Pixel Buds if They Get Lost or Stolen
One thing about the small round little Pixel Buds — they might get lost easily if you have a terrible habit of misplacing stuff. Or worse, imagine someone taking a liking to them a little too much and stealing them when you aren't looking. Google thought ahead about these issues, so just like your smartphone, you can track your wireless earbuds from anywhere with ease.
How To: Bring Back the 9-Tile Grid in Android 11's Quick Settings
Android 11 has plenty of new features as you'd expect, including a fancy new embedded media player. Rather than a constant notification, your audio controls now get pushed up into the Quick Settings panel when playing music. However, to make way for this new media player functionality, your total number of quick settings tiles had to be cut from nine down to six.
How To: Increase the Number of Volume Steps on Your Galaxy Note 20
The Galaxy Note 20's speakers are so loud and capable that they almost never need to be set to 100%. But by the same sense, it can be hard to find that just-right volume level since one increment represents a bigger change in sound output. Believe it or not, there's actually a first-party tool to fix this problem.
How To: Disable Bloatware on Your Galaxy Note 20 for Free Without Root
Nearly ten years since the first Galaxy Note and yet the Galaxy Note 20 still hasn't solved one of its biggest problems: bloatware. There are still over 20 redundant or unnecessary apps that are on this $1,000+ phone. But while it does require some advanced tools, it's still possible to remove them.
How To: Customize the Quick Responses for Declining Calls in the Google Phone App
Google is making its Phone app, the default dialer for Pixel and Android One devices, available to many other smartphones via the Play Store. If you're enticed to replace your factory-installed dialer to take advantage of the spam-filtering capabilities, you don't want to miss out on other features like the ability to customize canned responses for declining calls.
How To: 10 No-Root Mods for the Galaxy Note 20 That Everyone Should Try
The Snapdragon version of the Galaxy Note 20 and 20 Ultra — the one sold in the US — can't be rooted. Without root, the level of customization is limited. Such a large group of Android users shouldn't miss out on mods, and they don't have to.
How To: Watch 2 Videos Simultaneously on Your Galaxy Note 20 or Note 20 Ultra
The Galaxy Note 20 series has one of the largest screens on any smartphone. Such a massive display not only makes it easy to enjoy videos, but it also makes split-screen mode more viable, as each half of the screen is large enough to enjoy the content — including two different videos.
How To: Completely Remove the Media Controls in Android 11's Quick Settings When You're Done Playing Music
As you test out the new Quick Settings media controls in Android 11 and form an opinion, you'll notice one of the changes they made to the player besides the new location. For example, when you swipe away the mini version of these controls, the music keeps playing and the player still appears in the expanded view.
How To: See FPS, CPU Load & Other Performance Metrics for Any Game in One UI 3.0
If you're a PC gamer, you know the value of performance metrics. These graphs and charts overlaid on top of a game give you real-time information about how well your system performs. And for the first time, Galaxy users running One UI 3.0 will get access to similar information for mobile games.
How To: Keep Apps from Collecting Data About Your Phone by Spoofing Device ID Values
Apps can learn a lot about you just by reading information about your smartphone. They can easily track what device model you have, your phone number, and in some cases, your hardware MAC addresses. Many third-party apps will only track your device values for advertising purposes, but some might be trying to snoop on your data for ill intentions.
How To: Solve Math Problems with Google Lens' Homework Mode
Since launching Google Lens as a a Pixel-exclusive feature in 2017, Google has not only expanded the availability of the tool to Android and iOS, but also built upon its functionality. Now, in addition to translator, tip calculator, personal shopper, and tour guide, Google has added math tutor to the job description for Google Lens.
How To: All the New Features in Samsung's One UI 3.0 Update for Galaxy Devices
Just days after Google released the official Android 11 update, Samsung already had a pre-beta build of One UI 3.0 available for developers to test their apps on. So this year's main OS upgrade is likely hitting Galaxy phones even earlier than we thought.
How To: Our No-BS Pixel 4a Root Guide for Android 11 — Straight to the Point for Experienced Users
I think it was about Day 3 of working on our massive, all-encompassing Pixel 4a root guide for beginners when I realized something: Not everyone needs their hands held through each tiny step. If you just need a quick refresher, some links, and maybe a fastboot command to copy, this Pixel 4a root guide is for you.
How To: Disable Android's Back Gesture on the Left Side to Make Hamburger Menus Easier to Open
The gesture navigation introduced with Android 10 worked wonders by giving you more of your screen and less tapping. Android 11 offers the option to fine-tune the back gesture sensitivity for your screen's left and right sides. However, the issue still stands for people who like to use the left swipe menu within apps to open hamburger style menus.
How To: Use Your Phone's Camera as an Augmented Reality Viewfinder to Find Places in Google Maps
Alongside the launch of Android 11, Google added a new feature to Live View, the augmented reality mode for walking navigation in Google Maps, that helps you find friends in AR. But even if you're not trying to meet up with somebody, you can easily access the AR mode and orient yourself to any location.
How To: Use Augmented Reality to Find Your Friends in Google Maps
Alongside the launch of Android 11, Google has gifted Pixel users with several exclusive features, including App Suggestions on the home screen. Another exclusive feature involves Live View, the augmented reality walking navigation feature in Google Maps and one of the more useful implementations of AR for the average consumer.
How To: Install Dirty Unicorns on Your Pixel & Get Custom ROM Features Without Losing Motion Sense & Active Edge
If you've ever been into custom ROMs, you likely know the Dirty Unicorns name pretty well. It's been synonymous with unique features and awesome tweaks when compared to stock. Recently, Dirty Unicorns has returned again in a big way with some neat features for Android 10.
How To: 13 Galaxy Note 20 Security & Privacy Settings You Should Double Check Right Away
If it has an internet connection, it's got a huge attack surface for hackers. But what makes your phone even more dangerous is its portability and the collection of sensors it houses that can be just as good at tracking you as the camera and mic.
How To: Boot Your Galaxy Note 20 into Recovery or Download Mode
If you ever consider modding your Galaxy Note 20 or Note 20 Ultra, you'll need to know about recovery mode and download mode. Even if that isn't your thing, knowing how to how to boot into these modes can help save your phone from a soft brick.
How To: Root Android 11 on the Pixel 4a — Every Step Covered in Detail
If you live in the US, it's pretty simple: The Google Pixel 4a is the best phone for rooting and modding in 2020. Its price keeps the risk-reward ratio nice and low, and its unlockable bootloader makes it easy to modify virtually any aspect of Android.
How To: All the Features the Pixel 4a Has That the Pixel 3a Is Missing
When compared to last year's model, the Pixel 4a has upgrades that go beyond the spec sheet. But since it's one generation old, 2019's Pixel 3a can be had for one hell of a discount right now, and it's still got two full years of software updates coming its way. So which one really is the better buy?
Get Up to Speed: Top 10 New Android 11 Features & List of Eligible Phones
After a few months and a couple of beta versions, Android 11 is now ready not only for Pixel devices, but also handsets from OnePlus, Xiaomi, Oppo, and Realme.
How To: Root Android 11 Using Magisk — The Foolproof Guide
Thanks to Magisk, you don't have to lose root when updating to Android 11. The popular systemless rooting tool already achieved superuser access on Google's latest OS, even before the official release. It's currently in its experimental stages so the process is trickier than usual, but it does work.
How To: Android 11 Changelog — Full List of All 50+ New Features
Android 11 is here. Prior to Google dropping the naming scheme, this would have been a dessert with an R name (maybe Rice Krispies Treat or Red Velvet Cake) — but nope, just plain ol' Android 11. And after months of betas and a global pandemic, it finally debuted a little over a year after Android 10.
How To: There's a Cute Cat Game Easter Egg Hidden in Android 11's Smart Home Controls
It's been a while since Android got a true Easter egg with a new software update. Remember when Google added Marshmallow's Flappy Bird-style mini game? For Android 11, we get a new game, and like Android Nougat, it revolves around the infamous Android Neko cat.
How To: Skip Intros, End Screens & Other Annoying in-Video YouTube Distractions on Android
Even if you pay for YouTube Premium, you are not exempt from ads. YouTube will stop adding pre-roll and interstitial ads, but content creators still have their own advertisements baked into videos. These product placements can be even worse than ads, and they're not the only annoyance embedded into videos. To put it nicely, YouTube is starting to have a problem with distractions.
How To: Netflix Caps Video Quality Based on Your Phone's Widevine DRM Level — Here's How to Check for HDR & FHD Support
Just because your phone has a high-resolution screen doesn't mean it will play videos at their highest resolution. Most streaming services, including Netflix, use a DRM system known as Widevine for media in their Android apps. But even if your phone has Widevine support, content will be limited to non-HD if your specific model hasn't been whitelisted by Netflix.
How To: KeePass Gets Full Biometrics Support in the Latest Keepass2Android Update
KeePass, the free, open-source password manager, has an excellent Android client in Keepass2Android. Its UI is slicker than many of the other ports, it's packing most of the features you'd find in the official Windows version, and it's completely free. Now, it's even adding native biometrics support.
How To: 29 New Features in Samsung's One UI 2.5 You Won't Want to Miss
Samsung's One UI has slowly become the model for Android skins. The old iOS-like TouchWiz already feels like a relic, thanks in part to the newer user interface's exceptional design and fast but meaningful updates. One UI is so good, other OEM skins have copied elements of it. The latest release is One UI 2.5, which has over 20 new features that make the skin even better.
How To: Unlock the Hidden Developer Options on Your Samsung Galaxy Note 20 or Note 20 Ultra
Even if you're new to Android phones, chances are you've heard of the power of Android's customization, and that applies to the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 series as well. Your brand new Galaxy Note 20 or Note 20 Ultra's operating system is capable of modification beyond what's available in the basic Settings app — and it all starts with the hidden "Developer options" menu.
How To: Binge Netflix Shows Faster by Increasing Playback Speed
Not including playback speed controls in a video app is a design flaw. These controls are useful tools that let you speed up or slow it down a video. Want to catch all the Easter eggs in Avengers: Infinity Wars? Slow it down. Want to rewatch the last season of Strangers Things before the new season arrives? Speed it up.
How To: Get the Pixel 4a's New 'Eclipse' Live Wallpaper on Any Phone
Google always sets aside a few cool software features to remain exclusive to its Pixel phones. But that's the thing about Android: software features can be ported to other devices.
How To: Remotely Install Apps onto Your Android Phone
There's an official way to install apps onto your Android phone using basically any device that has internet access — heck, you can even download new apps from an iPhone and they'll install in seconds on your Android device.
How To: 8 Useful New Camera Features in the Pixel 4a
You may be wondering what exactly makes the Pixel 4a's camera so great. Compared to its predecessor, it has the same Sony IMX363 sensor and no additional hardware. Well, beyond stellar image processing, it also has several great new features that Google has added since they released the Pixel 3a last year.
How To: The Fastest Way to Check for Galaxy Store App Updates on Your Samsung Device
If you have a Samsung device, you probably know the hassle of dealing with both the Galaxy Store and the Google Play Store at the same time for apps. Samsung's offering is forced onto you whether you like it or not; however, it's the only way to officially receive essential updates for your Samsung apps. The good news? You can keep on top of these updates with a super simple trick.