Android How-Tos
How To: Get “Anywhere” Gesture Support, Themes, Call Counts, & More with Blinq for Android
The lack of Xposed support on Android Lollipop has left modules like GEL Settings incompatible with my Google Play Edition HTC One, so I've had to find a new launcher to meet all of my needs. While I can safely say I will never find the perfect launcher for me, Blinq comes pretty damn close.
How To: Unlock This Hidden Setting to Make Your Android's Layout Better for Left-Handed Use
Left-handers only make up about ten percent of the world, which means they typically have to use things made for the majority, i.e., right-handed people. If that wasn't annoying enough, there are studies that show that lefties actually get paid less.
How To: Speed Up the Stock TouchWiz Launcher on Your Galaxy Note 3
Does your Samsung Galaxy Note 3 feel slower than it used to? Background processes, cached files, malicious applications, and buggy updates can all lead to a sluggish smartphone. It's just what happens over time.
How To: Get Early Access to the Official OnePlus One Custom ROM
OnePlus changed the way we think about high-end phones. Their "Never Settle" motto led me to ditch my high-cost smartphone for their flagship One, which not only packs some pretty impressive hardware, but won't break the bank. Now that OnePlus has made a name for themselves with the One, they're trying their hands at ROMs, too.
How To: Track Data Usage in Real Time with This Status Bar Meter for Android
When you're on a limited data plan, bumping up against your monthly cap is a major concern. Overage fees are incredibly high these days, and being throttled down to 2G coverage almost renders a smartphone completely useless.
How To: Get Nexus 6 System Sounds & Ringtones on Your Nexus 5
For some strange reason, when the Nexus 5 got its Lollipop update, the new stock system sounds were left out. These include updated versions of all of the ringtones and notifications, which Google revamped with a more mature sound that matches Android 5.0's elegant Material Design.
How To: Add Custom ROM Features to Your Stock Google Play Edition HTC One M8
The switch from Dalvik runtime to ART in Android Lollipop has rendered the Xposed Framework useless until a new version is released, but Xposed isn't the only way to mod a phone.
How To: Use a Samsung Galaxy Device as a TV Remote Control
This video will show you how to use a Samsung Galaxy device as a TV remote control by using an application called WatchOn. First download WatchOn from the playstore then Samsung WatchOn will use the IR blasters of your Galaxy phone to convert it into a remote control. WatchOn gives you full control over your TV and movie-viewing experience. So please watch the tutorial video.
How To: Enable Media Playback from the Front Earpiece on Your OnePlus One for Stereo Sound
Starting with the original HTC One and now present on the new Nexus 6, dual speakers allow for smartphones to pump out true stereo sound. OnePlus, however, kept their speakers on the bottom of the device and use different sound drivers for each to produce great sound quality, although it's still mono. While there are mods out there that can further increase the volume of the OnePlus One, none of them can produce true stereo sound.
How To: Sync App Data Between Your Rooted Android Devices
If you own multiple Android devices, you're surely familiar with the struggle of keeping apps and games in sync. While games with proper Google Play Games support will indeed sync progress across your phone and tablet, many developers neglect to include this feature in their wares.
How To: Fix Screen Burns on Your Nexus 6 or Other AMOLED Device
Many Nexus 6 owners, myself included, have already started to experience the dreaded burn-in issues that often come with AMOLED display technology. These displays are different than your typical LCD screen in that each pixel emits its own light instead of using a backlight, so this leaves AMOLED screens more susceptible to issues with dim or unresponsive pixels.
How To: Use the Google Now Gesture to Launch Any Android App
Almost all modern Android devices have a gesture that will take you directly to Google Now. For most phones and tablets, it's a simple swipe up from the home button. With a Samsung or an older Android device, it's only a matter pressing and holding the home button.
How To: Get Redbox Working on Incompatible Android Devices
Sitting at home alone on Friday night, I'm often in the mood to watch something more recent than the offerings on Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Prime Video. And since the demise of video rental stores, that leaves me with browsing through the Redbox catalogue, then strolling down to the nearest 7-Eleven to pick up my movie.
How To: Keep Your Android's Screen from Turning Off While You Use It
Samsung phones have a pretty nifty little feature called Smart Stay that will prevent your screen from turning off while you're actively using your device. Trouble with this is that it's exclusive to Galaxy devices and it uses a ton of battery since it monitors the front-facing camera to detect when you're facing the screen.
How To: Install the Leaked Lollipop Firmware on Your Galaxy Note 3 (Update: Now for AT&T)
Android 5.0 "Lollipop" has only existed for a few months, but a leaked version of Samsung's take on the firmware has already been spotted in the wild. This update came straight from Samsung, and brings with it a plethora of new features, including greatly improved performance and a revamped TouchWiz UI.
How To: Use the Volume Keys for Page Scrolling on Android
Android's beauty is in its customization; you can have widgets for anything, launchers that look and feel completely different from one another, and fonts you can change at any time. And it doesn't stop at aesthetics—you can go much deeper than looks.
How To: Secure Your Samsung Galaxy Device by Disabling the Clipboard History
Whether you use a third-party keyboard or the stock offering, your Samsung device keeps a history of the last 20 words you copied on its clipboard. Samsung added this feature to Android to help make multitasking a bit easier, but if you use a password manager like LastPass, this feature quickly becomes a gaping hole in security. While you're copying and pasting your various passwords, the last 20 of them become freely available to anyone that gets their hands on your device.
How To: Automatically Turn On the Speakerphone When You Aren't Holding Your Android Device to Your Ear
The first few times I posted on some of the Android forums out there, I asked things like "Does anybody how I can make my phone do this or that?" Without fail, the responses to these types of questions were always one word—Tasker.
How To: Turn On Your Android's Flashlight Using the Power Button
Navigating through the darkness—literal darkness, not the existential variety—is always a difficult task on its own, and my Android doesn't necessarily make it any easier. Many manufacturers offer quick access to a flashlight or torch feature, but my Galaxy S4 doesn't have an easily accessible toggle or button available to turn it on.
How To: Apply a Custom Animation to Your OnePlus One's Notification Drawer
OnePlus One's CyanogenMod firmware comes packed with personalization options that standard Android devices could only achieve with root-level access. By simply entering the Settings app, OPO owners can make changes to their lock screen, status bar, and notification drawer, as well as apply themes and gestures to make their device a little more customized.
How To: Increase the Maximum Headphones Volume Level on Your OnePlus One
Being in a band, I exposed myself to years of extremely high volumes, so I can't hear as well as I once did. I'm not concerned about going deaf or anything, but I tend to have the volume raised to the max, beyond the "high volume" warning, whenever listening to music on my OnePlus One with headphones.
How To: Automatically Mute Media Playback When You Put Your Android in Priority Mode
One of the more talked-about features of Android Lollipop is a new Priority Mode that allows you to mute all notifications except for those coming from starred contacts. As simple as that sounds, this can still be a bit confusing—or at least lead to some unwanted interruptions.
How To: Save Battery Life on Android by Turning Off Pixels (No Root Required)
Many modern Android devices use a display technology called AMOLED. These screens differ from traditional LCD displays in that each pixel emits its own light, so a backlight is not required. Even better, when rendering a black element on the screen, AMOLED displays simply don't light up the associated pixels, meaning virtually no power is used. Since black pixels use little to no power on an AMOLED screen, more black pixels means lower battery consumption.
How To: Open Links from Twitter & Other Apps into a Floating Browser on Samsung Galaxy Devices
Android has plenty of features that provide multitasking support, which are especially useful on smartphones with larger screens. One such feature that I loved on the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 was the popup browser, which brought up a floating window whenever I opened a link inside of third-party apps like Facebook and Twitter.
How To: Disable the "High Volume" Warning on Your OnePlus One
Maybe it was the years of concerts with deafening speakers blasting music into my ears, but I always listen to my tunes as loud as the volume allows me. So, it's pretty annoying when I get a "high volume" warning every time I listen to music on my OnePlus One with my headphones on. We've previously shown you how to remove this same warning by using the NoSafeVolumeWarning, an Xposed module that required root access. Thankfully, the very liberal OnePlus One has a built-in feature that lets you...
How To: Get 40 Paid Android Apps for Free in the Amazon Appstore
To celebrate the season, the Amazon Appstore has a fantastic "Free App of the Day Bundle" promotion, with 40 paid-apps available for gratis. Some of these apps are a steal, like Root Explorer (normally $3.99), Fleksy Keyboard (normally $1.99), and Plex (normally $4.99). You can check out all of the free apps available here.
How To: Make Your Android Device Notify You at Any Battery Level
By now, everybody knows that overcharging a battery will reduce its overall life span. This is why many smartphone manufacturers recommend that you charge your device to 100%, then unplug it immediately. Some even go so far as to automatically stop charging when the device is fully juiced, although not all devices have this functionality.
How To: Swap the 'Back' & 'Recent Apps' Buttons on Your Nexus 6
Unless you own a Samsung device, your Android's navigation buttons have probably always been in this order (from left to right): "Back," "Home," "Recent Apps." But depending on which hand you use to hold your phone, this may not be the most ergonomic layout for you.
How To: Make Your Android Boot Animation Display a Live Log of Events
If you've ever attempted to report a bug to a developer, no doubt you've heard the response, "Get a logcat." This is infinitely important to a developer because of the fact that a logcat captures a full report of every command that was recently executed on your Android device, and it allows them to see exactly where something went wrong.
How To: Easily Adjust Sound Levels on Android (Even with Broken Volume Buttons)
If you've ever taken apart an electronic device that uses physical buttons, you already know why these types of input methods are destined to fail. The rubberized contacts used in physical press-and-release buttons like those of a gamepad or keyboard are incredibly frail and can easily wear out over time.
How To: Get the Hunger Games Movies for Free on Sasmsung Galaxy Devices
If you like free stuff and own a Samsung Galaxy device, then you're entitled to two free popular movies in the Google Play Store—but you better hurry fast, because there's only a certain number of free downloads available.
How To: Get Lollipop's "Priority Mode" Notifications for Calls on Your KitKat Device
Android 5.0 has a cool new feature called Priority Mode that allows you to silence your phone's ringer except for when certain people call you. It's something you'd enable right before bedtime, for instance, if you don't want to be disturbed unless it's someone important trying to reach you.
How To: Launch Note 4-Style Floating Windows from the Multi Window Tray on Your Galaxy Note 3
One of the Note 3's best features is Multi Window mode, which allows users to display more than one app on the screen at the same time, taking advantage of the large and high-resolution display.
How To: Turn Your Android's Wallpaper into a Christmas & New Year's Countdown Clock
Christmas is only a few days away with New Year's right around the corner. If you're like me, you count down the days until Christmas for family and presents like a little kid, and then count down the days until New Year's like an adult that can't wait to have their first cocktail.
How To: Feeling Smart? Test Your IQ with Your Android Device
Whether it's heated competition during trivia night at the bar, board game night with the family, or just another weekday in front of the TV watching Jeopardy, it seems like a natural human condition to want to test our intelligence.
How To: Take Quick Notes on Android Without Leaving Your Current App
So you just bought a fancy new Nexus 6 complete with its gorgeous and gigantic display—now what? Unlike Samsung's TouchWiz, stock Android doesn't sport any cool split-screen features, so how do you really take advantage of all that screen real estate?
How To: Use Your Computer to Send & Receive WhatsApp Messages Faster
Pretty much my only gripe with computer-side messaging clients like Mighty Text is that they don't allow you to send and receive messages shared through WhatsApp, the popular third-party messaging application, which was purchased earlier this year for $19 billion by Facebook.
How To: Disable the Redundant Google Now Swipe Gesture on Nexus Devices
When on-screen buttons were introduced alongside Android 4.0, it didn't take long before Google added a gesture to these virtual navigation keys. Since then, an upward swipe originating from the home button has always been a shortcut to Google Now on Nexus devices.
How To: Theme Your Galaxy Note 3's Air Command Controller Window
The Air Command window on Samsung Galaxy Note devices makes it easy to access all of the features that the S Pen has to offer, such as Action Memo, which turns your handwritten notes into actionable links, and Pen Window, where you can draw a square on the screen to open a certain application.
How To: Use the Earpiece & Speaker Together for Surround Sound on Your Galaxy Note 3
Located at the bottom of the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 lies the speaker from which music, notifications, and most other audio comes from, which provides warm and clear sound when needed.