Android How-Tos
How To: Prevent the Screen from Waking When Plugging in Your Galaxy S4 to Charge
Much like the high volume warning, there are various minute features on Android that users either hate or just find annoying. Thankfully, there are developers out there that sympathize. It may seem frivolous, but one feature that a lot of people want eliminated is the screen waking whenever a charger is plugged in.
How To: Quickly Launch Your Favorite App from Any Screen on Your Nexus 5
Even though there are over 1.3 million apps available for Android, we normally confine ourselves to a select few for day-to-day usage. With an average of 41 apps installed per user, most apps on our smartphones lay idle for the majority of the time we spend using them. Instead, we find ourselves constantly coming back to that small set of apps that meet almost all of our needs.
How To: Install & Multi-Boot Bodhi Linux on Your Nexus 7 (& Why You Should)
When people first learn that their Android device is capable of dual-booting different operating systems, e.g. Linux, they almost universally respond with, "That's so cool." And for those of us ambitious enough to actually try one out, we are typically filled with glee as we see Ubuntu, or something similar, boot up for the first time on our tablet or phone.
How To: Get CyanogenMod's "Theme Engine" Themes on Your Nexus 5
Surely you've heard of the wildly-popular custom ROM CyanogenMod, right? As the longest-tenured third-party firmware for Android devices, CM has been able to maintain its popularity by supporting a wide array of devices and offering many customization options.
How To: Increase Battery Life on Your Samsung Galaxy S5 by Automating Data
When you're not using your phone, it doesn't make much sense that it would be wasting power by maintaining an internet connection for the inside of your pocket or purse. Well, perhaps you need a little bit of intermittent data here and there so that apps can update themselves in the background and still post notifications, but it doesn't need to be constant.
How To: Update Your Nexus 4 to Android L
Unless you've been living under a rock for the past few weeks, you're probably well aware that the Android world has been buzzing with excitement over the recently debuted Android L preview build that was released for the Nexus 5 and Nexus 7 at Google's I/O conference.
How To: Prank Your Friends with Random Cat Facts Text Messages
It's time to enjoy one of America's longest lasting favorite pastimes. No, not baseball—pranking our friends! With the internet currently overrun with countless pictures and memes of cats, there's no way for your feline-hating friends to surf the web without coming across a kitten or two. But things can get worse for them. Way worse...
How To: Get Your Gmail Messages Read Aloud on Your Nexus 5
Google's text-to-speech engine is getting pretty good these days. In a recent update, the computerized voice that reads on screen text (like Google Now search results) got an audio quality bump that brought its clarity up to its highest level yet. And with each update, that robotic voice becomes a bit more human.
How To: Fix & Improve the Buggy Skype App for Android on Your Galaxy Note 3
Of the sixty or so "must-have" apps that are installed on my Samsung Galaxy Note 3, there's only one that I need to use and hate with a passion. Skype. Whenever using it, I'm consumed by dropped calls, mic issues, poor quality, and random crashes, among other things—and I'm not the only one.
How To: Unlock the Hidden HTC Music Channel on Your HTC One
Sense 6 came with a ton of new features for the HTC One, but for some reason, HTC decided to keep one of them hidden to all non-Harman Kardon editions.
How To: Lock Any App with Fingerprint Security on Your Galaxy S5
If you keep sensitive data on your phone, you've surely considered a "lockout" app before. There are many such apps that can add an extra layer of security to other apps within Android. For instance, you can require a PIN or password before anyone is able to launch a particular app.
How To: Control Your Samsung Galaxy Device from a Mac or Windows Computer
With AirPlay for iOS, Chromecast Screen Mirroring, and even third-party PC-pairing apps to play around with, getting your devices to interconnect could not be any easier than it is today.
How To: Reset Your Nexus Lock Screen Password
It happens to everyone: you set a lock screen password in a hurry and cannot remember it the next day. To unlock your device again, you need to reset the password (or PIN, pattern, etc). There are two official methods of doing this.
How To: View Google Maps & Street View in Split-Screen Mode on Android
On a recent trip to Palm Springs, I found myself navigating with Google Maps and virtually exploring my destiniation using its built-in Street View feature. The thing is, using Street View can make keeping track of your exact location difficult as you zoom in, out, and about. It's a little discombobulating.
How To: Install the Sony Xperia Z2 Camera on Any Android Phone for AR Effects, Motion Shots, & More
One of the most feature-packed camera suites out there resides on the Sony Xperia Z2. Along with the regular camera and video modes, it comes with Motiongraph, AR Effect, and Social Live.
How To: Make the Notification Panel Translucent on Your Samsung Galaxy S4
There's a lot you can access from the Notification tray on your Galaxy S4. Quick settings toggles, brightness controls, and of course, notifications. However, despite the power this simple pull-down gives you, you're still left with a boring, black background for the shade.
How To: Enable the Hidden Debug Options for Select Google Apps on Your Nexus 5
Buried deep in the code of many Google apps is a set of debugging options. These options, which are designed for developers to help test the way their apps interact with Google's own, are normally hidden from view.
How To: Bypass Filters, Firewalls, & Open Hotspot Restrictions on Your Galaxy Note 3
Ever use an open hotspot on your Note 3, only to find out that it's severely restricted to what sites you can access? While getting online with free Wi-Fi is great for those who have a limited data plan, when that one site you absolutely need to visit is blocked, you're left frustrated and sent back into the Wi-Fi menu for another access point.
How To: Disable Lock Screen Security While in Trusted Locations on Your Galaxy S5
With all of the personal data that's stored on our smartphones, it's of vital importance that we have some sort of lock screen security enabled. One of the Galaxy S5's killer features is obviously the fingerprint scanner. It makes the process of dealing with a secure lock screen a bit easier than typing in a password or PIN.
How To: The Fastest, Most Convenient Way to Share Your Exact Location with Anyone on Your Galaxy S4
Whether it's a chaotic family day meetup at the beach, barhopping with buddies, or getting stranded in the middle of nowhere with a dead car battery, being able to share your exact location with others using your smartphone makes life easier and less stressful.
How To: Install Adobe Flash Player on Your LG G3 to Play Web Games & Flash Videos
Google, like Apple before them, no longer supports mobile Flash, but clearly there's plenty of Flash content still available on the web. From games to videos, it can be frustrating to get the most out of your mobile browsing experience without Flash functionality.
How To: Patch the Glitchy Mic on Your OnePlus One to Use "Okay, Google" Commands Anywhere
Thanks to a recent back-end update to Google's Search app, every KitKat-running device can use "Okay, Google" from within any app—even the lock screen. However, the default settings for the OnePlus One's mic leave it unable to detect your voice unless you have it right up to your face. That isn't a good look for anyone, but thankfully there is an easy fix to get this working correctly.
How To: Black Out YouTube’s Background for Better Battery Life on Your Galaxy S5
The Galaxy S5's screen is truly a feat of modern technology. It uses what is known as an AMOLED display—an acronym for Active-Matrix Organic Light-Emmitting Diode. In short, this technology means that every individual pixel on your phone's screen emits its own light. This is a break from the traditional LCD technology that requires a backlight for any pixels to be visible.
How To: Mute or Pause Music on Your HTC One by Just Waving Your Hand
BoomSound has spoiled me when listening to music on my HTC One M8, but when someone comes into my room, it can be a hassle trying to quickly pause or mute my music.
AppWererabbit: The Swiss Army Knife of App Managers for Your Galaxy Note 3
There are over 60-something Android apps cluttering my app drawer. While I'm constantly on the look out for new mods and apps to install, the default way of managing them is cumbersome and just feels unintuitive. I mean, who on Earth would wants to individually manage each app on their device?
How To: Download Songs from Google Play Music for Offline Use in Any App on Your Nexus 5
Google Play Music is one of the best cloud music services out there. Without ever paying a dime, you can upload as many as 20,000 songs to Google's servers, then use the app on your smartphone to stream these songs without taking up any of your storage space. And if you're willing to shell out $9.99 a month, you can even play songs from the massive All Access library.
How To: Get Ready for a Better Call Screen & Contacts List on Your Samsung Galaxy S4
Get ready to stop using the stock Contacts app on your Samsung Galaxy S4, because there's something better out there for keeping track of your family and friends—and it looks better too.
How To: Install Adobe Flash Player on Your OnePlus One to Play Web Games & Flash Videos
Google may have decided to back HTML5 for YouTube, but much of the internet still relies heavily on Adobe Flash content. While the Chrome browser for Android is unable to play Flash-based content like Amazon Instant Video streams, some third-party browsers will.
How To: Load & View Multiple Links Without Leaving the Current App on Your Galaxy Note 2
Using Facebook and Twitter as a news source can be frustrating at times, mainly because opening links will divert you away from your current application. Instead of a smooth process, you find yourself going back and forth from app to browser, over and over again.
How To: Disable Face Unlock Option in Samsung Galaxy Note 8
This video will show you how to disable face unlock if you don't want the feature no long in your Samsung Galaxy Note 8. Face unlock will be a problem then to open your tab. So you have to unlock the feature to make your tab available for you close relations. Watch the video and follow all the steps carefully.
How To: Expose Battery-Draining Apps on Your Nexus 5 & Deal with Them for Good
Android uses a set of permissions that apps can request to perform certain actions, and you're notified of these permissions each time you install an app. The problem here is the fact that you aren't given any built-in way to deny apps these permissions (although Danny just showed a workaround for this).
How To: 5 Hidden Features That Make the OnePlus One Even Better
While most are still fighting through a somewhat ridiculous invite system, OnePlus is starting to ship out a decent number of their One flagship devices to those who were able to obtain one.
How To: Install Apps from Outside the Google Play Store on Your LG G3
So you've got your shiny new LG G3, your accounts are all set up, and Google has restored all of your apps. Well... almost all of them.
How To: Add Native Clipboard Support to Your Samsung Galaxy Note 3
Think of all the times you've ever copied and pasted a string of text on your device. At least once, I bet you've wanted to see your copy history.
How To: Enable the Hidden Developer Options & USB Debugging on the LG G3
One of the best things about Android is the sheer amount of customization that can be achieved—and only if and when it's wanted.
How To: Read Messages Undetected in Facebook Messenger for Android
Facebook may connect millions of its users to each other with its messenger service, but it can also make it very difficult to avoid those annoying "friends."
How To: Tell if Your Samsung Battery Is Bad in 2 Seconds Flat
When it comes to squeezing as much battery life as possible out of our smartphones, most people aim for software solutions, or ones that can otherwise be easily managed right from the touchscreen.
How To: Fully Control Your Galaxy S5 with Google Now Commands—No Root Needed
Google Now is a wonderfully powerful service—with its predictive cards and voice search, it serves as a great starting point for any searches you need done. In fact, Samsung liked it so much that they decided to build the "Okay, Google" hotword detection right into the Galaxy S5's stock launcher.
How To: Add a "Recycle Bin" to Your Nexus 5 for Easier File Recovery
If you've ever used a computer, you're surely familiar with the concept of a Recycle Bin (Windows) or Trash Can (Mac). To sum it up, files that you've deleted are not actually gone from your storage, they've just been moved to a different location. You can then restore the files if need be, or empty them, permanently deleting them forever to free up space.
How To: Turn Your Samsung Galaxy Note 3 into a Galaxy S5
When the Samsung Galaxy S5 launched a few months ago, I was pretty envious of the new UI elements Samsung included on it, as I'm sure you were. The flatter interface provided for a more polished and less cartoony feel, bringing the device more in line with Google's design elements.