Android How-Tos
How To: Block Phone Calls More Efficiently & Conserve Battery on Your Galaxy Note 3
When it comes to blocking unwanted calls, your Android device comes stocked with a native blocking feature that allows you to reject certain phone numbers. That being said, the native blocking feature on the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 isn't the prettiest or the smartest, with its non-obvious setup and lack of features.
How To: Get iPhone Ringtones, Notifications, & System Sounds on Your Nexus 5
As Nexus owners, we love our device's operating system, and it's probably the reason we went for a pure Google experience in the first place. But that doesn't mean there's not room for improvement in Android, especially when the OS has so many freely available softMods to tinker with.
How To: Get Rid of Annoying YouTube Ads on Your HTC One
YouTube makes money hand over fist every year selling ad space to companies, but unless you're reaping those benefits, they can be pretty annoying. Luckily, there is a simple way to get rid them on your rooted HTC One with Xposed and YouTube AdAway.
How To: Get the S5's New Rounded Quick Settings Toggles on Your Samsung Galaxy S3
Samsung's TouchWiz skin gets a lot of flak for its appearance, namely the garish colors on the quick settings toggles. The bright green on dark blue scheme is definitely an eyesore compared to the ones in stock Android, and even other manufacturer skins like HTC's Sense.
How To: Make Incompatible Apps Work in Multi-Window View on Your Galaxy Note 2
Multi Window, a feature that was greatly improved with the release of the Samsung Galaxy Note 3, is still quite limited on the older Note 2, allowing only the use of a few stock applications to multitask with.
How To: Fix the Random Auto Brightness Spikes on Your Nexus 5
If you've ever noticed, even just for a fleeting moment, that the auto brightness on your Nexus 5 seemed to "glitch out"—you are not alone.
How To: Create Stop-Motion & Time-Lapse Videos on Your Samsung Galaxy S4
If you've seen ParaNorman or Fantastic Mr. Fox, then you have some kind of idea of what stop-motion animation is. Basically, these artists make objects, or small figures, appear to be moving on their own by manipulating and repositioning them in the smallest increments, then capturing each frame after doing so. When all the frames are compiled together, the final product is something spectacular like The Nightmare Before Christmas, which took roughly 109,440 frames in all.
How To: Make Your HTC One M8 Feel Like a Google Play Edition Without Rooting
The all new HTC One M8 is the latest Android flagship making the rounds through major carriers hoping to beckon your purchase. Coming in at about $200 for most carriers with a contract, it makes a good case for itself with its advanced features and solid price point—but, there's another way to buy the One, and it's not from your carrier.
How To: Get the HTC One M8's All New BlinkFeed Launcher on Your Nexus 5
HTC's recent release of a new flagship phone brought tons of fanfare along with it. Dubbed The All New HTC One, the M8 edition of the popular One series phone also marked an update to the HTC Sense UI. Manufacturer skins like Sense can be a bit of a polarizing subject, especially amongst Nexus owners who are used to experiencing Android's interface exactly as Google envisioned it.
How To: Customize Appearance Settings for Individual Android Apps on Your HTC One
By this point, you've definitely come across an app or two that wasn't designed with the HTC One in mind. Either the resolution is too small, the status bar stays active when it shouldn't, or the font isn't the ideal size. There are ways out there to get that changed, but up until now it wouldn't just change one app—it would change all of them.
How To: Open Google Now Instead of S Voice with the "Hi, Galaxy" Command
Google released its long-awaited Google Now launcher a couple months ago, allowing users to access Google Now with the simple command of the voice. As great as the feature is, it requires that our screens be on, unlike the Moto X's "active listening" service that operates with Google Now, activating through a screen-off state.
How To: Perform Quick Calculations & Google Searches on the Fly
Numbers are everywhere in life, and some are better at doing the math than others. Unless you're Gert Mittring, it's safe to say you use the calculator app on your tablet just as much as I do, and it's often disrupting your other tasks.
How To: 6 Surefire Ways to Speed Up Google Chrome
With the release of Jelly Bean, Chrome became the default web browser on Android. The wildly successful desktop browser was now fully entrenched in the world's largest mobile operating system.
How To: Use the M8's New Sense TV App on Your HTC One M7 & Ditch Your Remotes for Good
Let's face it, finding your remote, let alone finding something to watch, can take more time out of our days than we'd care to admit. There are remote locators and channel guides out there, but why use those when you have a perfectly good remote always on you—your HTC One. HTC put an IR blaster into their One and when it's coupled with their Sense TV app, it can make for one hell of a smart remote.
How To: Watch Any Movie or TV Show & Stream It with Chromecast
The list of streaming services is pretty vast, from HBO GO to Hulu to Netflix, these subscription-based services have never been so popular, and have never been easier to watch now that they have Chromecast support.
How To: Measure Area & Distance Directly in Google Maps on Your Galaxy Note 3
Utility tool apps provide extremely powerful and useful lightweight replacements for your parents' heavy archaic tools—everything from flashlights to tracking systems and more.
How To: Keep Wandering Eyes & Smudged Fingers from Revealing Your Galaxy Note 2's Password
Figuring out someone's password, pattern, or PIN isn't very difficult—simply watching over their shoulder or following the oil marks left across their screen is enough to figure them out and bypass whatever lock screen security they have.
Warning: These 5 Psychedelic Wallpapers for Your Nexus 7 Will Trip You Out
It's time to trip out with your tablet. If you're not looking to drain that precious battery life with a fancy-looking live wallpaper, then apply an optical illusion that appears to be moving on your Nexus 7 (or any other Android device) instead.
How To: Get Custom Notifications on Your Nexus 5 for Just About Anything
If you've ever used IFTTT, you know how well it can automate your online world. The premise is simple—If This, Then That—but the results are powerful. From automatically printing images based on hashtags to getting around Twitter bans, the service is quite useful with a wealth of possibilities.
How To: Customize the Boot Animation on Your HTC One
As fellow softModders, I'm sure you strive to find any and every way to make your phone unique. Wallpapers and icon packs are great to get started, but to really stand out from the rest, try changing your HTC One's boot animation.
How To: Lock Individual Apps on Your Galaxy S3 Based on Location
If you lend someone your phone, even if it's just for a second, there's a chance they can enter an app and see something you'd rather they didn't. Whether it's a personal email or a private photo, there are plenty of reasons why you'd want to keep snoops out of certain apps.
How To: Mimic the S5’s Selective Focus Camera on Your Galaxy S4 for More Impressive Photos
The recently released HTC One M8 and the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S5 are both boasting selective focus features for their camera apps, but with a 13 megapixel camera, the GS4 can take some pretty stellar pictures, too.
How To: Unlock the Hidden Notification History Menu on Your Nexus 5
Have you ever been a little overzealous in dismissing notifications on your Nexus 5? Perhaps you missed your target and swiped away the notification you meant to read later. Or maybe you simply hit the "Clear All" button when you really meant to tap the button that switches to the Quick Settings tiles.
How To: Use Two Different Instagram Accounts at the Same Time on Your Android Device
While you may suck at Instagram, it's likely that you manage multiple Instagram accounts, whether strictly for personal use or for managing blog and business pages.
How To: Convert a Micro SIM Card to Fit the Nano Slot on Your HTC One M8
The new HTC One (M8) is a large phone, no doubt about it. Still, with those BoomSound speakers, 5-inch display, and 2600mAh battery, it's a wonder they managed to cram everything in that gorgeous, unibody metal shell. By that logic, it makes sense that the M8 makes the switch from a micro-SIM card to nano-SIM to save as much space as possible.
How To: Quick Launch Apps from Anywhere on Your Nexus 7 with an Easy Access Side Dock
I don't like a lot of app icons on my home screen. It makes everything on my Nexus 7 feel dense and congested. As a minimalist, I like a simple and well-organized home screen, which is why I regularly utilize my app drawer to launch apps.
How To: Get Facebook's Future Android Look on Your Galaxy Note 3 Right Now
Currently in its alpha stage, Facebook has pushed forward a redesigned mobile app for Android users that provides a flat user interface and rearranged navigation tools.
How To: Enable "Unknown Sources" in Order to Download Independent Apps on Your Galaxy Note 2 or 3
Installing applications that are not on Google Play requires you to enable a certain permission in the settings so that the whole process goes down smoothly. If you're downloading one of these third-party applications (in the form of an APK), you'll need to enable Unknown sources.
How To: Get All the LG G2 “Knock Knock” Features on Your Nexus 5 for Faster Sleep/Wake
Probably one of the most sought after features of the LG G2 is its "Knock Knock" capabilities. Rather than dealing with that pesky power button, you simply double-tap portions of the screen to either sleep or wake your device.
How To: Keep Better Track of Your Battery Life on the Nexus 7
There were some pretty amazing things included in the Android 4.4 KitKat update, but unfortunately, most of them were left inactive on our Nexus 7 tablets. Some, like full-screen immersive mode and the hidden battery percentage status bar icon, could be enabled on rooted devices, but not everyone wants to root.
How To: Add Custom Words & Phrases to Your Status Bar on the Samsung Galaxy Note 3
I love my status bar. Not only does it tell what time it is and how much battery juice is left, but it gives me cellular connection info, text alerts, and app update notifications. However, one thing is does not give me is customization. Since you're looking at it all the damn time, why not personalize it?
How To: The 5 Coolest Features You Should Be Using on Your HTC One M8
You did it! You got your hands on the much coveted all new HTC One (M8). Last year's M7 model, also named the One, was very well received critically, and HTC continues its smashing design here with stereo speakers that kick and curves that don't quit.
How To: Tint Your Status Bar's Color to Match Apps on Your HTC One
The little black status bar at the top of your screen is great for at-a-glance info, but let's face it—it's pretty ugly. If you want to hide it completely, only showing it when you need it, check out our guide on using Immersive Mode in KitKat. However, if you want to keep the at-a-glance convenience and have it blend in with your apps, try out Tinted Status Bar.
How To: Get Even Better Sound Quality Out of Your HTC One's Speakers
One of the hardest tradeoffs when installing a non-Sense-based custom ROM on an HTC One is the loss of Beats Audio. Due to a patent restrictions from Beats and compatibility issues, it's currently impossible to port it to a non-Sense ROM, but with ViPER4Android you can get almost identical results, bringing life back to the BoomSound speakers on your device.
How To: Instantly Scroll Back Up to the Top of Any App on Your HTC One
Like most of you, I find myself scrolling through endless lists of Facebook feeds, Instagram lists, and tweets. Most of the time, it's a pain to scroll all the way back up to the top. Unlike iOS devices, Android has never had a solution to quickly scrolling to the top of a list in an app, but now with a simple Xposed mod, that hole has been filled.
How To: Install Adobe Flash Player on Your Nexus 7 Running Android 4.4 KitKat
When our Nexus 7s upgraded to KitKat, one key piece of functionality was lost in the mix—Flash support. Of course, even before that we never had official support on the Nexus 7, but hacks seemed to do the job just fine. As it stands now, Google remains on the warpath against Flash, opting instead for HTML5 use, specifically in Chrome (where Flash never worked anyway), and of course Adobe stopped supporting Android long ago.
How To: Set Your HTC One to S-OFF Using Firewater on Any Computer
You've unlocked your bootloader and rooted your HTC One running KitKat, but there's still one lingering aspect of security you've yet to rid yourself of—S-On—the extra security measure HTC implemented into Sense.
How To: Fool Netflix into Letting You Watch All Region-Locked Videos on Your Nexus 5
Out amongst the ether of the internet lies a completely different version of the Netflix library you've come to know and love. Because of licensing and rights fees, the streaming media giant maintains separate libraries for each country it services. Ultimately, this means that certain movies and TV shows are only available in certain countries.
How To: The Safe & Secure Way to Get Your Phone to Remember Your App Passwords
LastPass is a password manager that's been around for some time, and has finally made its way over to Android for use with apps, not just websites.
How To: Add Thumb-Friendly Quick Settings to Your Nexus 7 Tablet
There are two types of tablet users in the world—those who like their quick settings up top, and those who want them on the bottom. I fall into the latter category, and there are a couple of reasons for it.