Android Features
How To: Get Weather Forecasts in the Notification Shade on Your Samsung Galaxy S4
When looking at weather applications and widgets, one major characteristic I look for is efficiency; something that will separate it from the rest of the herd. The stock weather widget looks great on my home screen, but I have to exit whatever app or game I'm in when someone asks me about the weather.
How To: Hide Your Nexus 7's Soft Keys to Maximize Usable Screen Space
I know all of you softModders love these little modifications, like enabling the hidden battery percentage on the Nexus 7 or getting the exclusive Google Launcher on your Nexus, so here's an easy one that lets you hide the soft-keys from your tablet, which will actually expand your screen to look a little bit longer.
How To: Get Oreo's Simpler Split Screen Mode Back on Android Pie
Thanks to Android Pie's gesture controls, features like split screen mode now take several additional steps to activate. This change is due to the revamped navigation bar which removed the recents apps button. Luckily, we can still change it back.
How To: Save Time Typing Your Email Address Out Using a Keyboard Shortcut on Your Galaxy S3
"Enter your email address. Confirm your email address." I absolutely hate seeing those two sentences when I'm signing up for something online, especially on my Samsung Galaxy S3. The less keyboard work I have to do on my mobile the better. Luckily, there is a way to enter your email address without having to type it all out, and I'm going to show you how it's done.
Quick Tip: Use Firefox to Play YouTube Videos in the Background
Over the years, we've covered many different methods for enabling background playback for YouTube videos on Android, but none have ever been as easy as this: Simply watch the videos with Firefox for Android, and they'll continue playing when you leave the app.
Tell Your Friends: How to Protect Yourself from Android's Biggest Security Flaw in Years
Researchers at the cyber security firm Zimperium have recently uncovered a vulnerability in roughly 95% of Android devices that has the potential to allow hackers to take total control over your phone with a simple picture message (MMS). The gritty details of this exploit have not been made public yet, but hackers now know the general framework for this type of attack, so you can be certain that they'll hammer out the details in no time.
How To: Auto-Start Your Favorite Music Player When Plugging Headphones into a Galaxy S4
Like many smartphones nowadays, your Samsung Galaxy S4 comes bundled with a headset for you to listen to music, watch videos without disturbing others, and even make phone calls. I personally only use it for music, whether it's Play Music, Pandora, or streaming from YouTube.
How To: Enable the Swipe-Back Gesture for All Apps on the Galaxy Note 2 & 3
While some Android applications have built-in gestures that allow you to perform certain actions, it's not a feature that's been comprehensively, let alone consistently implemented. If you're on Twitter or Facebook and you want to go back, the only global way is by tapping on the capacitive back button at the bottom of your device. Thanks to XDA dev PeterCxy, you can now enable a global swipe back gesture on your Android smartphone or tablet, making it easier than ever to backtrack within apps.
How To: Remove Ads When Watching Videos in the YouTube App on Your Galaxy Note 2
While ads certainly pay the bills (thank you guys, we love you), they can also be obtrusive and annoying when it comes to accessing and viewing content (not our advertisers though, they rule).
How To: Get Emoji Suggestions with Any Android Keyboard
Some third-party keyboards, like SwiftKey for example, include a convenient feature that suggests emojis as your type based on the content of what you're saying. Unfortunately, many keyboards, including most stock ones, don't include this function.
How To: Ditch Phone Mode & Get the Full Tablet UI on Your Nexus 7—Without Rooting
If you've never played with a Nexus 10 tablet, then you probably have no idea that your Nexus 7 actually has a different user interface. For some reason, Google decided it was better for the Nexus 7 to use a phone UI instead of a tablet one, but luckily for us, we don't have to accept that.
How To: Who Needs a Galaxy S4? This Mod Lets You Control Your Samsung Galaxy S3 with Air Gestures (No Root Required)
I've already showed you how to magically unlock your Samsung Galaxy S3 with the simple wave of a hand, but why stop there? Sure, you could go out and purchase a Samsung Galaxy S4 so you have Air Gestures that let you control the lock screen, SMS, sound, wireless, and more.
How To: Get the Samsung Galaxy Note 5's 'Screen Off Memo' Feature on Older Note Devices
Ideas can be a fleeting thought, just like a shooting star that appears and disappears within a brief moment. So when you're inspired and have an awesome idea, it's important to jot it down as soon as possible, otherwise it may vanish from your memory for good.
News: Samsung Preinstalls McAfee Bloatware on Your S8 & It's Neither Great nor Free
Malware attacks on mobile phones are reaching an all-time high and it looks like companies like Samsung are doing all that they can to prevent any unwanted hackers from accessing its sensitive user data.
How To: Access Your Notifications from the Pattern or PIN-Protected Lock Screen on Your Galaxy S4
Smartphone users these days can get bombarded with texts and emails every hour. Online retailers sending you coupons to get you to buy stuff. Girlfriends asking where you are. Service providers reminding you to pay your bills on time.
How To: 18 Tips & Tricks to Help You Master Your Google Pixel
Google's new Pixel and Pixel XL flagships are some very powerful smartphones, but as with any high-tech gadget, they're only as capable as the user allows them to be. So if you're a proud new Pixel owner, it's time to bone up on a few new features to help get the most out of your device.
How To: Remove the Boot-Up Sound on Your Galaxy S6
Mobile service providers have an uncomfortably strong grip on the Android platform as a whole. For instance, all four U.S. versions of the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge play their carrier's obnoxious jingle every time they boot up. You don't get any say in the matter—if you buy your phone from one of the big 4, you're a walking audible billboard.
How To: Shoot 4K Video with Manual Focus & More on Your Nexus 5 (Lollipop)
One of the biggest under-the-hood changes in Android 5.0 is a new, robust Camera API. When Lollipop makes its official debut, this API will allow developers to hook into your phone's camera sensor like never before.
How To: Install Samsung's Good Lock App to Customize Your Galaxy
Customizing the lock screen, status bar, and other aspects of your Galaxy's UI usually requires root. Thankfully, Samsung has reintroduced a well-regarded app that gives you the freedom to tailor parts of your Galaxy's interface in just a few simple steps.
How To: Samsung's Oreo Beta Just Went Live — Here's How to Get It
After multiple leaked references in Samsung apps, the Oreo Beta Program for the Galaxy S8 and S8+ is official. Yesterday, we posted a full changelog from users that obtained the beta a day early. The update brings many new features from Oreo to the S8, including notification channels and autofill API support. If you're quick, you can enroll your Galaxy S8 in the beta today.
How To: Get Android Nougat's New Navigation Keys Right Now
The new Google phones, which are rumored to ditch the Nexus moniker for Pixel, will most likely come with an Android feature that 7.0 Nougat doesn't currently have—a new set of navigation keys.
News: Silent Facebook & Messenger Server Update Brings Fast Draining Battery with High Temperatures
Many Android users woke up on January 10 to discover that their phone's performance took a nosedive overnight. Battery life is draining fast, overall performance has been sluggish, and devices seem to be overheating for no apparent reason. Not to worry, this isn't happening because of something you did.
How To: Get Oreo's Battery Menu Back on Android Pie
One odd change found in the Android Pie update is that the "Battery" menu no longer lets you see apps that are draining your battery, nor gives access to usage details. However, one quick menu tweak will bring the Battery menu back in line with Android Oreo's, only there's a hidden setting you have to unlock first.
How To: Get a KitKat-Style Music Lock Screen on Your Samsung Galaxy Note 3
Android 4.4 KitKat has begun rolling out for the Galaxy Note 3 in India, Poland, Russia, Switzerland, and several other countries, and an unofficial build for AT&T customers has been leaked for all of us stateside.
How To: 7 Features That Make the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Great
Before Apple jumped into the phablet game with their iPhone 6 Plus, there was the Samsung Galaxy Note series. Initially knocked for their size, the Notes slowly but surely gained popularity, thanks to powerful hardware, incredible displays, extensive features, great battery life, and a surprisingly-useful stylus.
How To: Use Hound on Android Without an Activation Code
SoundHound's new virtual assistant application, Hound, is gaining a lot of buzz in the tech world—especially after a demo video showed just how awesome it works (it has amassed over 1.6 million views in under a week).
How To: Easily Access Your Camera from the Lock Screen on Your Samsung Galaxy Note 2
The transition from an iPhone to a Samsung Galaxy Note 2 or other Android device can be a tough one. A vastly different operating system and the ability to customize anything and everything might be too much for some people. Taking in all that new, while having to let go of the old, can be as daunting as climbing Mount Everest.
News: 15 Great Reasons to Root Your Phone
Okay, so you finally got around to rooting your Android device—now what? Well, to get the most out of your Superuser status, you'll need to find some good root apps, which will allow you to easily add features, reduce battery drain, remove ads, and much more.
How To: Set Exotic Photo Spheres as Panoramic Live Wallpapers on Your Samsung Galaxy Note 2
"We all want to escape our circumstances, don't we?" Benedict Cumberbatch may have been talking about acting, but the sentiment rings true for all of us at some point or another. Whether it's work, school, or just boredom at home—we all wish for an escape sometimes. If only.
How To: Get Android's New "L" Keyboard on Your HTC One or Other Android Device
Google has finally announced the newest flavor of its mobile OS, Android L (Lollipop?), and I couldn't be more excited. While we won't see its official release until the fall, there are still some features we can get our hands on right now.
How To: Control All of Your Music Apps from a Single Widget on Your Samsung Galaxy Note 2
There are a ton of streaming services available at your disposal in the Google Play Store—Spotify, Pandora, TuneIn Radio, Last.fm, and the list goes on and on. These apps help satisfy my day-to-day cravings for good beats, but I tend to do a little too much hopping around from music app to music app (and music widget to music widget) in the process.
How To: Find Out Who's Snooping Around on Your Samsung Galaxy S3—And Why
Snapchat was created for the sole purpose of removing evidence from your mobile that a photo or video ever existed. That way, snoopers can't find any of these questionable selfies in your photo gallery. Of course, there are plenty of ways around this safeguard, but it's still more private than the standard social networking app.
How To: Fix Overall Lag & S Health Crashes When Using Xposed on Your Galaxy S5
The Xposed Framework offers many great customization options for your Galaxy S5. S Health, with its ability to read your heart rate through a built-in monitor, is one of the main selling points of the GS5. Trouble is, the two don't seem to play nice together.
How To: Memory Full? Optimize the Photos on Your Samsung Galaxy S3 to Free Up Storage Space
While the increasing superiority of smartphone cameras is great, they can be a double-edged sword. Sure, we get great images that are crystal clear, but at what price? Storage space on your devices ends up paying the price for this luxury, filling up quickly due to the high-quality images and their grotesquely large size. Not only that, but most photo editing applications only make it worse. Adding a few filters, changing the hue/saturation, or adding some text across the picture can all incr...
Google Chrome 101: How to Unlock the Material Design 2 User Interface with Round Icons & Blended Status Bar
Google's been using their "Material Design" look in Android for years now, but a change is coming up with "Material Design 2," their updated version focusing on new colors, icons, and spacing. Whether it'll be called "Material Design 2" or not remains to be seen, but you can try it out right now in Google Chrome on your Android device right now.
How To: Save Space & Increase Speed on Your Samsung Galaxy S4
Not too long after getting a new device, you probably start installing any and all apps that seem fun and interesting. But after having used the device for a considerable period of time, those extraneous apps begin to take their toll.
How To: Swap Heads Up Notifications for the Old-Style Ticker in Android Lollipop
With Android 5.0, Google introduced a new "Heads Up" notification system for incoming calls and messages. While the new incoming call interface seems to be a rousing success, the rest of the Heads Up system has been met with much less enthusiasm from users.
How To: Play Classic Nintendo (NES) Games on Your Samsung Galaxy S3
Video games are one of the few items that have successfully advanced and adapted over decades, while still holding its "old school" value.
How To: Turn Your Nexus 4 into an Android/iOS Hybrid
Alright, I'll admit it, iOS can be quite nice. Android loyalist that I may be, I'm not so stubborn that I can't recognize a good thing when I see it. Apple's iOS has a lot of strengths, and our Nexus 4s, god bless 'em, are growing a little long in the tooth.
How To: Android Pie Finally Lets You Edit Screenshots — Here's How It Works
Samsung has had a rich screenshot editor in TouchWiz for years, and Apple even added a similar feature to iOS 11. Until now, stock Android has lagged behind in this area, but that's finally fixed in Android 9.0 Pie.