Android Features
News: The First 12 Apps You Should Install on Your Galaxy Note 20
If you are reading this article right now on your Galaxy Note 20, you are using one of the most powerful smartphones on the market — but are you taking full advantage of it? The answer is likely no, but you can change this with a few apps.
How To: Unlock the Bootloader on Your OnePlus 5 or 5T & Install TWRP Recovery
The OnePlus 5 had been in the hands of the public for a meager twenty hours before developers on XDA released a custom recovery image for it, and the 5T had a similar trajectory. The installation process is simple enough, but it can be somewhat confusing if you're new to modding Android.
How To: Unlock the Bootloader on Your OnePlus 6
If you ever want to root your OnePlus 6, install TWRP, get Magisk and Xposed, or flash a custom ROM, the first thing you'll need to do is unlock your bootloader.
How To: 15 Reasons to Unlock Developer Options on Your Android
In case you didn't know, Android has an awesome hidden settings menu called "Developer options" that contains a lot of advanced and unique features. If you've ever come across this menu before, chances are you just dipped in for a minute so that you could enable USB debugging and use ADB features.
How To: Disable ANY Bloatware App on Your Android Device (No Root Required)
Due to the way Android works, you normally need to be rooted to uninstall the pre-loaded system apps, aka bloatware, that came with your device. This is because the underlying files for these apps are stored on your system partition, which can only be modified with root-level access.
How To: Increase Pattern Lock Screen Security on Your Nexus 5 with Larger Grid Sizes
These days, our smartphones carry some very sensitive data. From banking app passwords to personal photos, there are many things on your Nexus 5 that you might not want other people to have access to.
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: Install ADB & Fastboot in Mac OS X to Send Commands to Your HTC One
If you're looking into rooting your device yourself, you're going to need ADB and Fastboot on your computer.
How To: Use This Trick to See Only the Best Apps in the Google Play Store
With hordes of games populating the Google Play Store, it's grown increasingly difficult to find trending, non-gaming apps that you might find useful on your Android device. There are a few in the Top Charts pages, peppered in among the various games you'll never play, but other than that you'll have to do some serious searching to discover any new apps.
How To: Comparing the 5 Best Internet Browsers for Android
For all those times when an app either isn't available or simply won't cut it, your phone's internet browser provides access to your favorite websites and services. But some browsers are flat-out better than others, and chances are, the browser that came pre-installed on your phone isn't the best option out there.
How To: Customize the Active Edge Squeeze Feature on Your Pixel
The idea of squeezing your phone might have sounded a bit out there when it was new, but it's now a hallmark feature on Pixel devices. As useful as it is for summoning the Google Assistant, however, it certainly would be nice to be able pick and choose what action is triggered by squeezing the phone. Well, now you can.
How To: Screen Too Bright at Night? These Apps Dim Your Display Below '0% Brightness'
At night, no matter how dim my Android's screen gets, it never seems to be enough—especially when I'm in bed. In fact, in pure darkness, the lowest brightness setting on my Android devices end up giving me a headache that keeps me up for hours.
How To: Get the Galaxy S8's New Weather Widget on Older Galaxy Phones
Even though the Galaxy S8 and S8+ are only just now being released to the public, the software leaks have been rolling in for a while. Everyone seems to have gone crazy for the new look Samsung is pushing out with Samsung Experience, the successor to TouchWiz. As a result, there have been quite a few applications ported over from the Galaxy S8 to older Samsung phones.
News: 5 Apps That'll Make You Ditch Your Stock Photo Gallery
Making sure you have the best gallery app available for your Android device used to be as easy as just installing QuickPic. But late last year, Android's top photo-viewing app was sold to a company who is notorious for permission spamming, so QuickPic quickly lost everyone's approval.
How To: Save Call & SMS Logs on Android—No Root Required
Android automatically clears entries in your call log after 30 days. While this might be fine in most cases, sometimes you need to find a number that called you more than a month ago. Or perhaps you want to keep detailed records for business purposes, and 30 days just isn't long enough.
How To: Install the Xposed Framework on Your Samsung Galaxy S5
Now that all variants of the Galaxy S5 have finally been rooted, we can start exploring all of the tweaks and hacks that Superuser privileges open up to us.
How To: Make Incoming Notifications Automatically Wake Your Android's Display
Unlike the Moto X with its Active Display or the Nexus 6 and its Ambient Display, some devices (especially those now running Lollipop) do not include a function that permits the display to turn on upon getting new notifications while the device remains locked or the display inactive.
How To: Add a Smart App Drawer to Any Launcher & Get Automatic Sorting Features
One of the biggest things that differentiates Android from iOS is the app drawer. Instead of the operating system just tossing all of your app icons into a cluttered heap on your home screen, most can be tucked away neatly in the app drawer, which, in essence, is very similar to the Windows Start menu.
How To: Stop Notifications from Interrupting Your Music
There are few things more annoying in life than getting interrupted—especially when you're in a groove, jamming out to your favorite song. If we can all agree on that sentiment, then why is it that our phones mute the music we're listening to for a few seconds whenever a notification comes in?
How To: Create & Restore Backups, Flash ZIPs, & More Without Tripping KNOX on Your Galaxy S6
KNOX is a major pain for Samsung owners who like to modify their devices. Its combination of hardware and software security measures make things rather difficult when you're trying to modify system-level files and functions without voiding your warranty.
How To: Block All Robocallers & Telemarketers with Your Pixel's Call Screen Feature
When Google introduced the Call Screen feature with the Pixel 3, I had never been more excited to get a Pixel device. This AI feature provided real protection against rising spam and robocalls, which billions of people deal with each year. After a recent update to the feature, you can reduce robocalls and other spam calls to nearly zero.
How To: Enable Offline Finding on Your Galaxy So You Can Locate Your Phone in Airplane Mode
Nowadays, even the dumbest thieves know that the first thing you should do after you steal a phone is turn on airplane mode. Not only does this make it harder for police to track the phone through cell tower triangulation, but it also disables security features the person you stole it from may have implemented — for instance, Samsung's Find My Mobile service.
How To: The Safest Way to Disable All Bloatware on Your Galaxy S8 or S8+
Carrier-branded Galaxy S8 models come with a ton of bloatware that you usually can't get rid of without rooting. If you dig a little deeper, however, there is a way to debloat your S8, and it's relatively hassle-free.
How To: Remove the Carrier Name from Your Lock Screen in Android Lollipop
I know where I bought my phone, and I definitely know who I'm paying money to every month for cellular service, so there's absolutely no need to see my carrier's name draped all over my device. Fortunately, with Android Lollipop, the carrier label is only present on the lock screen. Nevertheless, that label can keep your phone from feeling just right, so let's go ahead and show you how to get rid of it.
How To: XDA Labs Makes Installing Third-Party Apps & Hacks Easy
If you're looking to customize your Android beyond its stock options, things can get confusing quickly. One of the best places to get into developer mode is the XDA forums.
How To: Move Chrome's Menu Bar to the Bottom of Your Screen
Google has always experimented with Chrome's UI, but when they make more drastic changes, they start by hiding them in the feature flags menu. One of the latest designs makes Chrome more accessible in a world of big and tall phones.
How To: Get Moving Cinemagraph Wallpapers on Your Android's Home Screen
Cinemagraphs are basically artistic photos that have been turned into a GIF to showcase a bit of subtle motion and give them life. Unlike regular GIFs, which can sometimes loop with a jarring cut at the end, cinemagraphs give the illusion of perpetual motion, like water drops off a flower's petal or clouds moving over a scenic sky.
News: 10 Great 99 Cent Apps You Need on Your Android Right Now
These days, there are Android apps for every budget—forgive me if that sounds like a car commercial, but that's just the way things are in the age of the smartphone and tablet. You've got apps that require monthly subscriptions, paid apps that will run you a $30 one-time installation fee, and even games that start at 99 cents, but quickly skyrocket in price with in-app purchases.
How To: Use Your Android Phone as a Wireless Flash Drive for Windows or Mac
Copying files from a computer to your Android device has always been pretty straightforward—just connect the two devices with a USB cable, open your desktop file explorer, then move the files over. But what if you didn't need any wires at all?
How To: Use a Firewall to Keep Data-Hungry Apps in Check
If you exceed your monthly mobile data limit, your cell phone bill can skyrocket pretty quickly. This is why a lot of people vigilantly monitor internet usage and even uninstall apps that use too much background data.
How To: Energize Your Status Bar with a Color-Coded Battery Indicator
Even with today's high-powered devices, battery life is still an issue. We, as users, have to almost habitually check the current battery percentage, because otherwise, we might end up draining too much in the morning, then get stuck with a dead phone at night.
How To: Watch Apple TV+ on Any Android Phone or Tablet
With the prestige appeal of its original programming and relatively low subscription price, Apple TV+ is one of the more appealing streaming options out there — and you don't need an Apple device to subscribe and watch movies, TV shows, sports, and other Apple TV+ content.
How To: Everything You Need to Disable on Your Galaxy S9 for Privacy & Security
Smartphones are like high tech buckets that collect our personal information through constant use. This has some obvious benefits, like getting a more personalized experience with our devices. On the other hand, this data is a tempting target for bad actors looking to make a buck at the expense of your privacy.
How To: Install Google's Official 4.3 Jelly Bean Update on Your Nexus 7 Tablet Right Now
Google's long awaited 4.3 Jelly Bean update is officially out, only it has not been pushed out to some of our Nexus 7 tablets yet. Although there aren't really any new UI changes, most of Jelly Bean 4.3's magic is under the hood, meaning user's can expect better performance and battery life with the latest version.
How To: Trick WiFi-Only Apps into Working with Mobile Data on Your HTC One
For any multitude of reasons, some apps require you to be connected to Wi-Fi in order to function properly. This could be because they would rather you have a stable connection to enjoy their content, or that they don't want users complaining about the amount of data being guzzled from carrier data plans.
How To: Enable the Hidden Number Row in Google Keyboard on Your Android
If you utilize strong passwords—which you absolutely should be—you've probably had to go back and forth between keyboard screens multiple times to input various letters, numbers, and symbols.
How To: Bring Back WhatsApp's Old Emojis on Android
WhatsApp recently updated their emojis (or emoji, depending on your preference), but it wasn't exactly a welcome change. Many users have complained that the new smilies are just way too big, others aren't too fond of the shinier appearance, and countless folks have been venting their frustrations on Twitter.
How To: Add a “Reboot into Recovery” Option to Your Nexus 5's Power Menu
Just about every softMod requires some kind of reboot. Whether it's because something in the System UI was changed, or because a ZIP needs to be flashed in custom recovery.
How To: Take Secret Spy Photos Undetected Using Your Samsung Galaxy Note 2
Sometimes, for whatever reason it may be, we just want to take a photo without anyone noticing. Unfortunately, thanks to the extremely large screen and loud shutter sound, taking a picture discreetly with our Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is a hard thing to do.
How To: Secure Any Android App with Your Fingerprint
When Google released the Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P, they added official support for fingerprint scanning to Android's main code base. On the surface, this was done to ensure that the fingerprint scanner in their own devices could be used to its full extent, but because it was added to AOSP, this meant that the new Fingerprint API could be used by any Android manufacturer.