5 hidden Android options I want I knew about sooner

It is well-known that Android gadgets provide a big selection of options and settings to discover. With Android 16 now obtainable and Google regularly engaged on new options, it is easy to miss a few of the extra helpful and fascinating options which were a part of Android for some time.

Though options like Live Updates and Adaptive Battery are spectacular, listed here are 5 helpful Android options that I consider are sometimes neglected and that I want I had found earlier.

I’ve examined all of those on each my Galaxy S25+ and Pixel 8a, so you possibly can attempt them on any Android machine you personal. You do not want any extra apps both, as all of those options are constructed straight into Android’s settings menu.

1

Hold your telephone unlocked at house

Prolong Lock retains your telephone unlocked in trusted locations

Considered one of my favourite options on Android is known as Extend Lock (previously often known as Sensible Lock). It has a quite simple premise, and what it does is hold your telephone unlocked in trusted areas. For instance, you possibly can set Prolong Lock to unlock your telephone whenever you’re at house. This makes it simple to shortly decide up and use your machine at house with out coming into a PIN or utilizing biometrics.

After all, utilizing this function requires trusting these you reside with, but when you do not have prying eyes at house, it is a useful software. As quickly as your telephone leaves the tackle or map space you set on Prolong Lock, it instantly requires a PIN or biometrics to unlock once more.

Prolong Lock additionally affords two extra choices: On-Physique Detection and Trusted Units. On-Physique Detection retains your telephone unlocked when you’re strolling with it, and Trusted Units unlocks it when related to a close-by trusted machine, like your smartwatch. Personally, I solely use the trusted location setting, as I discover it extra dependable and safer.

To check out Prolong Lock your self, comply with the steps under:

1. Go to Settings > Safety and Privateness > Extra Safety and Privateness.

2. Scroll down and faucet Prolong Unlock.

3. Enter your machine PIN.

4. Choose Trusted locations to arrange an space the place your telephone stays unlocked.

2

Always remember a notification

Notification historical past helps you recall notifications you have dismissed

I’ve accomplished this about one million occasions on my telephone: I get a notification, I have a look at it, swipe it away, after which utterly overlook about it. Fortunately, that is why Notification historical past exists. Because the title of the function implies, it retains a historical past of all of the notifications you’ve acquired. So, for those who by accident delete a notification you wish to learn, you possibly can examine your Notification historical past to see what it was, quite than being left at nighttime.

One of the best half is that enabling Notification historical past solely takes a number of seconds and saves you a whole lot of complications. Here is learn how to allow it:

1. Go to Settings > Notifications.

2. Choose Notification historical past.

3. Toggle on Use notification historical past.

4. Your notifications will now be saved to this menu.

3

Pin an app to your display screen to guard your privateness

Cease prying eyes from seeing an excessive amount of in your telephone

One other helpful Android safety function that I consider is not talked about sufficient is App pinning. First launched with Android 5.0 Lollipop in 2014, this useful function means that you can pin a single app to your display screen so it could possibly’t be simply swiped away. So, for those who’re handing your telephone over to a child, member of the family, or good friend to take a look at, and you do not need them to pry into something in your machine, this prevents that by locking one app to the display screen.

Whenever you pin an app to the display screen, you possibly can solely exit it by swiping up and holding the house bar, or by holding down the triangle and sq. buttons for a number of seconds (relying on the kind of gesture navigation you’ve enabled). You can too allow PIN safety, so if the individual taking a look at your telephone now is aware of learn how to exit App pinning, your PIN is required as an extra step to flee it.

To check out App pinning, comply with these steps:

1. Go to Settings > Safety and privateness > Extra safety and privateness.

2. Scroll down and choose App pinning.

3. Toggle on Use app pinning.

4. Moreover, on the identical display screen, you possibly can allow or disable Ask for PIN earlier than unpinning.

5. To pin an app, go to Overview, faucet the app icon, and select Pin.

4

Share Wi-Fi by way of QR code

By no means fear about typing your lengthy Wi-Fi password once more

It is the query everybody hears when family and friends go to their house for a very long time: “What’s your Wi-Fi password?” When you’re bored with handing out your Wi-Fi password like sweet on Halloween, this Android function makes it very simple to share it shortly with out the trouble of typing your lengthy and presumably complicated password on their telephone by sharing your Wi-Fi by way of a QR code. So, if somebody is visiting, they will scan the code in your telephone, and voilà, they’ve entry to your Wi-Fi.

One of the best half is, you do not even have to allow something for this setting to work. Simply comply with these steps, and you will be sharing your Wi-Fi by way of a QR code like a professional:

1. Go to Settings > Community and Web.

2. Choose your Wi-Fi connection, which brings up a Community particulars web page.

3. Underneath the title of your Wi-Fi, you may see three choices: Neglect, Disconnect, and Share.

4. Tapping Share will generate a QR code you can share with others to hook up with your Wi-Fi.

5

Open Google Pockets immediately

The ability button is extra helpful than you suppose

Lastly, I discover this function important on my Android machine: opening Google Wallet with a double-press of the facility button. Launched just lately in Android 16, it makes funds extra handy — no have to open your telephone and faucet Pockets in Fast Settings. Simply double-press the house button, and Google Pockets launches immediately for contactless funds after unlocking your telephone.

For Pixel customers, this can be a new function with Android 16. At the moment, it is restricted to Google Pockets and the digicam app on Pixel gadgets, however I hope Google will develop this performance to all apps sooner or later. For Samsung Galaxy customers, the choice to pick out any app to open with a double-press of the facility button has been obtainable for some time. So, if in case you have a Galaxy telephone, you possibly can select Google Pockets or some other app you like.

That stated, here is learn how to open Google Pockets in seconds in your Android machine:

1. Go to Settings > System > Gestures.

2. Choose Double-press the facility button.

3. Toggle on Use double press.

4. Choose Pockets.