Want to utilize the full potential of your smartphone? Here are some smartphone hacks to get you started.
Mobile phones have become a necessity in our daily lives, though most people spend most of their time using the gadgets, they are not in touch with some of the features and tricks which could make using the gadgets even more convenient.
Below is a list of iPhone and Android Smartphone Hacks that you don’t know about but can be of great help to you.
Top 10 Smartphone Hacks
Here are some smartphone hacks you probably didn’t know about.
- Let Your Phone Be Your Document Scanner
Do you know that you are able to transform your smartphone into a professional document scanner with a smartphone hacks? Scanning is not a complicated process since both Android and iOS devices have inbuilt scanning capabilities instead of downloading third party apps.
In iOS, users can take use Notes app for scanning; just tap the camera icon which lies in the bottom of the app and choose “Scan Documents”; for Android, the convenient tool is Google Drive; to start the process, you just tap the + button and then choose “Scan” to capture and save the documents as PDFs.
Read Also: Mastering Smartphone Photography: Tips and Tricks
- Extend Your Battery’s Life with Dark Mode
Dark Mode is not only visually much more pleasing but also has the side-effect of saving power, particularly on OLED devices.
It is obtained that when using the Dark Mode function, the phone consumes less power to display dark colors; this results in longer life of the battery.
Pretty much all up-to-date phones include Dark Mode that you can activate system wide through the settings menu.
- Erase Stuff Fast with a Shake (iPhone)
In the course of working on a project, there is usually that moment when you delete a text you did not intend, well, if you use an iPhone, just shake your phone to undo the done change.
This smartphone hacks feature is convenient when editing large texts or using applications where there is not a visible “Undo” action option.
Another pop-up that appears confirms that you want to undo the last executed action, based on the changes in the report of the program.
- Add Shortcuts to Help You to Quickly Access Your Favorite Functions
Using Android and iOS devices, one has a capacity to produce specific shortcuts for frequently performed tasks.
The Shortcuts app on iPhones allows users to create a set of options, which covers everything, from sending a text message to a particular contact every day to heading to a favorite playlist.
Android mobile users can automate similar operations with the help of applications like Tasker or by placing convenient widgets that perform definite actions on the home screen.
- Quick Start Camera with Volume Buttons
Everyone knows how to use the Camera app to capture the image and the majority of people use the Shutter Button, but guess what, you can also capture an image using Volume Buttons.
This smartphone hacks can come in handy when one wants to take selfies or when they need a better grip in the camera.
For Android and IOS users, they can take a photo by simply pressing the volume up or volume down button while using the camera app.
- Recover Deleted Photos
Accidentally deleted a photo? No need to panic. Almost all smartphones have a recycle bin that holds the deleted files for some time before it is deleted for good.
For iPhones, this folder can be located under a Photos app under Album’ while for android it can be a little complex due to the different companies of the androids but commonly it can be found in the gallery app.
- Get More Storage Space With The Cloud Backup.
Running out of storage? Here’s a smartphone hack to help you. For instance, instead of trying to delete an application, game or other file on the smartphone, you just store your data in cloud service.
Google Photos, and iCloud both have a feature that allows you to transfer photos and videos to cloud storage space.
Another type of application that can be helpful is the cloud applications like Google Drive or Dropbox where documents and all other files can be stored, and you always have the access to them regardless of the device available to you.
- Turn Your Phone into a Wi-Fi Connection
Smartphones also provide you with an option that enables you to turn your phone into a Wi-Fi hotspot through which you can broadcast your mobile internet signal to other smartphones, tablets, laptops or other smart devices.
This smartphone Hacks is for instance useful in situations where you are traveling with your Bluetooth device that does not have its own data plan.
Android and iOS also enable the hotspot feature through the settings menu, under the Network & Internet or Cellular option, respectively.
- Open Restricted Menus and Developers Mode
For further proficiency, if you are rooted or want to explore more on your smartphones, then you must head over Developer Options available on your phone.
Android you have to unlock developer options, it’s in settings/tab/About Phone and tap on the menu repeatedly on build number till you get the message that developer option is unlocked.
This will reveal a new list of options and you can adjust; for instance setting animations to a higher level, and enabling USB debugging among others.
iPhones also have similar settings/options under Settings > Accessibility > Touch, where you can turn on options such as “AssistiveTouch” to access functions quickly.
- Google Assistant or Siri for Complex Voice Control
Google Assistant or Siri is very popular now as they are usually used to set an alarm, call someone or even to play the favorite song, but they do much more.
You can request it to do challenging operations, like sending the message to several contacts, creating reminders depending on the user’s location or managing smart home gadgets.
For instance, you can use a speakable command like “Hey Google, switch-off all the lights” to control smart connected lights in your house.
- Broadcast to other devices
Turn to Quick Setting on your smartphone and use the ‘Screen Cast’. This will link your device to Chromecast located on the same Wi-Fi network as your device. Without any hitches, your screen will be broadcast live on your TV with a tap of the casting button!
Conclusion
There you have it: Top 10 smartphone Hacks. These are, of course, just a few tips, there is so much more that can be done on a smartphone these days. With time, more options and tricks are likely to be developed and so increase the utility of the smartphones.
Whether it’s with the effort to improve productivity, to reduce time spent on a task or to just better understand one’s smartphone, these smartphone hacks can prove useful.