5 hidden Android options I want I knew about sooner

It is well-known that Android gadgets supply a big selection of options and settings to discover. With Android 16 now out there and Google frequently engaged on new options, it is simple to miss among the extra helpful and attention-grabbing options which were a part of Android for some time.

Though options like Live Updates and Adaptive Battery are spectacular, listed below are 5 helpful Android options that I imagine are sometimes ignored and that I want I had found earlier.

I’ve examined all of those on each my Galaxy S25+ and Pixel 8a, so you’ll be able to strive them on any Android gadget you personal. You do not want any further apps both, as all of those options are constructed straight into Android’s settings menu.

1

Preserve your cellphone unlocked at house

Prolong Lock retains your cellphone unlocked in trusted locations

Considered one of my favourite options on Android known as Extend Lock (previously generally known as Sensible Lock). It has a quite simple premise, and what it does is maintain your cellphone unlocked in trusted areas. For instance, you’ll be able to set Prolong Lock to unlock your cellphone whenever you’re at house. This makes it simple to shortly decide up and use your gadget at house with out getting into a PIN or utilizing biometrics.

In fact, utilizing this characteristic requires trusting these you reside with, but when you do not have prying eyes at house, it is a helpful instrument. As quickly as your cellphone leaves the handle or map space you set on Prolong Lock, it instantly requires a PIN or biometrics to unlock once more.

Prolong Lock additionally affords two further choices: On-Physique Detection and Trusted Units. On-Physique Detection retains your cellphone unlocked whilst you’re strolling with it, and Trusted Units unlocks it when related to a close-by trusted gadget, 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, observe the steps beneath:

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

2. Scroll down and faucet Prolong Unlock.

3. Enter your gadget PIN.

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

2

Always remember a notification

Notification historical past helps you recall notifications you have dismissed

I’ve carried out this about one million instances on my cellphone: I get a notification, I have a look at it, swipe it away, after which fully neglect about it. Fortunately, that is why Notification historical past exists. Because the title of the characteristic implies, it retains a historical past of all of the notifications you have got obtained. So, should you by chance delete a notification you need to learn, you’ll be able to examine your Notification historical past to see what it was, fairly than being left at the hours of darkness.

One of the best half is that enabling Notification historical past solely takes a number of seconds and saves you a number of complications. This is easy methods 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 to guard your privateness

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

One other helpful Android safety characteristic that I imagine is not talked about sufficient is App pinning. First launched with Android 5.0 Lollipop in 2014, this helpful characteristic means that you can pin a single app to your display so it might’t be simply swiped away. So, should you’re handing your cellphone over to a child, member of the family, or pal to take a look at, and you don’t need them to pry into something in your gadget, this prevents that by locking one app to the display.

Once you pin an app to the display, you’ll be able to 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 have got enabled). You can too allow PIN safety, so if the particular person your cellphone now is aware of easy methods to exit App pinning, your PIN is required as a further step to flee it.

To check out App pinning, observe 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, you’ll be able to 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?” For those who’re uninterested in handing out your Wi-Fi password like sweet on Halloween, this Android characteristic makes it very simple to share it shortly with out the trouble of typing your lengthy and probably complicated password on their cellphone by sharing your Wi-Fi by way of a QR code. So, if somebody is visiting, they will scan the code in your cellphone, and voilà, they’ve entry to your Wi-Fi.

One of the best half is, you do not even must allow something for this setting to work. Simply observe 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 could share with others to hook up with your Wi-Fi.

5

Open Google Pockets immediately

The ability button is extra helpful than you assume

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

For Pixel customers, it is a new characteristic with Android 16. At present, 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 any app to open with a double-press of the ability button has been out there for some time. So, when you have a Galaxy cellphone, you’ll be able to select Google Pockets or another app you like.

That stated, here is easy methods to open Google Pockets in seconds in your Android gadget:

1. Go to Settings > System > Gestures.

2. Choose Double-press the ability button.

3. Toggle on Use double press.

4. Choose Pockets.