5 underestimated Android features that I use all the time, and you should also

Features such as shared screen mode, fast sharing and various batteries optimizations are more or less known among Android users. But Google’s operating system has so many features, it is easy for some to fly under the radar – especially since they can be buried deep in the settings.

Many of the features that I regularly use did not speak as much as they should be, partly due to the fact that everyone does not know that they even exist. I want to change this by sharing five underestimated Android features, I think, deserve more attention.

I added instructions on how to use them and where to find them, but keep in mind that some may not be available on all devices, while others can be located in a different backrest due to differences in Android versions and skins.

We were all there: you want to show someone an album with your vacation photos, an interesting application that you have just discovered, or to make them try the last game you have downloaded, but you are afraid to start browsing your phone.

The idea of a friend or a family member who crosses my messages and my research story makes me uncomfortable, to say the least, that is why I use the pins application in cases like these.

The application mainly “pin” the application to the screen, which means that the person holding the phone cannot close it or open a new one. If they were trying, they should unlock the phone with a fingerprint or a pin, which I can do, because it’s my phone. Problem solved.

To activate the application to pin, head to Settings> Safety and confidentiality> More security and confidentiality> Application pinning. To pin an application, display the multitasking screen, press the application icon you want to pin at the top of its preview, then select the PIN option.

One of the most common questions that people who were visiting me at home are: “What is your Wi-Fi password?” It’s a little sad if you think about it, because I think I’m more interesting than anything that happens on the screen, but it’s just the reality I have to take care of, unfortunately.

The problem here is that my Wi-Fi password is long and complicated, as should be for security reasons. I don’t know it by heart, and hit it can take time anyway, so I share it via a QR code.

I just head to Settings> Network and Internet> Internet Then press my Wi-Fi network. After that, I select the sharing option, which raises a QR code that my guest can scan to instantly connect to my Wi-Fi network. If simple, but so efficient. This is how technology should be.

I receive a lot of daily notifications. And what is happening is that sooner or later I slip some of them out of sight, without knowing if I have received an important message or if a random application sent me a notification that I do not care. So how do you solve this riddle?

This is where the history of notification comes into play. The name says everything – it essentially shows me a story of all my notifications. So, if I slide one or five out of sight by mistake, I can always check them thanks to this functionality.

To access notifications history, lower the notification panel and press the text “No notifications” (or sometimes the little story button). If you do not see your story, you will first have to activate it with the rocking that appears at the top.

The days I needed to connect my all-in-one printer, wait for it to stand out, then scan a document I needed to send someone for a long time. Not only did this process take time in itself, but if you have already worked with printers / scanners, you know that there are tons of problems all the time that extend the process – at least it was my experience.

Now, whenever I need to scan a document, I place it on a table, opens my camera application and I wait for the “Scan Document” option to appear. The tool then automatically detects the edges of the document, takes an image and converts it to a PDF which is then downloaded from my Google Drive.

However, this is a feature that may not be available on all phones. I have a pixel, which is obviously well integrated into Google Drive. Samsung phones also have this feature, but they usually download the document in Samsung notes. You will find functionality on many other popular brands like OnePlus and Xiaomi, but not on all. Try it and let me know if you have it in the comments.

Everyone knows how to select text on an Android phone. You just press and hold it on it, then slide your finger to the part you want to select. It’s easy. But while most people use it simply to copy text, the selection of intelligent text from Android can do much more than that.

For example, when I see a phone number on the website, I select the number and the call option appears immediately. It is therefore not necessary to open the application of the phone and to type it manually. The same goes for addresses: I simply select the address and an option to visualize it in Google Maps is displayed instantly.

Then there are dates: the selection of a date raises an option to create an event in Google Calendar, which saves me a ton of time. It is a brilliant feature, a few people do not know.

There, you have it – my five most used Android features. However, there are many others offered in Android. I really want to hear the ones you use, so share them with me in the comments.