Android is a great operating system since its introduction, and it’s being updated to perform different functions. Android smartphone is the most popular Operating System in the world. The OS gained traction with device manufacturers because it’s open-source and free, and many users love the OS because of the feasibility and the plenty of features on Android phones.
Google is always making new tweaks and coming up with fresh and amazing features for the OS while order brands like Samsung and Huawei can add their feature to the OS.
SEE ALSO: 12 steps on how to secure Android phone
1. Enable developer mode
Google hides the advanced tools in a special Developer Options menu. You must enable it to get at things like animation speed, USB debugging, and app standby.
To turn on Developer Options, Navigate to Settings, About phone, and tap on your phone’s build number seven times. You’ll get an on-screen countdown, followed by a message saying “Congratulations, you are now a developer”.
2. Change the animation scales
The animation scales change your phone’s “Window animation scale”, “Transition animation scale” and “Animator duration scale” from 1x to 0.5x. It won’t make your phone faster, but it will make it feel faster.
Navigate to Settings > Developer options and scroll about two-thirds of the way down and you’ll see the scale option. For this to work, you need to have first enabled Developer Mode.
3. Access the quick settings menu
Speaking of the quick settings menu, did you know you don’t need to double swipe to access it? Instead, just simultaneously use two-finger to swipe down and you’ll have access to the quick settings.
4. Cast your screen
Do you have a Chromecast, Laptop, or Android TV? If so, you can mirror your Android’s screen to display on your smart TV by using the cast function, you can do more than stream video to it.
Just open the Quick Settings menu and hit Cast. Your device will find your network (on the same local network), and you’re good to go. Tap and pick an output device to mirror your display.
5. Manage app notifications
Manage your app notification, long-pressed the app you will see an information icon. Press it, and you’ll be presented with the notification settings for the app in question.
You can block or silence notifications from that app if they’ve become a nuisance, allow it to override priority mode, and make it hide private information.
6. Priority mode
Priority mode put your phone into quiet mode, but still, allow noises to get through. Someone could call this, text, or WhatsApp from specific contacts, notifications from certain apps.
Navigate to settings > Sound & Notification > Do not disturb, then select the options you require. It can be toggled on and off from the Quick Settings menu.
7. Smart lock
The Smart lock is super easy and useful, turning on a secure lock screen is important to keep your data safe but drawing a pattern lock or inputting your password every single time is a pain, but with the smart lock, you don’t need that.
Smart Lock on Android makes unlocking your phone easier, it removes the need to use a keypad lock when you’re at home or in a “trusted” environment. You can keep your phone unlocked when you are in a certain place, like home.
It can use GPS, certain networks, your face, or even your voice to prevent your phone from locking itself, making for a much faster and hassle-free experience. Navigate to Settings > Security > Smart lock to set it up.
8. Use screen pinning
If you are the type that gives your phone out and you don’t want them snooping around your apps, this can be prevented using the screen pinning. Default on most devices should enable this, but if not, check the security menu. Tap the pin icon on any app in the multitasking interface and you can lock the screen to just that app.
But if the screen pinning is too restrictive, you may have another option to enable the Guest mode. Some Android device running 5.0 or higher has this, to switch to a guest account, tap the profile icon in the upper right corner of the notification shade and select the guest profile.
All your data, accounts, and apps will be hidden from the guest account. There’s also a users menu in the settings of most devices to control what guests can and cannot do.
READ ALSO: How to hide apps on your Android phone
9. Split-screen apps
If your Android device runs on Android 7.0 or higher, you will be able to bring up two apps together in split-screen mode. To do this, you need to long-press the minimize (overview) button, and the current app will shrink to the top half of the screen, and you can then choose another app from your recent list.
When you’re done, just long-press the minimize (overview) button again or drag the divider which separated the app to the top or bottom—your choice. Split-screen mode is a feature for all devices running Nougat or higher, but it’s not compatible with many apps.
10. Find my phone
With the Google Find My Device you can locate where your mobile phone is. How to find your phone; log in using your browser on a computer or mobile device using the same Google Account on your missing phone and then choose your missing phone from the drop-down menu.
11. Make sure your photos are back up
Losing your phone at a point in time then you realize you don’t have a backup of your photos is a pain, you can avoid this by opening the Google Photos app and following the prompts to enable auto-backup.
12. Autofill service
If you have an Android version of 7.0—you need not type in your password repeatedly. Create a stronger password that you can’t remember—use a password manager—it remembers your login details.
By default, using this feature, you can enable Google’s Auto-fill service if you’re using a Google product. Not all third-party apps support this.
13. Use factory reset protection
Factory reset protection, which is good should your phone ever be stolen or go missing. The person or may I say thief won’t be able to reset and log into the phone without first knowing your Google email and password.
The factory reset protection is enabled when you have a secure lock screen enabled. Make sure you do not reset your phone less than 24 hours after changing your Google password, or you’ll trigger a 72-hour anti-theft lockout.
You can disable feature users to log into the phone, disable the secure lock screen, enable OEM Unlock in the Developer Options, or remove your Google account in the Accounts menu.
