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 a few of the extra helpful and fascinating options which have been 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 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 attempt them on any Android system you personal. You do not want any extra apps both, as all of those options are constructed immediately into Android’s settings menu.

1

Hold your cellphone unlocked at dwelling

Lengthen Lock retains your cellphone unlocked in trusted locations

Considered one of my favourite options on Android is known as Extend Lock (previously often known as Good Lock). It has a quite simple premise, and what it does is hold your cellphone unlocked in trusted areas. For instance, you’ll be able to set Lengthen Lock to unlock your cellphone if you’re at dwelling. This makes it simple to rapidly choose up and use your system at dwelling with out coming 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 dwelling, it is a helpful device. As quickly as your cellphone leaves the deal with or map space you set on Lengthen Lock, it instantly requires a PIN or biometrics to unlock once more.

Lengthen Lock additionally provides two extra choices: On-Physique Detection and Trusted Gadgets. On-Physique Detection retains your cellphone unlocked when you’re strolling with it, and Trusted Gadgets unlocks it when linked to a close-by trusted system, like your smartwatch. Personally, I solely use the trusted location setting, as I discover it extra dependable and safer.

To check out Lengthen Lock your self, observe the steps under:

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

2. Scroll down and faucet Lengthen Unlock.

3. Enter your system 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 performed this about one million instances on my cellphone: I get a notification, I have a look at it, swipe it away, after which utterly 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 acquired. So, should you by accident delete a notification you wish to learn, you’ll be able to verify your Notification historical past to see what it was, slightly than being left in the dead of night.

The perfect half is that enabling Notification historical past solely takes a couple of seconds and saves you plenty of complications. This is how you can 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 cellphone

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

Once you pin an app to the display screen, 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 couple of seconds (relying on the kind of gesture navigation you have got enabled). You can too allow PIN safety, so if the particular person taking a look at your cellphone now is aware of how you can exit App pinning, your PIN is required as an extra 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 screen, 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 through 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 dwelling 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 rapidly with out the trouble of typing your lengthy and presumably complicated password on their cellphone by sharing your Wi-Fi through a QR code. So, if somebody is visiting, they’ll scan the code in your cellphone, and voilà, they’ve entry to your Wi-Fi.

The perfect half is, you do not even have to allow something for this setting to work. Simply observe these steps, and you will be sharing your Wi-Fi through 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. Beneath the title of your Wi-Fi, you will see three choices: Neglect, Disconnect, and Share.

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

5

Open Google Pockets immediately

The facility button is extra helpful than you assume

Lastly, I discover this characteristic important on my Android system: opening Google Wallet with a double-press of the ability button. Launched lately in Android 16, it makes funds extra handy — no have to 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, this can be a new characteristic with Android 16. At the moment, it is restricted to Google Pockets and the digital camera 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 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 how you can open Google Pockets in seconds in your Android system:

1. Go to Settings > System > Gestures.

2. Choose Double-press the ability button.

3. Toggle on Use double press.

4. Choose Pockets.