5 hidden Android options I want I knew about sooner

It is well-known that Android gadgets provide a big selection of options and settings to discover. With Android 16 now accessible and Google regularly engaged on new options, it is simple to miss a few of the extra helpful and fascinating options which were 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 possibly can attempt them on any Android system 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 telephone unlocked at residence

Prolong Lock retains your telephone unlocked in trusted locations

One in all my favourite options on Android is known as Extend Lock (previously generally known as Good Lock). It has a quite simple premise, and what it does is preserve your telephone unlocked in trusted areas. For instance, you possibly can set Prolong Lock to unlock your telephone if you’re at residence. This makes it straightforward to rapidly decide up and use your system at residence 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 residence, it is a helpful software. As quickly as your telephone leaves the tackle or map space you set on Prolong Lock, it instantly requires a PIN or biometrics to unlock once more.

Prolong Lock additionally provides two further choices: On-Physique Detection and Trusted Gadgets. On-Physique Detection retains your telephone unlocked whilst 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 Prolong Lock your self, observe the steps under:

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

2. Scroll down and faucet Prolong Unlock.

3. Enter your system PIN.

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

2

Always remember a notification

Notification historical past helps you recall notifications you’ve got dismissed

I’ve executed this about one million instances on my telephone: 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 could have acquired. So, should you by accident delete a notification you wish to learn, you possibly can examine your Notification historical past to see what it was, relatively than being left at midnight.

The very best half is that enabling Notification historical past solely takes just a few seconds and saves you a whole lot of complications. Here is tips on how 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 screen to guard your privateness

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

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 means that you can pin a single app to your display screen so it might probably’t be simply swiped away. So, should you’re handing your telephone over to a child, member of the family, or buddy 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.

If you pin an app to the display screen, you possibly can solely exit it by swiping up and holding the house bar, or by holding down the triangle and sq. buttons for just a few seconds (relying on the kind of gesture navigation you could have enabled). You may also allow PIN safety, so if the particular person your telephone now is aware of tips on how to 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 possibly can 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 residence for a very long time: “What’s your Wi-Fi password?” Should you’re bored with handing out your Wi-Fi password like sweet on Halloween, this Android characteristic makes it very straightforward to share it rapidly with out the effort of typing your lengthy and probably complicated password on their telephone by sharing your Wi-Fi through a QR code. So, if somebody is visiting, they’ll scan the code in your telephone, and voilà, they’ve entry to your Wi-Fi.

The very best 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 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 system: opening Google Wallet with a double-press of the ability button. Launched just lately in Android 16, it makes funds extra handy — no have to open your telephone and faucet Pockets in Fast Settings. Simply double-press the house button, and Google Pockets launches immediately for contactless funds after unlocking your telephone.

For Pixel customers, this can be a new characteristic with Android 16. Presently, 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 any app to open with a double-press of the ability button has been accessible for some time. So, in case you have a Galaxy telephone, you possibly can select Google Pockets or another app you like.

That stated, this is tips on how to 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.