5 hidden Android options I want I knew about sooner

It is well-known that Android units supply a wide selection of options and settings to discover. With Android 16 now obtainable and Google frequently engaged on new options, it is simple to miss a few of the extra helpful and attention-grabbing 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 possibly can attempt them on any Android machine 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 telephone unlocked at residence

Lengthen Lock retains your telephone unlocked in trusted locations

One among my favourite options on Android known as Extend Lock (previously generally known as Good Lock). It has a quite simple premise, and what it does is maintain your telephone unlocked in trusted areas. For instance, you possibly can set Lengthen Lock to unlock your telephone if you’re at residence. This makes it straightforward to shortly decide up and use your machine at residence with out coming into a PIN or utilizing biometrics.

After all, 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 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 telephone unlocked when you’re strolling with it, and Trusted Gadgets unlocks it when linked to a close-by trusted machine, 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 beneath:

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

2. Scroll down and faucet Lengthen Unlock.

3. Enter your machine 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 achieved this about one million occasions on my telephone: I get a notification, I have a look at it, swipe it away, after which utterly overlook 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’ve acquired. So, for those who by accident delete a notification you need to learn, you possibly can verify your Notification historical past to see what it was, quite than being left at nighttime.

The very best half is that enabling Notification historical past solely takes a couple of seconds and saves you plenty of complications. Here is how one 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 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 so it may possibly’t be simply swiped away. So, for those who’re handing your telephone 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 machine, this prevents that by locking one app to the display.

Whenever you pin an app to the display, you possibly can 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’ve enabled). You too can allow PIN safety, so if the individual your telephone now is aware of how one can 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 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 uninterested in handing out your Wi-Fi password like sweet on Halloween, this Android characteristic makes it very straightforward to share it shortly 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. Below the title of your Wi-Fi, you may 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 suppose

Lastly, I discover this characteristic important on my Android machine: opening Google Wallet with a double-press of the facility button. Launched 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, it is a new characteristic with Android 16. Presently, it is restricted to Google Pockets and the digicam app on Pixel units, however I hope Google will increase 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 facility button has been obtainable for some time. So, if in case you have a Galaxy telephone, you possibly can select Google Pockets or another app you like.

That stated, this is how one can open Google Pockets in seconds in your Android machine:

1. Go to Settings > System > Gestures.

2. Choose Double-press the facility button.

3. Toggle on Use double press.

4. Choose Pockets.