5 hidden Android options I want I knew about sooner

It is well-known that Android units provide a wide selection of options and settings to discover. With Android 16 now out there and Google regularly engaged on new options, it is easy to miss a number of the extra helpful and attention-grabbing options which were a part of Android for some time.

Though options like Live Updates and Adaptive Battery are spectacular, listed below are 5 helpful Android options that I imagine are sometimes missed and that I want I had found earlier.

I’ve examined all of those on each my Galaxy S25+ and Pixel 8a, so you may attempt them on any Android machine you personal. You do not want any extra apps both, as all of those options are constructed straight into Android’s settings menu.

1

Maintain your telephone unlocked at house

Lengthen Lock retains your telephone unlocked in trusted locations

One among my favourite options on Android is known as Extend Lock (previously often called Good Lock). It has a quite simple premise, and what it does is hold your telephone unlocked in trusted areas. For instance, you may set Lengthen Lock to unlock your telephone whenever you’re at house. This makes it simple to rapidly decide up and use your machine at house with out getting into a PIN or utilizing biometrics.

In fact, utilizing this function requires trusting these you reside with, but when you do not have prying eyes at house, it is a useful instrument. As quickly as your telephone leaves the handle 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 related 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 completed this about 1,000,000 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 identify of the function implies, it retains a historical past of all of the notifications you’ve got acquired. So, in the event you by chance delete a notification you wish to learn, you may test your Notification historical past to see what it was, moderately than being left at nighttime.

The very best half is that enabling Notification historical past solely takes just a few seconds and saves you quite a lot of complications. Here is 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 function that I imagine is not talked about sufficient is App pinning. First launched with Android 5.0 Lollipop in 2014, this useful function lets you pin a single app to your display so it may possibly’t be simply swiped away. So, in the event you’re handing your telephone over to a child, member of the family, or buddy to take a look at, and you don’t need them to pry into something in your machine, this prevents that by locking one app to the display.

If you pin an app to the display, you may 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’ve got enabled). You may also allow PIN safety, so if the individual taking a look at your telephone now is aware of 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 may 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 by way of 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 house for a very long time: “What’s your Wi-Fi password?” In case you’re uninterested in handing out your Wi-Fi password like sweet on Halloween, this Android function makes it very simple to share it rapidly with out the trouble of typing your lengthy and probably complicated password on their telephone by sharing your Wi-Fi by way of a QR code. So, if somebody is visiting, they will scan the code in your telephone, and voilà, they’ve entry to your Wi-Fi.

The very best half is, you do not even must allow something for this setting to work. Simply observe these steps, and you will be sharing your Wi-Fi by way of 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 identify of your Wi-Fi, you will see three choices: Overlook, 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 suppose

Lastly, I discover this function important on my Android machine: opening Google Wallet with a double-press of the facility button. Launched just lately in Android 16, it makes funds extra handy — no must 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 function with Android 16. At the moment, it is restricted to Google Pockets and the digital camera app on Pixel units, however I hope Google will broaden 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 out there for some time. So, when you’ve got a Galaxy telephone, you may select Google Pockets or some other app you like.

That mentioned, here is 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.