We are often accused of dislike Android and order processing Apple. Especially it gets to me as an active user of both mobile platforms at once. One has only to write about something that remotely resembles criticism Android, how fighters for justice instantly materialize under the article, who, obviously, in conditions of self-isolation go crazy and no longer know who else but their family members. you can throw out the accumulated bile. Nevertheless, I really love Android and value it primarily not for the abundance of available devices, but for the wide range of functionality that is simply not available on iOS.
Android has several distinct advantages over iOS
How to enable shortcuts on Android
The first thing to mention is shortcuts, or, in a simpler way, shortcuts. This is a special mechanism that allows you to replace application icons with buttons for quick access to certain functions of these applications. Let's say I watch YouTube a lot, but I hate it when the service is launched on a page with recommended videos. Therefore, I can put on the desktop a shortcut to the section with subscriptions and activate it already. As a result, this action will launch the application and immediately place me on the page with my subscriptions.
- Unlock your smartphone, go to the desktop and find the application you need;
- Click on its icon and hold your finger until a context menu appears with available actions;
Shortcuts make it much easier to work with applications. It is a pity that they are not available everywhere.
- Press and hold the action button until it comes loose;
- Place a shortcut on your desktop and do fewer things when launching important applications.
However, there is one limitation. The fact is that shortcuts appeared only in Android 7.1 Nougat, and therefore, unfortunately, it will not work to run them on smartphones based on an earlier version of the operating system.
How to connect to Android a mouse, keyboard or gamepad
Many have already forgotten that openness Android is not only the ability to download hacked versions of paid applications and customize the OS interface. It is also the ability to work with external accessories and peripherals. For example, almost all Android – smartphones support mice, keyboards, which can be connected not only via Bluetooth, but also via USB. The main thing is to find an adapter, since most modern models are equipped with a USB-C connector. Similarly, you can connect external hard drives, flash drives and other peripherals.
Android Supports USB accessories by default
But if most users need mice and keyboards on their smartphones just like a car does a fifth wheel, then the ability to connect an Xbox 360 game controller can be a decisive factor for many. Although Google Stadia officially supports only a limited number of devices, this service can be launched in a browser on any smartphone. However, in order to properly play advanced titles on this site, you need a wired gamepad.
How to quickly open Control Center at Android
I often hear users' dissatisfaction Android with the Control Center device. Say, on iOS everything is arranged much more logically, because Apple has spread the Control Center and the Notification Center to different places, so that it is more convenient to call them. On Android, in order to get to all the functional buttons, you have to swipe across the screen twice, which, although it does not take much time, is not as convenient as on iPhone. Apparently, these people simply do not know about the secret gesture.
The control center on Android opens immediately by swiping with two fingers
This gesture allows you to open Control Center with all the settings icons with just one swipe. All you need is to swipe from the top of the screen with not one, but two fingers. It's brilliant. One-finger swipe calls up the notification curtain, and two-finger swipes – Control Center. To my taste, this is even more logical and more convenient than the implementation Apple, which came up with the idea of spreading these interface elements on different sides of the screen, which at first was perceived by many as a banal lack of ideas among the developers.
How to increase autonomy on Android
Android is a system that, like democracy, does not decide everything for the user, but gives him the opportunity to make decisions himself. This is clearly seen in the example of the energy consumption control mechanism. Few know that Android in the background monitors which applications are consuming the most resources and either warns the user about this, or – with the appropriate permissions – simply unloads them from memory automatically.
- To configure the mechanism for controlling energy consumption, go to 'Settings';
- Scroll down the list of available tabs and open the 'Battery' section;
Energy management can improve autonomy
- Here go to 'Launch Applications' and find the application you need;
- Click on it and select what actions can be performed with it Android.
Thus, you can save 7-15% of charging, which, in my opinion, is pretty good.
How to add a caption to the lock screen
Android is a highly customizable operating system that you can change the way you want. However, I really like the ability to write reminders to myself on the lock screen. It will be displayed regardless of whether you have removed the lock or not. Thus, I do not forget to fulfill some plans. For example, buy a descaler, go to a pharmacy, or something like that. After all, writing on paper and even in reminder applications does not make much sense, since there is no guarantee that you will not forget to look at what you wrote down for yourself.
- To write yourself a reminder on the lock screen, open 'Settings';
- In the search, type in 'Signature on the lock screen' and go to this tab;
The signature on the screen can be used as a reminder or as a request to contact you if the smartphone is suddenly lost
- Enter the text of the message and confirm its saving;
- Lock your smartphone, then wake it up with the power button and check if the display is correct.
Thus, even leave a backup phone number on the screen so that you can be contacted if the device is suddenly lost. This is much more convenient than finding a loss, looking for ways to delete all data from a smartphone or send a message to the finder with a request to return.