Did you know that there are 2.5 billion active Android users across 190 countries? Despite this operating system being so popular, most of us actually don’t know how to take full advantage of everything it has to offer! While you might think you know your phone inside and out, we’re willing to bet that there are some hidden features you aren’t aware of. Once you learn them, it’ll make life so much easier! So read on, as here are some Android 10 hidden features you should know about.
Fast App-Switching
You might already know that you can switch between apps by bringing up the app screen, scrolling through them, and picking the one you want. But if you’re using just a few apps and you’re switching between them often, this can get annoying.
You can quickly switch between your last 2 apps by double-tapping the Overview key. It’s very handy if say, you’re on a call and need to look at information to give the other person!
Smart Reply
As the name implies, Smart Reply will allow you to respond quickly to messages with preset replies.
This might sound familiar, as the tech’s been around for years now. However, Smart Reply takes it a step further: with its AI, it’ll learn which responses you usually send, and it’ll generate those as quick options so you can just tap them and go.
For those who are concerned about data privacy, get peace of mind knowing that the Smart Reply options all deal with local data. None of this will be sent to Android, so don’t worry!
Family Link
Family Link is actually made by Google and it allows you to supervise your children’s phone activity! What’s great about Family Link is you won’t have to download another app; you can already find it on Android 10 phones.
Just go to the Digital Wellbeing app, which you’ll use to link your kids’ phones to yours. From here, you can control which apps they can see or download. Not only that, but you can also see what apps they’re using and for how long, so it can be an excellent way to tell if they’re actually doing their homework or not.
Another cool feature of Family Link is you can control their in-app purchases remotely. So if you need to leave for a business trip, you can still supervise your kids’ phone activities!
Family Link grows with you as well. As your kids become older and more responsible, you can customize the app approvals so they can make their own app purchases while still allowing you to manage them.
Focus Mode
Are you guilty of picking up your phone and scrolling through it whenever you’re bored or procrastinating? Do you want to reduce your screen time and spend more time in the real world? Then you should consider using Focus Mode.
You can also find this feature in the Digital Wellbeing app for Android 10. From there, you can select the particular apps you want to lock away while Focus Mode is on. This means you won’t be able to open them, which can help you focus.
The app will also hide any push notifications from the app. If you’d rather have these on, thankfully, you can set Focus Mode to allow important notifications to come through.
Should you get tempted and click on any of the selected apps, your phone will tell you that Focus Mode is on and bar you from opening up those apps.
Do Not Disturb
You might already know about this feature, but did you know you can customize it? Not only can you toggle this feature on when you don’t want to be disturbed, but you can also set it so it allows certain people to get through this barrier.
In addition, you can also set rules for how this app behaves at different times, as well as conditions. For example, you can set it so that if the phone detects that you’re driving, Do Not Disturb automatically turns on.
Live Captions
Do you have a hearing impairment? Or do you just find it hard to understand people when you’re on video chats or watching videos on your phone, which might have subpar speakers?
One of the best hidden Android features is something called Live Caption. Basically, anything you play on your phone will become captioned, even live calls!
This app actually first came out on Pixel phones only. However, Live Caption is now available on all Android 10 phones!
Not only can you get all audio captioned, but you can also change the font size if the default’s hard to read. Just double-tap the caption box and it’ll get bigger. You can also press and hold the caption box, then drag it anywhere you want on the screen in case it’s blocking key visual information.
Guest Mode
Let’s say you’re very particular about your phone and you don’t like it when others mess around with it. You also don’t want them being nosy and investigating what you’ve been using and/or browsing on your phone.
This is where Guest Mode comes in. Go into the System app and then select “Multiple users” under “Advanced”. You can then toggle Guest Mode onto “on”.
Now, whoever you hand your phone to will get a very basic screen to work with. Whatever they do while Guest Mode is on won’t impact your actual account.
Do note that this feature isn’t available on Samsung phones. But for all other Android 10 phones, you’ll enjoy this hidden feature!
Use These Android 10 Hidden Features for a Better Time
As you can see, there are plenty of Android 10 hidden features to explore. You might’ve already been aware of some, but we’ll bet there are at least a few features you weren’t aware of!
From Smart Reply and Family Link, to Live Captions and Guest Mode, you’ll have plenty of hidden phone features to customize your phone for better convenience.
If your Android phone isn’t working properly, then have us repair it. We have several locations for your convenience!