For many users, the ubiquitous smartphone—a device that is essential to modern life—frequently performs below its maximum potential. A deeper layer of features, sometimes referred to as “secret” or “hidden,” lies beyond the applications and functionalities that are immediately apparent. By guiding you through these lesser-known features, this post hopes to turn your phone from a recognizable tool into a more potent and customized one. Fundamentally, your smartphone is an advanced computer.
Similar to other computing devices, it has a number of sophisticated settings that are usually only accessible by developers. Gaining access to these “Developer Options” opens up a number of features, such as debugging tools and performance adjustments, that can drastically change your user experience. The operating system control panel for your device is this section.
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How to Turn on Developer Preferences. The procedure for turning on Developer Options is largely the same for all Android devices, though there might be slight differences between OS versions and manufacturers. There isn’t an explicit counterpart to Android’s Developer Options on iOS that offers the same level of end-user customization.
Nonetheless, developers sideload apps & access debugging data using Xcode and particular iOS developer profiles. Due to its broad applicability in revealing “hidden features,” Android’s Developer Options will be the main focus of this article. To activate on Android:. To access Settings, find the “Settings” application icon & tap it. Locate “About Phone” or “About Device”: Navigate down the settings menu until you come across an item with the labels “About phone,” “About device,” or something comparable. Find “Build Number” by searching for it in the “About phone” section.
The “. Tap Several Times: Quickly tap the “Build number” field seven times. “You are now a developer!” or a similar message will be confirmed in a brief on-screen message. To access Developer Options, go back to the “Settings” menu. The main settings list will now have a new entry, typically called “Developer options” or “Developer settings,” which will frequently be found under “System,” “Advanced,” or directly there. Understanding Key Developer Settings.
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A new set of options is available after Developer Options are enabled. When adjusting these settings, use caution because some may affect battery life or device stability. Debugging USB. This setting allows a computer and your phone to communicate via a USB connection, mostly for troubleshooting and app development. When you activate it, programs such as Android Debug Bridge (ADB) can run commands on your device.
In addition to being advantageous for developers, it poses a security risk in the event that your device is compromised. Turn it on only when absolutely required, and then turn it off. Unlocking OEM.
Your device’s bootloader can be unlocked with OEM unlocking. The bootloader, which loads the operating system, is the first piece of software that launches when your device turns on. Unlocking it gives you more control over the software on your device by enabling the installation of custom recoveries & custom ROMs (modified versions of Android). If not handled appropriately, it can occasionally result in security risks and usually voids your warranty.
scales for animation. For screen changes, app launches and shutdowns, and other user interface components, your phone uses animations. “Window animation scale,” “Transition animation scale,” and “Animator duration scale” are the three settings that regulate these. By decreasing these values (e.g. G. from 1x to 0.5x) or even turning them off, you’ll notice a discernible improvement in your device’s speed & responsiveness because the system will be spending less time creating visual effects.
An old phone can feel faster with this subtle yet efficient method. Go into Force Dark Mode.
“Force Dark Mode” aims to apply a dark theme to apps that do not support it natively on Android 10 or later devices. Because it illuminates fewer pixels, this can potentially save battery life on AMOLED screens and lessen eye strain in low-light conditions, though it is not always ideal. Don’t Continue with Activities. Every action is instantly erased when the user exits this setting.
Developers can use this to make sure apps handle state changes appropriately and troubleshoot memory leaks. Enabling this could cause apps to reload entirely each time you return to them, which could slow down multitasking & make the user experience frustrating for average users. In general, it is best to leave this setting turned off. Limit of the Background Process. With this feature, you can manage the number of background processes that can run.
The default “Standard limit” option permits a large number of background processes, while the “No background processes” option does not. Your foreground application may run faster if you limit background processes to conserve battery life and free up RAM. It also means that apps will need to restart a lot, which could cause background service updates or notifications to be delayed. Despite the well-known general advice to lower screen brightness, there are a few less evident settings that can have a big impact on your phone’s durability and speed.
Consider these as optimizing the energy consumption and processing power of your device, analogous to enhancing the speed or fuel efficiency of an automobile’s engine. both adaptive brightness and battery.
“Adaptive Battery” and “Adaptive Brightness” are features found in the majority of contemporary smartphones. Adaptive Battery prioritizes battery for your most used apps and services while limiting power consumption for less important ones by using machine learning to understand your usage patterns. With time, adaptive brightness automatically modifies screen brightness according to your preferences and the surrounding light levels. To ensure optimal management, make sure these are enabled in the battery and display settings of your device. WiFi Throttling Scanning.
You may find “Wi-Fi scan throttling” under Developer Options. Turning this off lowers the number of Wi-Fi scans, which can quietly conserve battery life. For users who mostly stay connected to known networks, lowering the scanning frequency can provide a small but cumulative battery benefit, even though a constantly scanning Wi-Fi radio aids in rapidly locating networks.
“Always-On Display” (AOD) deactivation.
“Always-On Display” is a common convenience for phones with AMOLED screens. It shows the time, date, & notifications without completely waking the screen. AMOLED’s ability to selectively light pixels results in low power consumption, but it does use battery over extended periods of time. You may want to disable AOD in your display settings if battery conservation is a top priority.
Unused Apps Can Be Offloaded (iOS Specific). In order to free up storage space on iOS, the “Offload Unused Apps” feature, located under Settings > General > iPhone Storage, automatically deletes apps that you don’t use very often. Importantly, it saves the data of the app, so your documents or game progress are preserved when you reinstall it from the App Store. Managing storage effectively without permanently erasing data is possible with this method. Android-specific smart storage. Similar functionality is provided by Android’s “Smart Storage” feature, which is frequently located under Storage settings & has the ability to automatically delete backed-up images & videos from your device when storage capacity is low.
This function is compatible with cloud backup services like Google Photos. Numerous pieces of personal data are stored on your phone. Several features improve your privacy and provide extra security layers on top of biometric locks and strong passwords. Think of these as the different parts of your digital fortress, each of which adds to its overall strength.
Secure Folder (specific to Samsung). Included with Samsung Galaxy devices is a “Secure Folder,” a password-protected, encrypted area of the phone. By moving documents, files, apps, & images into this folder, you can prevent unauthorized access to them even if someone manages to access your primary device. It establishes a distinct, sandboxed environment for private information.
Android Multiple User Profiles and Guest Mode. Multiple user profiles and “Guest Mode” are supported by Android. Someone with restricted access can use your phone in “guest mode,” which keeps them from seeing your messages, apps, or personal information. Families sharing a device can use multiple user profiles, each with its own private space. Both the quick settings panel & the “Google” section of your main settings provide access to these.
Android Screen Pinning and App Pinning. You can lock your phone to a single app by using “App Pinning” (also called “Screen Pinning”). This is helpful if you give someone your phone so they can use a particular app (e.g. A. a kid’s game) and don’t want them to switch to other content or navigate away from it. To enable:.
Navigate to Security and privacy (or Security) under Settings. Search for “Advanced,” “App pinning,” or “Screen pinning.”. “.”. Turn it on. To use it, launch the app you wish to pin, go to your overview of recently used apps, tap the icon on the top of the app’s card, and choose “Pin.”. Usually, a PIN or pattern is required in order to unpin the app.
Modes of private browsing. The majority of web browsers come with an “incognito” or “private browsing” mode. Although it doesn’t make you anonymous online, it stops the browser from locally storing cookies, site data, and browsing history on your device. For short-term browsing sessions or when utilizing a different device, this is helpful.
Specific to iOS 16+, lockdown mode.
“Lockdown Mode” is a severe, optional security feature available on iOS 16 and later that is intended for a very limited number of users who might be vulnerable to highly targeted cyberattacks by private companies creating state-sponsored thematic spyware. When enabled, it drastically strengthens device defenses & severely restricts some features, like preventing incoming FaceTime calls from unknown numbers, blocking complex web technologies, and disabling message attachment types other than images. Accessibility features can greatly enhance the user experience for anyone, not just those with disabilities. These features show how your phone can adjust to different demands and tastes, making communication more comfortable and effective. Android & iOS Magnification Gestures.
There are features for magnification on both iOS and Android. Usually, you can turn them on in the accessibility settings.
“Magnification” or “Magnify” on Android. Turn on the “triple-tap” zoom in & out. You can pan around the zoomed-in area by tapping the screen three times after activation.
For zooming out, triple-tap once more. iOS: “Zoom.”. A three-finger double-tap can be used to zoom in and out after turning it on.
To navigate the zoomed-in screen, drag three fingers. These are helpful for seeing details in pictures or reading fine print. Speech-to-Text Output.
You can have your phone read text from messages, articles, & websites.
“Select to Speak” on Android (under Accessibility). A tiny icon will show up if you enable this. Your phone can read text aloud by tapping it & choosing text or by drawing a box over text.
iOS: Accessibility > Spoken Content > “Speak Selection” and “Speak Screen.”. You can choose text & have it read aloud by using “Speak Selection”. By using two fingers to swipe down from the top of the screen, “Speak Screen” reads a screen’s contents from top to bottom. Both color correction and color inversion. By changing the display colors, these settings can lessen eye strain or increase readability.
Color Inversion: This flips the colors on your screen (e.g. A. Black text on a white background turns into white text on a black background.
For personal preferences or to lessen glare in low light, this can be useful. Color correction modifies the color balance for people who have certain types of color blindness. Accessibility settings on your device will have these options, usually in a “Display” or “Vision” submenu. Mode of One Hand. It can be difficult to reach the top of the screen with one hand on larger phones. Android: Usually found in the main settings under “Advanced features” or “Gestures,” or as a toggle in the quick settings.
It usually makes elements more accessible by reducing the active display area to the bottom of the screen. iOS (Reachability): To make the content at the top of the screen readable with the thumb, swipe down on the bottom edge of the screen on iPhones (or double-tap the Home button on older models). In Settings > Accessibility > Touch > Reachability, turn it on.
Haptic Feedback Personalization. The faint vibrations your phone makes are known as haptic feedback. Although most devices have default settings, some let you adjust the vibrations’ strength or even patterns for different interactions, like calls, notifications, and keyboard presses. This may offer a more individualized & tactile experience.
Examine these choices in the “Sound & vibration” settings. Beyond simple app use, your phone has a number of tools to help you navigate more easily, automate chores, and generally enhance the way you interact with people every day. Similar to smart tools and shortcuts in a workshop, these features let you accomplish more with less work.
Data detectors and intelligent text selection. Certain data types can be identified in text by modern operating systems. Android’s Smart Text Selection feature enables you to swiftly copy or carry out an action (e.g., a phone number, email address, or entire address) when you long-press on text. “g.”. searching for an address on a map, dialing a number). Data Detectors (iOS): In emails, web pages, and messages, iOS automatically highlights flight numbers, dates, times, and phone numbers.
When you tap on them, pertinent actions appear, such as opening in Maps or adding to your calendar. Quick Settings Personalization. By swiping down from the top of your screen, you can access the “Quick Settings” panel, which offers a wealth of customization options. Tiles that you hardly use can be removed, rearranged, or replaced. This enables you to set up frequently used settings (e.g. G.
flashlight, screen recorder, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and Do Not Disturb) that are easily accessible. In the Quick Settings panel, tap the “Edit” button or pencil icon to make changes. iOS Focus Modes and Android Digital Wellbeing. These features are not just “Do Not Disturb.”. “.”.
Focus Modes (iOS): Let you make personalized profiles (e.g. (g). “Work,” “Sleep,” and “Personal”) that regulate which apps show up on your home screen, which notifications you get, and even who can get in touch with you. They can be manually triggered or scheduled. The Android app Digital Wellbeing is mainly concerned with screen time management, but it also has a feature called “Focus Mode” that lets you schedule digital quiet time by turning off distracting apps and hiding their notifications.
Also, when you go to bed, “Wind Down” turns off your screen and activates Do Not Disturb. Universal Search (Android’s Google Search Widget, iOS’s Spotlight). Both platforms have robust universal search features. Spotlight (iOS): Spotlight is accessible by swiping down on your home screen. In addition to searching through your contacts and apps, it can also conduct web searches, conversions, computations, and even searches within the content of specific apps (e.g. 3.
messages, mail). Google Search Widget (Android): The Google search bar, which is present on the majority of Android home screens, is an effective tool for online and device searches. Also, exploring apps, settings, & files in depth is frequently made possible by a dedicated search function. iOS Shortcuts App and Android Tasker/Routines are examples of automation and shortcuts. iOS Shortcuts: No doubt one of the most potent undiscovered features on iOS is the “Shortcuts” app.
It enables you to design unique workflows that automate a series of tasks. With options ranging from basic tasks like “Play my morning playlist” to more intricate ones like “Send my spouse an ETA message when I leave work,” the options are numerous. Widgets, automation rules, or Siri can all initiate shortcuts (e.g.
G. “Switch on the smart lights when I get home.”. Android Tasker, Bixby Routines, and Google Assistant Routines: Although Tasker is a third-party app with unmatched automation features for Android, many Android phones have built-in automation, particularly Samsung phones with Bixby Routines and all Android phones with Google Assistant Routines. These let you create “If This, Then That” rules that will change settings, start apps, or send messages automatically based on time, location, Wi-Fi connection, or other triggers.
You can turn your smartphone from a passive tool into an active companion in your everyday life that is customized to your unique tastes and requirements by actively exploring these features. These features are frequently “secret” due to their subtle integration and the vast array of options that are just waiting for a curious user to discover them all.
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