Is your phone hiding secret tricks and features from you?
Do you believe the most common myths about making your battery last longer?
And why doesn't this palm-sized computer need an internal fan like your PC?
Do I sound whiny enough?
Ok, enough questions – let’s get some answers!
- Starting with those hidden features!
Phone developers often leave "Easter eggs" within their product.
You wouldn’t find them if you didn’t know where to look!
(And let me know down in the comments which ones worked for you!)
1.
For example, there are mini-games on Android devices that visually correspond to the name
of the operating system update.
To find a game, head into Settings – About phone.
Click on the "Android version" to open the page with all that info.
Then tap on it repeatedly until a big logo page opens.
Click on the logo a few times again and the mini-game will open.
iPhone users won't find any secret games, but the developers still hid some Easter eggs
in surprisingly visible places!
Here are the coolest:
2.
Go to the Safari browser.
Open any site and click the "Share" button then "Add to reading list" to find a secret
homage to Apple’s late founder.
The symbol for this feature is glasses that were modeled after Steve Jobs' iconic round
pair!
3.
If you’re on an iPhone, now take a look at the Open Book emoji in the virtual keyboard.
This small icon encrypts a quote from Apple's famous "Think different" advertising campaign.
You won’t be able to read it, of course – the print is way too small.
You’ll have to extract the source file from the emoji and enlarge it to see the inscription.
4.
Moving on to a cool Easter egg hidden in the Voice Memo app.
Ever wondered what the sound wave on the icon means?
Turn on the app and say "Apple" – the phone will record a track with a very similar sound
wave.
5.
The Maps app icon has been changed several times, but it’s always shown a real address.
At first, it was the company’s old location, but now it shows us the new Apple Park address.
- Hidden treasures are fun and all, but let’s get into more practical stuff, like how to
make your phone charge last and keep prying eyes out of your personal info!
(Or answer a call when you’ve got ground beef all over your hands!)
6.
If your phone has an AMOLED or OLED screen, then you can significantly save battery power
by make the wallpaper a jet black picture.
This type of display consists of Organic Light-Emitting Diode.
Sounds fancy, but it basically emits light when a current passes through it.
Black is the absence of light, so the screen doesn't light up, only the icons and symbols
do.
Your battery will stay juiced up a lot longer than if you have a bright colorful wallpaper
or, even worse, a moving one!
7.
There’s a widespread myth that you should always close all open applications to save
battery.
But phone developers have said many times that background apps don't waste energy.
They just wait until you start them again.
And reopening these apps from the background mode is much easier for the phone than opening
a completely closed one.
8.
Another myth is that you have to let the phone run out of juice completely and then charge
it.
Don't do this, it isn’t good for the battery.
9.
What does work is turning off the sound and, especially, the vibration!
10.
And if you want your phone to charge faster and the juice to last longer, turn off the
Internet and unnecessary networks if you’re not using them.
By the way, Wi-Fi Internet is more energy-efficient than a mobile network.
11.
Next time someone asks to use your phone – and you’re a little worried they might start
tapping where you’d rather they didn’t – you can enable the Guided Access feature
if you’re an iPhone user.
It's in the Settings under Accessibility.
This function lets you hide any information from prying eyes.
And there's a ton of apps in Google Play and the App Store with this feature.
12.
How about this: you’ve got your headphones on, and you get a call.
It's cold outside, and you don't want to pull your hands out of your pockets to see who’s
calling you.
The Announce Calls feature is just what you need in such a situation.
Your phone will tell you the caller's name through the headphones.
13.
One of the coolest features on your phone is actually something it’s lacking: an internal
fan like computers have.
Internal fans cool the machine down, right?
Well, most phones are equipped with hardware that doesn't allow them to heat up to extreme
temperatures.
They have special sheets that help with thermal diffusion to keep your gadget cool.
The case also does its part by absorbing any heat coming from the device and then emitting
it outside.
Such methods were created to save space in the phone so that a mini fan isn’t needed.
This wouldn’t work on a computer, though – there’s too much load on the internal
parts, and without good cooling, it just shuts down.
14.
If you need to scan an important document, no need to rush to the nearest copy center
– you have everything you need in your pocket.
You can install an app on your smartphone that takes photos of your document, processes
this picture so that it looks like a print, and converts it to the desired format.
If you don't have a very good camera, then you might need to use a real printer…sorry!
15.
You can use your phone as a TV remote – good news for anybody who tends to lose those things!
Certain apps allow you to connect to your TV through Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.
16.
There are also apps that can turn your phone into a surveillance camera that takes pictures
as soon as movement occurs in the frame.
The phone can also respond to noise and be used as a baby monitor.
Though, these features should only be used temporarily when absolutely necessary – it’s
better to use designated devices for these cases than a smartphone.
17.
One of the coolest things is that you can turn your phone into an ultraviolet detector.
No need for the app store with this trick – it’s all DIY!
You just need some clear tape and two markers: purple and blue.
Stick a piece of tape on the phone’s flash, and color it with the blue marker.
Stick another layer on top, coloring that one purple.
Add two more color layers in this sequence.
Now you can check banknotes for authenticity with this detector and see invisible ink and
fingerprints!
18.
Suppose you're in the kitchen making dinner, you’re elbows-deep in ground beef, and your
phone is ringing.
You don't have to get your phone dirty or wash your hands quickly to answer.
I'm not talking about gesture control right now.
You can download an app that will allow you to control your phone using head gestures.
That is, as long as you have a pretty recent OS!
19.
Or maybe unlock the phone with your nose instead of your ground-beef-covered fingerprint?
Yep, you can add a print of your nose and even your toes on the iPhone.
True, you’ll have to try hard to unlock the phone this way, but sounds like a fun
challenge to me!
20.
Here’s a useful feature for anyone who likes to text.
(So, everybody, I take it?)
If you want to rewrite a word or correct a mistake, you don't need to move your cursor
over the text.
Hold down the space button, and move the cursor to the desired location.
21.
Android users can open detailed development settings for their phone by turning on a special
developer mode.
To do this, go to the Settings, select System, click "About phone," and tap "Build number"
7 times.
After that, the developer functions will open for you.
Return to the previous screen to find Developer options near the bottom.
Now you can configure the functions of speed, communication quality, and change the system’s
appearance.
Eh, I think I’d rather try to open my phone with my toes – sounds more fun, don’t
you think?
22.
If you lost your phone at home -- haven’t we all done that? -- then you can go to your
Android or Apple account through the browser on the computer and display the location of
the phone.
Of course, it won't give you the exact place, like a "Hey, your phone is under the bed!"
But you can send a sound signal to help you find it!
23.
If you lost your phone outside the house, you can call it, display messages for whoever
finds the phone, completely block and delete all data.
But hopefully you’ll never have to use this tip!
Hey, if you learned something new today, then give the video a like and share it with a
friend!
And here are some other cool videos I think you'll enjoy.
Just click to the left or right, and stay on the Bright Side of life!