Android Tricks

There's a new crop of Android
phones out there — and a new set
of hidden shortcuts to make using
your phone even easier. And even
if you have an older model, I'll
share my favorite tools to get you
the same functionality you would
get with a brand-new device.
Camera Tricks
One of the handiest things about
modern phones is that you now
have a reasonably high quality
camera with you at all times. But
as cool as that is, it can be
incredibly frustrating how long it
takes for the camera to launch.
How many times has this
happened to you: By the time
you've woken up the phone,
unlocked your screen, and opened
the camera app, you've missed the
moment.
Launch the camera in just one
move. On most phones running
the latest Android OS, you can
customize your lock screen for
fast access. On the Samsung SIII,
for example, you can simply press
and hold the center of the lock
screen, rotate the phone 90
degrees while still holding the
center of the screen — and boom;
the camera launches. To enable
this feature, go to Settings,
Security, Lock Screen Options, and
then turn on CAMERA QUICK
ACCESS. On older android phones
you can use an app like
WidgetLocker to get the camera
icon onto your lock screen. Added
bonus: With WidgetLocker, you
can customize your lock screen
with whatever functions you like
to access quickly.
Voice Control. Once you get the
camera fired up, many newer
Androids also offer voice control.
Set your camera on a tripod or
Gorillapod and say "Shoot." After
a one-second delay (just long
enough to smile), the camera will
snap the shot. This is great for
self-portraits and group shots.
If you have an older Android
phone, Camera ZOOM FX gives
you the same voice control, plus
some awesome additional powers
— stabilizer, time lapse, and Burst
Mode, which lets you take up to
10 shots in a second.
Screen Capture
Say you want to do a screen grab
of a web page — or maybe you
have a cute sequence of texts you
want to save forever — whatever.
Depending on the model and
flavor of Android you have, some
key combos will do the trick. On
some versions, press the Home
key and Power buttons at the
same time; on others, it's Volume
Down and Power. On older
phones, you can get an app like
Screenshot It , which enables you
to capture what's on your phone's
screen, just not with the quick key
combos of newer phones.
Fast Reboot
Powering down your phone
normally takes two moves, and
restarting takes a third. But if you
hold down the power button for
10 seconds, it'll reboot with just
one move. This should work on
most Android phones.
Managing Battery Life & Speed
The best way to improve your
phone's battery life and speed is
to keep the number of open apps
to a minimum. But how do you
know what's open? Answer: The
Task Manager lists the programs
that are currently operating in the
background, draining your
battery. But instead of scrolling
through menus to find the Task
Manager, you can launch it
immediately by holding down the
Home key. You should now be
able to see a list of all apps that
are currently running. From the
same screen, you can close
anything that isn't mission critical.
Not All Androids Are Created Equal
One caveat for all these shortcuts:
they may or may not work
depending on what version of
Android you're running or which
brand of phone you have. So let
us know what worked for you and
share your favorite shortcuts on
our Facebook page .