Android is an operating system that gives us many options and that has a multitude of elements. In this operating system we also find functions that are normally hidden and that for many users are unknown. Then we leave you with a series of hidden functions in Android, which can help us make better use of our phones.
These hidden functions in Android are functions that are not known to many users, especially those that have been in the operating system for a short time. They can be a good help to make much better use of our Android smartphone. If you want to discover new ways to get the most out of your phone, these hidden functions are going to be interesting for you.
We leave you with a total of 10 hidden functions in Android, which you will be able to use on your phones. Some of these functions are accessible in a simple way, but they are not really visible, so we will have to perform a couple of steps to access them on our smartphones.
Pin apps in the share menu
Many users on Android make use of the sharing function on a regular basis on their phones. This is something we use when we want to share content with other people, like sharing photos in messaging apps. When we use this, on Android a share menu is shown and some apps are shown first. It is possible that these apps that are shown in the first place are not the ones you want to use, luckily, we have the possibility to set apps so that we have the ones we want to use first.
This is something we can do the next time we use the share function on Android. When the share menu opens on the screen, find the app you want to set and hold down on it. A couple of options will appear on said app, one of them is Fix. Then click on Fix so that this application remains in that position in this menu. If there are more apps you want to pin, you can do it by repeating the same process. So when you go to share content, this app or apps will come out in that place.
Guest mode
Another one of those hidden functions in Android that may be of interest to many users is the Guest Mode. Android has a profile system that allows you to have different desktops depending on the user. One of those profiles that we can create is the guest profile. This profile works in a similar way to incognito mode in browsers. That is, you will have access to all the functions that you normally have on Android, only that no data or a history of what you have done while using this profile will be saved.
This is something he does that can be of great utility when you lend your phone to someone else. Thanks to this, you make sure that that person does not have access to your data or your applications. If you want to use this Guest Mode on your Android phone, these are the steps:
- Open the phone settings.
- Enter System.
- Go to Advanced options.
- Enter Multiple users.
- Flip that switch to allow multiple accounts on the phone.
- When you go to lend your phone, open the quick accounts menu.
- Click on the user profile button.
- Click Add guest.
Now you can lend your phone to that person, so that they will be able to use it normally and you will not have to worry about this person having access to your data.
Share WiFi with a QR code
This is one of the hidden functions available in Android 11, which is very helpful for give other people access to a specific WiFi network. Thus the process of giving them access to this connection is very simple at all times. Ideal if you have a visitor and they need to connect to your WiFi network at home. The steps you have to follow to share a WiFi network using a QR code with other users are the following:
- Go to the WiFi section on your phone.
- Find the connection to share.
- Click on that connection.
- Click on the Share option.
- Wait for that QR code to appear on the screen.
Secret codes
Another of those hidden functions that can be of help are the secret codes in Android. These are codes that give us access to various menus on the phone that are not normally accessible, as codes with which to see the status of the phone's battery. In Android we have a huge amount of this type of codes available, in addition, they are different depending on the brand you have. Therefore, you will not always be able to use all those codes on your mobile.
There are some that may undoubtedly be of interest to you on Android, which you can use on some occasions. These are some secret codes available in the operating system:
- * # * # 273282 * 255 * 663282 * # * # * The files are backed up.
- * # * # * # * # 4636 Information about the mobile, usage and battery statistics.
- * # # 06 IMEI code of your mobile.
- * # * # * # * # 34971539 Information about the phone's camera.
- * # * # * # * # 232339 Do a speed test of your WiFi connection.
- * # * # * # * # 0289 Audio test.
Check for available updates
The applications that we have installed are updated through the Play Store. To check if we have updates available, we have to open the Play Store on the phone and then go to the My apps section, then to manage apps and see if there are updates. Many steps, but that we can shorten thanks to a simple hidden gesture on the phone. This is what we can do:
- Look for the Play Store icon on your phone.
- Hold down on this icon.
- Tap on My apps.
- Go to the updates section.
- You can now update your apps.
WhatsApp shortcuts
WhatsApp is one of the apps that we use the most on our phones and there are a series of hidden functions related to the app. For example, we have some shortcuts available, such as to access the most frequent chats that you have in the app. This is something we can do by keeping pressed on the WhatsApp icon in the phone's home menu. By doing this you get the icons to access your most frequent chats or open the camera.
These shortcuts are available in other Android apps too, so you can always access these shortcuts. So you can do it frequently on your mobile.
Add subtitles
Live Caption is one of the newest features on Android, which allows you to add subtitles that are generated automatically when you are watching videos or listening to a podcast. It is undoubtedly an option that can be very useful, in addition to improving the accessibility of Android phones. You can activate this function by following these steps:
- Play any file (video or podcast).
- Press the volume up or down button.
- Below the volume control, a Subtitles icon appears. Click on this button.
- Activate Live Caption.
Split screen
Another of the most interesting hidden functions in Android allows us to use the mobile in a very efficient way. It's all about the split screen, which will allow us to have two apps open on the screen at the same time. This can help us in many situations, especially if we use the mobile to work. It can be used like this:
- Open an application that you want to have in split screen on your mobile.
- Go to the recent apps menu (press the recent apps button at the bottom of the screen).
- Look for that other app to open.
- Hold down on the app.
- Tap Open in split screen.
Notification history
One of the functions that were launched in Android 11 is the notification history. For users who are starting to use this version of the operating system it is an interesting function. The notification history gives us access to all the notifications that we have received on the mobile. If we have missed one, we can see it again this way. The steps to access or activate this history are:
- Open the phone settings.
- Go to Notifications.
- Look for the Notifications History section.
- If it asks you to activate it, proceed to its activation.
- Every time notifications are generated, you will be able to see them in this history.
Pause apps
Another of these hidden functions for Android is to pause applications, a feature that was introduced in Android 11 last year. The idea behind this function is that we can pause functions, so that we cannot access them for the rest of the day. A simple way to improve concentration and prevent us from entering apps such as social networks when we are working, for example. In addition, we can do this easily.
Find that app you want to pause on your mobile. Then, press and hold on the icon of that application. In the upper left you will see that an hourglass icon appears, on which we must click. In this menu you will find the possibility of pausing said application on your mobile.