Call your favorite
contacts with one tap
Android allows you to create icons on your home
screen for contacts. To add one press and hold an empty space on your screen.
When the menu pops up select Shortcuts > Contact. You can then scroll through your list of contacts and tap the
person you want to add.
Search
with your voice
Google's search app lets you search the web or
your phone just by talking. Tap the microphone next to the search bar and
record your search. It's incredibly accurate.
Type with your voice
Many Android phones have talk-to-type built into
the keyboard. Tap the mic icon and just talk. Android does the rest.
Manage Wi-Fi, Bluetooth,
and Airplane mode from your home screen
Android has a nice built-in widget that lets you
toggle Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth, Brightness levels, and syncing with Google. It's
a great way to manage your battery power without digging through your settings
Sync Chrome to your
phone's browser
Android Market
Use your phone as a
portable hard drive
When you plug your phone into your computer with
a USB cable, you can activate Android's storage mode. This allows you to swap
files between your computer and phone, making an excellent way to take files
with you on the go.
Manage your files
android.com
The beauty of Android is that you can use your
phone's internal memory to store practically any file. But it can be hard to
find those files once you transfer them. Download a file manager like Astro File Manager to locate and sort your files.
Quickly access special
characters
If you want to get to your special characters
like commas and back slashes quicker, tap and hold the period key. A box will
pop up with commonly-used characters.
Sync with Google for the
ultimate experience
To get the most out of Android, make sure you
enter your Google account information when you first set up your phone. After
that, all your Google services will just work. Apps like Gmail, Voice, Talk,
and Calendar will automatically sync.
Sync with other social
networks
When you install apps for services like
Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, or Flickr (to name a few), you have the option to
sync that information with your phone's contacts. For example, you can sync
Twitter handles with your contacts' phone numbers and emails.
After downloading one of those apps, go to Settings >
Accounts And Sync to
set it up.
Open your phone to
non-market apps
With a few exceptions, most Android phones give
you the option to allow non-Market apps on your phone. That means you can
download third-party software like Amazon's Appstore or apps you find online.
To enable the feature go to Settings > Applications Settings and check the box next to "Unknown
sources."
Keep in mind that this leaves your phone
vulnerable to malware, so don't download apps from sources you don't trust.
Use Amazon's Appstore
for free premium apps
Amazon's Appstore isn't as large as Google's
Android Market, but it does have one killer feature. Every day Amazon offers a
premium paid app for free. Amazon has also been able to score exclusive app
launches like Angry Birds Rio and Plants vs. Zombies.
Click here to learn how to use the Amazon Appstore
Protect your phone from
malware
Malicious apps are still a real problem in the
Android Market. Because apps don't go through a vetting process from Google,
some bad eggs have gotten through in the past. Download Lookout Mobile
Security for your phone. The app
scans everything you install and warns you of any potential malicious files.
Close apps that are
draining your battery
Android allows you to view how much processing
power each open app is using. Go to Settings > Running Services to view the list. if something is open that you
don't need tap it and select Stop to close the app.
Make multitasking easy
Hold down your phone's Home button and a window
will pop up with recently-opened apps.
itch animations and
animated wallpapers to conserve your battery
Android's animated backgrounds are pretty cool,
but they can be taxing on your battery life. If you find your phone quickly losing
charge, switch to a still background instead.
You can also turn off other animations by going
to Settings
> Display > Animations.
Back up your phone using
Dropbox
We love it when people find clever uses for
Dropbox. Check out the app
DropSpace which will sync files
stored on your phone to your Dropbox account. You'll never have to plug in to
your computer again.
Use your Google Voice
number to make calls
Google Voice integrates with any Android phone.
You can also set it to be your default number for dialing out. Launch the Voice
app to verify your phone number and set it as the default. It's also a great
option for sending free text messages.
Use an alternative
browser
Android's default browser is decent, but there
are a few others out there that we enjoy better. Our favorite is Firefox 4 Mobile, which includes tabbed browsing and syncs with your
desktop.
Organize apps into
folders
You can create a new folder on your home screen
by tapping and holding an open space. When the menu pops up select Folders >
New Folder. A new folder will show
up on your screen. You can now drag apps into it.
