Think back to the times when you’ve unpacked your new smartphone. The device feels slick in your hand, the screen is shiny without any scratches, and it’s ready for you to explore. So, you spend the whole evening setting it up, customizing the visuals, and going through the settings to mold it to your liking.
You might be surprised to find out that despite all the effort, there might still be some features you have not discovered yet. And you’re missing out!
Below, you’ll find the most helpful smartphone features organized by category.
Notifications
- Notification history. Although it’s been available on Android since 2020, notification history is fairly a new feature. Thanks to it, you no longer have to worry about the notifications you swiped away by accident. Go to ‘Settings,’ then click the ‘Notification’ tab, and look for ‘Notification History’ option. Turn it on, and you will be able to see all of your alerts over the past 24 hours!
- Snooze notifications. When you don’t want to see any notifications for a set amount of time, however, you can choose to snooze them. Pull down the notification menu, then long-press on the one from the app you want to set aside for later. Choose the ‘Snooze’ option and set the timer.
Connectivity
- eSIM Cards. If you’ve ever wanted to have separate SIM cards for your personal and business connections, or have two card trays for when you travel, you’re in luck. Many modern smartphones support the eSIM function. You can check this option in ‘Settings’ > ‘Connection/Network/Mobile Networks.’ If your phone is compatible, learning how to get an eSIM is easy – you simply choose a plan from an eSIM provider and activate it on your device.
- Remote control. Many phones can be used as remote controls for your TV, either with an infrared blaster or through Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. This feature requires you to download a dedicated app, but then you’ll be able to control your smart TV, streaming device, smart lights, speakers, and more.
- Improved mobile signal. In case you’re struggling to establish a high-quality mobile signal, you can always try turning ‘Airplane Mode’ on and off. This disables all wireless connections, letting you reconnect to cellular towers. Swipe down your quick settings menu and click on an airplane icon. Then click on it again to turn it off.
Shortcuts
- Quick settings access. Your quick settings menu is a lot more powerful than you think. In addition to quickly turning something on and off, you can long-press the buttons to open more details and all settings. It’s a faster and easier way than clicking through the menu.
- Power button customization. Most phones will let you customize your side buttons with shortcuts. Many use it for the camera to shoot quick photos, but you can also set it to flashlight, digital assistant, or any other app you choose. On most smartphones, you can find this in ‘Settings,’ under ‘Additional Settings’ and ‘Button Shortcuts.’ It also might be in ‘Accessibility Settings.’
- Quick Share. You can easily share different files with people nearby without any third-party apps. ‘Quick Share’ option is available on Android, and meanwhile Airdrop is an equivalent on iOS devices, but it doesn’t allow for cross-platform sharing.
Photos and Camera
- Shared photo albums. Your smartphone lets you share your pictures with others without using messengers, social media, or email. On iPhones, use an iCloud Shared Photo Library via your Photos app and watch your group of friends collaborate on it! On Android, you can do the same by using Google Photos.
- Deleting objects or people from photos. Imagine you just took a seemingly perfect photo, but a bystander walked by in the background, or a leaf flew through the shot, spoiling it. Now, you can save yourself the frustration by using the ‘Magic Eraser/Clean-Up’ tool in the Photos app. Just delete it with a quick swipe, and you’re done.
Accessibility
- One-handed mode. Sometimes, we have only one hand free to handle our smartphone. That’s when the one-handed mode steps in, allowing you to navigate your device comfortably without holding it with both hands. Go to ‘Settings’, then either ‘Advanced Settings’ or ‘Accessibility Settings.’ You will be able to turn on the mode there.
- Live transcription. Live transcriptions have been created for deaf, hard-of-hearing, or speech-impaired individuals, but everyone can benefit from them. Noisy places and forgetfulness can make you miss something during a conversation, but apps like Live Transcribe by Google can help. If you own an Android, you probably have it installed on your phone already, so just open the app and start using it. ‘Live Captions’ in ‘Settings’ is the iOS equivalent of the feature.
Security and privacy
- Configuring a VPN. If you often use public Wi-Fi in places like airports, hotels, or coffee shops, setting up a VPN on your smartphone can give you extra privacy while browsing. Many VPN apps are easy to install and use, and some phones also let you configure a VPN manually in ‘Settings.’ If you don’t want to deal with manual configuration, then try a premium VPN service. While these can be expensive, offers from reliable providers like NordVPN coupons help bring costs down.
- App permissions control. Your smartphone might be giving apps more access than they actually need to function. Review which apps can use your camera, microphone, location, photos, or contacts. Head to ‘Settings’ and look for the ‘Privacy’ or ‘Permissions Manager’ tab to check and adjust these. It is a simple way to improve your privacy without having to download anything extra.
Don’t Hesitate to Explore Your Smartphone!
Your smartphone encompasses a lot more helpful features than you might think. They can help you take better photos, access certain apps faster, share files with others with just one click of a button, and even get live transcription of things said to you during a job meeting. So, don’t hesitate and explore your smartphone settings more — you never know what you’ll find!
