Secret treasures: Hidden apps on your smartphone and how to find them

There’s an entire slew of options baked into smartphones most individuals don’t learn about. Faucet or click on right here for my favorites, from seeing the place a airplane overhead goes to rapidly deleting your previous few searches. 

A few of the Most worthy methods are hiding in your cellphone’s accessibility menu. These options make issues simpler for folk with imaginative and prescient, listening to, and motor impairments. Faucet or click on for 10 useful accessibility settings anybody can use. 

There are additionally many nice apps and options that you just gained’t discover entrance and heart in your cellphone’s house display screen. It makes me surprise why the smartphone engineers are conserving them a secret. Listed here are just a few stashed apps you’ll use time and time once more. 

Use your cellphone as a magnifying glass 

Let’s start with one hidden app that’s amazingly easy and really useful: Magnifier. I lately used it to learn the tremendous tiny textual content for my pasta machine’s mannequin quantity. 

The subsequent time you don’t have your readers useful or must see one thing small swipe proper in your iPhone’s House Display screen. Within the search field on the high, kind “Magnifier.” It’s easy to make use of. Simply faucet, maintain, and drag the slider to regulate the magnification. 

There’s additionally a flashlight icon close to the underside of the Magnifier app. Having an additional splash of sunshine really helps you see higher. And excellent news for iPad customers, you’ve the key magnifier app, too. 

One app to rapidly scan QR codes 

I’ve mentioned it earlier than, and I’ll repeat it: Don’t obtain a third-party QR code scanner app. At worst, it’ll cost you cash and even inject malicious code into your cellphone. At greatest, it’s taking over area. QR code scanning is already built-in to your cellphone. 

On an iPhone, open the digital camera app to scan a QR code. It really works, however right here’s a professional tip. 

Your iPhone has a hidden Code Scanner app. You could find it by swiping proper in your iPhone’s House Display screen and trying to find “Code Scanner.”  

Right here’s why it’s vital. In the event you scan QR codes just a few occasions every week, add Code Scanner to your cellphone’s Management Heart. That’s the checklist of icons you possibly can rapidly entry by swiping down from the highest of your display screen. 

• Open the Settings app, then scroll down and choose Management Heart.
• Faucet the plus icon subsequent to Code Scanner.

Now if you swipe down from the highest of your property display screen, you’ll see Code Scanner in your Management Heart. Faucet it to open and scan a QR code.  

By the way in which, if the Magnifier app is one thing useful to you, comply with the above steps so as to add it to your Management Heart, too. 

On an Android, open your digital camera app, level it at a QR code and maintain regular. 

BYE BYE: 5 apps it’s best to delete off your smartphone proper now 

Management your printer out of your cellphone or pill 

Sure, you possibly can print just about something in your iPhone or iPad. You merely want a printer that helps AirPrint. You’ll be able to see the entire checklist right here. 

First, be certain that your printer and cellphone are related to the identical Wi-Fi community. To print, faucet the share icon on a doc, be aware, photograph or no matter else you wish to print. Select your printer, then Print.  

Now right here’s how you need to use the key App Switcher. When you’re printing, you possibly can view or cancel jobs by opening the App Switcher.  

• On an iPhone X or later: Swipe up from the underside to the center of your display screen. Maintain your finger there till you see the App Switcher and the Print Heart app.
• On an iPhone 8 or earlier: Double-click the House button.

Get captions on something you’re watching 

Among the finest Android accessibility options that hardly anybody is aware of about is Reside Caption. It routinely captions any speech enjoying in your cellphone, together with podcasts, video calls, audio messages, cellphone calls and movies. It’s outstanding. 

Reside Caption works on the Pixel 2 and up and different choose Android telephones. To show it on and off: 

1. Press the up or down quantity button.
2. Below the quantity controls, faucet Reside Caption.

Google says captions are processed domestically, will not be saved, and by no means go away your cellphone. 

Not into Google? These are the 5 greatest browsers not named Chrome to make use of in your Android cellphone. 

Examine your cell service 

Your cellphone’s sign power ranges relying on a number of elements, from any interferences to how far you might be positioned from a cellular phone tower. It’s measured in decibels (dBm) 

If the dBm approaches -120, you’re positioned in a “lifeless zone.” Something higher than -100 is taken into account a usable sign. A powerful sign is -40 or higher. The nearer that quantity is to zero, the higher the cellphone’s sign. 

You’ll be able to test your iPhone sign power utilizing the key Area Check mode.  

• Open the Telephone app and dial *3001#12345#* on the keypad. In just a few seconds, you’ll see a mishmash of numbers.

There’s a menu that varies by provider and cellphone on the highest proper facet. Undergo every possibility till you see an entry that comprises rsrp. That’s your cellphone’s sign power. 

If yours is lower than snuff, do this checklist of the way to spice up your reception when calls and messages don’t undergo. 

Among the finest hidden Google options 

Have you ever heard of Google Maintain? This secret note-taking app is constructed into Gmail and Android telephones. It’s just like Apple Notes, certainly one of my favourite iPhone apps. Faucet or click on right here for hidden Notes makes use of. 

You’ll discover Google Maintain Notes in your app checklist on Android. Listed here are just a few tips that could get you began. 

• So as to add a brand new be aware, hit the plus icon within the decrease proper nook.
• So as to add an inventory, faucet the icon that appears like a checkmark in a field.
• To attract one thing in your cellphone display screen, faucet the marker icon.
• To file a voice be aware, faucet the microphone icon. Maintain will transcribe what you say and save the audio file.
• Faucet the picture icon to take or select a picture out of your gallery. You’ll be able to edit, save, and share from right here

Bonus Tip: How advertisers gather your knowledge and goal you with advertisements 

Male, 38 years previous, married, two children below 5, watched a YouTube video about garden care, visited a house enchancment retailer within the final 10 days, listened to a podcast about lawns, earns $68,000 a 12 months in a administration place, and lives in a sure zip code. That’s how particular promoting could be immediately. On this episode, I sit down with promoting CTO Premesh Purayil from Freestar to study the way it works and the way to opt-out of the information monitoring. 

Take a look at my podcast “Kim Komando Explains” on Apple, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or your favourite podcast participant. 

Hearken to the podcast right here or wherever you get your podcasts. Simply seek for my final title, “Komando.” 

What digital way of life questions do you’ve? Name Kim’s nationwide radio present and faucet or click on right here to search out it in your native radio station. You’ll be able to hearken to or watch The Kim Komando Present in your cellphone, pill, tv, or pc. Or faucet or click on right here for Kim’s free podcasts. 

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Find out about all the newest expertise on The Kim Komando Present, the nation’s largest weekend radio speak present. Kim takes calls and dispenses recommendation on immediately’s digital way of life, from smartphones and tablets to on-line privateness and knowledge hacks. For her day by day suggestions, free newsletters, and extra, go to her web site at Komando.com.