There’s
enough
going
on
in
the
world
without
your
smartphone
adding
to
your
stress
levels,
which
is
why
it’s
worth
taking
a
few
minutes
to
configure
your
Android
handset
so
it’s
as
friendly,
as
intuitive,
and
as
convenient
to
use
as
possible.
There
are
quite
a
few
ways
to
go
about
this,
and
we’ve
included
some
of
our
favorite
tricks
below.
Of
course,
we
all
use
our
phones
in
different
ways,
but
no
matter
how
you
interact
with
your
Android
smartphone,
you
should
find
something
useful
on
this
list.
As
well
as
making
your
phone
easier
to
use,
these
tips
should
also
make
you
more
productive
while
you’re
using
it,
so
you
can
spend
more
time
not
staring
at
a
screen.
We’ve
written
this
guide
using
the
latest
software
available
for
Google’s
Pixel
phones.
Still,
if
you’ve
got
a
different
Android
handset,
you
should
find
it
has
comparable
features
and
settings
available.
Get
the
text
the
size
you
want
it.
Screenshot:
Android
Don’t
spend
time
squinting
at
the
screen
and
zooming
in:
Get
the
text
on
Android
to
a
size
that
your
overworked
eyes
are
comfortable
with.
From
Settings,
head
to
Display,
then
Display
size
and
text,
then
adjust
the
font
slider
as
needed
(you
get
a
preview
included).
Get
the
Quick
Settings
set
up
the
way
you
want
them
to
be.
Screenshot:
Android
The
tiles
that
appear
when
you
swipe
down
from
the
top
of
the
screen
are
known
as
Quick
Settings,
and
if
you
tap
the
pen
icon
underneath
these
tiles,
you
can
rearrange
and
customize
the
panel:
Get
rid
of
the
tiles
you
don’t
need
and
move
the
ones
you
do
up
to
the
top.
You
might
be
surprised
at
how
much
time
you
can
save
once
you’ve
configured
these
shortcuts
to
work
how
you
want
them
to.
Here’s
a
bonus
tip:
Swipe
down
from
the
top
of
the
screen
with
two
fingers
rather
than
one
to
see
all
the
tiles
immediately.
The
one-handed
mode
can
come
in
handy.
Screenshot:
Android
Android
has
a
one-handed
mode
that
(surprise,
surprise)
makes
it
easier
to
use
your
phone
with
one
hand—you
can
enable
it
via
Accessibility,
System
controls,
and
One-handed
mode,
then
switch
to
it
by
dragging
down
from
the
top
half
of
the
screen
to
the
bottom.
There
are
plenty
of
widgets
to
choose
from.
Screenshot:
Android
If
you’ve
never
thought
much
about
the
configuration
of
your
home
screens,
now’s
the
time
to
start:
As
well
as
conventional
shortcuts
to
apps,
you
can
create
widgets
for
quickly
reaching
your
favorite
contacts,
jumping
to
documents
and
websites,
and
more.
Long
press
on
a
blank
area
of
the
home
screen,
then
choose
Widgets
to
see
what’s
available:
Pick
Maps
to
get
a
quick
shortcut
for
directions
to
your
home
or
the
office,
for
example,
or
Gmail
to
jump
to
a
specific
label
in
your
inbox
whenever
you
need
to.
Speed
up
your
snapping.
Image:
Google
You
can
double-tap
the
physical
power
button
on
many
Android
phones
(including
Pixel
and
Galaxy
models)
to
launch
the
camera.
Even
better,
you
can
then
use
either
volume
button
to
take
a
snap.
It
means
less
chance
of
you
missing
out
on
getting
a
great
shot.
Set
up
the
default
apps
you
way
you
want
them.
Screenshot:
Android
Just
like
Windows
or
macOS,
Android
has
default
apps
that
it’ll
use
to
handle
certain
tasks—such
as
placing
phone
calls,
opening
up
web
links,
and
sending
texts.
You’re
wasting
time
unnecessarily
if
you’re
constantly
switching
between
apps
for
these
jobs.
From
Settings
on
Android,
head
to
Apps,
then
Default
apps:
You’ll
see
all
the
categories
where
defaults
can
be
set,
from
the
browser
to
the
digital
assistant
app,
and
when
you
tap
on
a
category,
you’ll
then
be
able
to
see
all
the
apps
capable
of
handling
that
specific
job.
Do
you
need
all
your
apps?
Screenshot:
Android
Too
many
apps
mean
cluttered
home
screens,
slow
share
dialogs,
and
so
on.
Be
ruthless
about
getting
rid
of
apps
you’re
not
using
(you
can
always
install
them
again):
Tap
and
hold
on
an
app
icon
in
the
app
drawer
to
pick
it
up,
then
drag
it
to
the
Uninstall
button.
Your
phone
doesn’t
have
to
be
locked
all
the
time.
Screenshot:
Android
Having
a
secure
screen
lock
in
place
is
essential
for
protecting
your
phone,
but
unlocking
your
handset
dozens
of
times
while
sitting
on
the
sofa
can
be
annoying.
Extend
Unlock
via
Security
and
privacy,
and
More
security
and
privacy
in
Settings
can
help.
It
keeps
your
phone
unlocked
if
you’re
in
a
trusted
place,
if
your
phone
detects
it’s
on
your
person,
or
if
a
trusted
device
(like
a
smartwatch)
is
nearby.
Use
it
with
care,
though—you
need
to
balance
security
and
convenience
carefully.
Enabling
live
captions.
Screenshot:
Android
On
recent
Pixel
and
Galaxy
phones,
you
can
get
real-time
captions
on
videos
in
any
app,
saving
you
the
trouble
of
turning
up
the
volume
or
hunting
for
headphones.
You
can
enable
it
by
opening
Settings
and
then
going
to
Accessibility
and
Live
Caption.
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