The two major operating systems that give life to smartphones are iOS and Android. The first is exclusive to the iPhone, Apple’s mobile phones, and the second operates on most models from other manufacturers, although some offer their own layers of customization, such as Xiaomi with its MIUI system. Some brands offer exclusive applications or features that cannot be used on other devices. But some functionalities, although activated in each model in one way, can be implemented in a good number of devices, such as navigation by gestures so as not to have to use the buttons on the screen or the notification history to read those that have been sent. have discarded from the lock screen before having read them properly. With this guide, discover some tricks hidden in your mobile phone that can make the tasks you do with it easier.
Listen to WhatsApp audio on your mobile without the music stopping
Android devices allow you to “separate” WhatsApp audio from the rest of the sounds so that, if the phone is connected via Bluetooth to a speaker, for example, conversations are not heard through it nor the music that is playing stops. In the mobile settings, you must access Sounds and vibration (or a similar name). There, Independent Application Sound is activated and WhatsApp is selected in the Application section. Finally, in Audio Device, select Phone so that the audio sound sounds through the device itself and is not transferred to external gadgets that are connected to it. In addition to being able to activate this option in WhatsApp, it is possible to do it with YouTube, with Google…
Navigation by gestures instead of buttons
It is possible to replace with simple gestures the buttons on the screen used to go back and to the beginning and to see all the windows that are open. In the screen settings, select Navigation Bar and activate Swipe Gestures, instead of Buttons, which is how the terminal is configured. In this way, the buttons disappear and are replaced by the left swipe motion, up from the bottom… But they can vary depending on the device, so the user should pay attention to the information provided by their own phone when changing the settings. In some cases, it is configured by searching for System, selecting Gestures, and going to System Navigation. Gesture navigation can make it easier to use the device with one hand and allows for slightly more screen real estate.
Play videos with the screen off
With a couple of simple tricks you can achieve something that users of smartphones and YouTube have been wanting for years, but which the platform has not yet made possible: that a video does not pause when the phone screen locks. On Xiaomi devices with MIUI 13, the most recent version, look for Sidebar in the settings and activate it so that it is always visible. You can select YouTube, TikTok, and any app you want to use this way in Manage Video Apps. Once the video is playing and you want to turn off the screen, just select the ear symbol in that sidebar of the screen.
Recover notifications that have been inadvertently dismissed
Sometimes, the hands act faster than the brain and, as you are reading a notification, accustomed to discarding most of them, the finger has already got rid of it. In the latest versions of Android it is possible to rescue those notices that have been accidentally deleted: just search the phone’s settings for Notification History and activate it. Of course, those prior to that activation will not appear, but rather those received from that moment on and only those from the last 24 hours.
Use the camera without unlocking the screen
This function is available on any Android device, but depending on the manufacturer and model it is executed in one way or another. Sometimes, by default, the camera symbol appears in the corner of the lock screen and you can simply press it or slide your finger from it to the opposite side. The device can also have an external button configured to open the camera, such as a volume up or down button or the power button if pressed twice. The user can check how their device is configured in the camera settings or in the phone itself. Of course, it must be taken into account that, when executed like this, the camera is usually not able to access the entire gallery of the phone (only the images that have just been taken) nor can it edit the photographs.
Split the screen to do two tasks at the same time
It also depends on the phone model you have how you can open two applications or windows simultaneously. In some, it is a matter of pressing the square silhouette button for a while, which usually displays the windows that are open, and selecting the two that you want to combine. In others, you click on an app window and select the option to split the screen; then the other is chosen. To finish the division, simply close each of the open windows or, in some models, drag the line that divides them until one of the two applications overlaps the other.
Locate your mobile or lock it and delete the data if it has been lost
With the Google application, which owns Android, Find My Device (find my device), you can determine the location of your phone if you have lost it. To do this, both the location and the app Find My Device They must be activated in the terminal. Additionally, it must be turned on and connected to a WiFi network or mobile data; If not, the location that will be displayed will be the most recent one (if that option had previously been activated). This application also allows you to delete your mobile data or lock it, but to do so you must also have a battery, be connected to the internet and be logged in to your Google account at that time. As with Apple devices, Find My Device You can make them ring for a few minutes, even if they are silent, to be able to locate them if the user is nearby or wants someone to find their whereabouts.
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