Android
Decrease the data usage on your phone
How to decrease the data usage on your phone? – By View Postpandasecurity.com
If you are one of the lucky ones who recently switched to a new smartphone, you might have noticed that your cell data usage has increased without any significant changes in your habits. The truth is that the more advanced cellphones get, the more data they require to operate. Newer devices come with improved cameras that capture fantastic quality content that not only take more space on your device but also drains your data when you upload it to social media. The bigger screens and higher resolutions often used in new smartphone models also negatively impact the data usage.
Why You Need the ‘Google Go’ App on Your Older Android Device
Why You Need the 'Google Go' App on Your Older Android Device – By Brendan Hesselifehacker.com
Despite being associated with some of the biggest technologies and most popular devices currently available, Google also develops products and services for places with limited infrastructure and resources. One of these products, the streamlined search app “Google Go,” is now available worldwide for all Android users to try.
Pixel 3A vs. Moto G7: What’s the best budget phone?
Pixel 3A vs. Moto G7: What's the best budget phone? – By Lynn Lacnet.com
Google's Pixel 3A and Motorola's Moto G7 prove you don't have to spend a fortune, say like $1,000, on a flagship device to get a premium experience. Both offer a lot of the same great camera, battery and design features as their high-end rivals.
What to Do Before (and After) Your Phone Is Stolen
What to Do Before (and After) Your Phone Is Stolen – By Andrew Heinzmanhowtogeek.com
Millions of phones are stolen every year, and there’s a chance yours could be one of them. But it doesn’t have to be—you can make your phone theftproof! We’ll show you how, and what you should do if your phone is stolen.
– Android Features You Didn’t Know
10 Secret Android Features You Didn't Know! – By ThioJoeyoutube.com VIDEO
Back Up Android Photos and Videos to the Cloud
How to Back Up Android Photos and Videos to the Cloud – By Adam Doud, www.howtogeek.com
Your photos and videos are precious memories, and you don’t want to lose them. Here are four mostly-free services you can use to automatically backup your photos and videos and access them from anywhere.
Google Pay vs. Samsung Pay
Google Pay vs. Samsung Pay: Which One Is Right for You? – By Billa, joyofandroid.com
Google Pay vs. Samsung Pay: Which One Is Right for You?
The age of smart payments systems is here and it’s inevitable that we would do a Google Pay vs. Samsung Pay comparison. After all, both of them are available for Android and both offer essentially the same services.
Mobile Pay Apps: Apple Pay vs Samsung Pay vs Google Pay – By Daniel Carleton, taluspay.com
The physical wallet is quickly becoming a relic. It’s not always necessary now to carry around cash or a credit card to make a purchase. With mobile payment apps, your smartphone or smartwatch is all you need.
Smart Lock is Android’s best-kept secret
Smart Lock is Android's best-kept secret – By Ara Wagoner, www.androidcentral.com
The original Moto X was a glorious phone for a lot of reasons, and I loved mine to (literal) death for its clean software, Moto Voice, and also for this awesome little feature called Trusted Bluetooth. Trusted Bluetooth kept your phone unlocked so long as it stayed in connected to a trusted device, and since my headphones lived around my neck, I hardly ever unlocked my phone.
Best Account Security Methods
Here Are the Best Account Security Methods, According to Google – By David Murphy, Email, Twitter, Posts, lifehacker.com
Everywhere you turn, someone is handing out advice about account security and privacy. And while it never hurts to be reminded about all the ways you can protect your critical data, have you topped to wonder whether any of the various security measures you’re taking are actually effective?
WebAuthn Web Authentication with YubiKey 5 – By Todd A. Jacobs, www.linuxjournal.com
A look at the recently released YubiKey 5 hardware authenticator series and how web authentication with the new WebAuthn API leverages devices like the YubiKey for painless website registration and strong user authentication.
Google data shows 2-factor authentication blocks 100% of automated bot hacks – By Napier Lopez, thenextweb.com
Two-factor authentication is annoying. Getting flustered because you have to find your phone and tap on a prompt every time you log into your accounts from a new device is peak first-world problems. But if you ever had any doubt whether it really made you that much safer, Google has the data to dispel that uncertainty.
How to use Windows 10’s Your Phone experience
How to use Windows 10's Your Phone experience – By Mark Hachman, www.pcworld.com
Microsoft’s Your Phone app bridges the gap between your Windows 10 PC and a smartphone, allowing quick interactions with images shot with your phone’s camera and the ability to send and receive texts right from your PC. Having tried, and abandoned, using the phone as your PC with Continuum, Microsoft apparently settled upon an assistant role via the Your Phone app. Eventually, Microsoft hopes that Your Phone will evolve into something even bigger, so it’s worth checking out.
Google Tools and Apps
8 Useful Google Tools and Apps You May Have Overlooked – By Megan Ellis, www.makeuseof.com
Google’s ecosystem of services has exponentially ballooned over the years. Whether it’s the smart home market, mobile, entertainment, or the web, Google has managed to attain a dominant position in a wide range of sectors.
Why Android Users Need Windows 10’s “Your Phone” App
Why Android Users Need Windows 10’s “Your Phone” App – By Josh Hendrickson, www.howtogeek.com
Windows 10’s Your Phone app links your phone and PC. It works best for Android users, letting you text from your PC and wirelessly transfer photos back and forth. Notification sync and screen mirroring features are on the way, too.
Android Messages for Web
If you're not using Android Messages for Web to text by now, you're doing it wrong – By Shelby Brown, www.cnet.com
Nothing is more irritating than swapping back and forth between your computer and phone while trying to work and text someone. It's hard to stay in a good workflow and, depending on what else you need your phone for, your battery suffers. For years, Android phone users had no choice but to use other messaging apps if they wanted to chat with friends from their desktops. But if you didn't know, you can use Android Messages on your desktop browser to type. Google calls this Messages for Web.
– Never Lose Access to LastPass with Account Recovery on Mobile
Never Lose Access to LastPass with Account Recovery on Mobile – By Amber Steel, blog.lastpass.com
LastPass takes away the burden of remembering passwords – and getting locked out of your accounts. But what if you forget your LastPass master password? It’s the one password you still need to remember. Because of our zero-knowledge security model, LastPass never knows your master password and therefore can’t reset it for you. So, what do you do if you’ve forgotten it?
How to Not Get Locked Out With Two-Factor Authentication
SecurityWatch: How to Not Get Locked Out With Two-Factor Authentication – By Max Eddy, www.pcmag.com
Security tools often create a certain amount of anxiety. What happens if I lose my password? Or if my antivirus deletes my stuff? The advent of two-factor authentication has created a new twist on a familiar anxiety: what happens if I can't use my second factor and get locked out of my account?
Two-factor authentication explained: How to choose the right level of security for every account – By Michael Simon, www.pcworld.com
If you aren’t already protecting your most personal accounts with two-factor or two-step authentication, you should be. An extra line of defense that’s tougher than the strongest password, 2FA is extremely important to blocking hacks and attacks on your personal data. If you don’t quite understand what it is, we’ve broken it all down for you.
Your Android phone can now be a security key for your Google account
Your Android phone can now be a security key for your Google account – By Alex Wagner, www.phonedog.com
Two-factor authentication helps to secure your online accounts by adding a second step to the login process. Today Google is making it easier for Android users to add 2FA to their account.
Android 7.0+ Phones Can Now Double as Google Security Keys – by krebsonsecurity.com
Google this week made it easier for Android users to enable strong 2-factor authentication (2FA) when logging into Google’s various services. The company announced that all phones running Android 7.0 and higher can now be used as Security Keys, an additional authentication layer that helps thwart phishing sites and password theft.
Drive smarter and safer with Android Auto
Drive smarter and safer with these Android Auto tips – By Derek Walter, www.greenbot.com
Most of the infotainment systems that come with cars are terrible. Voice recognition feels like it’s from the 1980s, and the navigation scheme would fail most usability tests.
– How to Turn Any Android Smartphone into a Google Pixel
How to Turn Any Android Smartphone into a Google Pixel – By Brendan Hesse, lifehacker.com
Android’s flexibility means manufacturers can build their own versions of the OS to suit their hardware, but there’s an elegance to the stock Android experience found on Google’s devices—one that other Android smartphones can’t match.
Google Smart Lock: Guide
Google Smart Lock: The complete guide By Jr Raphael, www.computerworld.com
Think fast: How many times a day do you pick up your phone to look at something? Unless you live in the tundra or have far more self-control than most, the answer probably falls somewhere between "quite a few" and "more than any sane person could count." Assuming you keep your device properly secured, that means you're doing an awful lot of unlocking — be it with your face, your fingerprint, or the code you tap or swipe onto your screen.
10 Important Android Settings You Should Know
10 Important Android Settings You Should Know! By Thiojoe, youtube.com VIDEO
Android is an extremely popular mobile OS, and I actually think most of you use it. So here are some important settings that you should know about if you don't already. They aren't hidden settings, so don't be surprised if you do know some. They aren't settings you should necessarily change, because most of these come down to preference.
– Android Settings You Should Change Now!
13 Android Settings You Should Change Now! by ThioJoe youtube.com VIDEO
Those default settings are no good! Here's what to change… — Android has a lot of default settings that might be OK for most people, but there are some that really everyone should change. These might be settings related to privacy, security, or just plain convenience.
Handy hidden shortcuts for Gboard on Android
13 handy hidden shortcuts for Gboard on Android By Jr Raphael, www.computerworld.com
I've been thinking a lot about thumbs lately.
Why, you might wonder? Simple: Whenever I watch unsuspecting strangers use their phones in public (it's not as creepy as it sounds, I swear), I can't help but notice how many people rely solely on their thumbs for on-screen typing.
Transfer Contacts to a New Android Phone
How to Transfer Contacts to a New Android Phone By Tom Westrick, www.howtogeek.com
Android gives you a few options for transferring your contacts to a new device. By default, everything should be synced when you set up a new device, but even if sync is disabled, it’s easy to move your contacts over.
Chromebook cheat sheet: How to get started
Chromebook cheat sheet: How to get started By Jr Raphael, www.computerworld.com
The beauty of Chrome OS today is its versatility: The operating system supports a huge range of applications in a variety of different formats — web apps, progressive web apps, native Chrome apps, Android apps, and even Linux apps (gracious!).
7 Android accessibility features
7 Android accessibility features that'll enhance any phone By Jr Raphael, www.computerworld.com
Accessibility in our age of mobile technology is a pretty incredible thing. I mean, think about it: These powerful little computers we carry around in our pockets have the potential to open up all sorts of futuristic possibilities for folks with issues like impaired hearing or limited vision. And in the grand scheme of things, such possibilities are far more transformative than any random phone feature we use to organize our lives or save ourselves a few seconds here and there.
Android Pie: 30 advanced tips and tricks
Android Pie: 30 advanced tips and tricks By Jr Raphael, www.computerworld.com
Mmm…who doesn't love a nice hearty helping of pie?
Whether we're talking apple, blueberry, or the Android 9 variety, there's plenty of reason to get excited about pie (or Pie, as the case may be). And while I can't provide much in the way of advice regarding the edible sort, I can give you plenty of useful tips about Google's Android 9 Pie software.
How to use Google Maps offline on Android
How to use Google Maps offline on Android By Justin Duino, 9to5google.com
Whether you’re going on vacation overseas or just want to be able to navigate around town without draining your data plan, you can download different areas within Google Maps to use while offline. Here’s how.
How to use your Google Maps offline By Contact, www.androidauthority.com
Google Maps is one of the most popular and reliable mapping/navigation services, but it’s not without its faults. One of the main complaints is that it works best with a solid data connection, something we don’t always have outside the city. Thankfully, it’s possible to take Google Maps offline, but this great feature is rendered useless without some proactive procedures.
Android Pie 9.0: 3 settings to change right away
Android Pie 9.0: 3 settings to change right away By Jason Cipriani, www.cnet.com
Google's Android Pie 9.0 operating system has slowly made its way to more devices than the Pixel ($350 at Amazon) line since its release. With an improved Do Not Disturb feature, gesture navigation and smart recommendations, Android Pie has a lot to like.
5 obscure Android features you need to start using By Ryan Whitwam, www.pcworld.com
If you’ve been using Android for more than a few generations, it can be easy to forget just how far we’ve come. Google has added a ton of useful features to Android, and some of the best don’t get as much attention as they deserve. But we can fix that. Here are the five most underappreciated features hiding in the latest versions of Android.
Tips to Change your Password – LastPass
5 Tips to Change your Password By Leah Bachmann, blog.lastpass.com
Even though weak, reused and compromised passwords are the cause behind many breaches, people continue to display pretty risky password behavior. In fact, we’ve found that 91% of people know that using the same password for multiple accounts is a security risk, but 59% admitted that they do it anyway.
Using LastPass on iOS: Tricks you Might have Missed By Leah Bachmann, blog.lastpass.com
You want your phone with you everywhere. Don’t you feel the same way about your passwords? With the LastPass iOS and Android apps you have access to all your passwords wherever you go.
Using LastPass on Android: Tricks you Might have Missed By Leah Bachmann, blog.lastpass.com
We carry our phones with us everywhere, so it’s important our favorite apps are available on-the-go. LastPass offers a great app for both Android and iOS users that lets you access all your passwords and other essential information wherever you need it.
Password Fatigue and LastPass By Joe Siegrist, blog.lastpass.com
John Kelly of the Washington Post had an amusing article today about how much trouble it is to create a new password every 90 days: So Many Passwords, So Little Time By John Kelly
Google Maps for Android will now let you set arrival and departure times
Google Maps for Android will now let you set arrival and departure times – By Alex Wagner, www.phonedog.com
Google Maps users have long been able to choose their arrival and departure times when setting up navigation on the web, but that feature is only just now arriving on mobile.
Can Anyone Really Track My Phone’s Precise Location?
Can Anyone Really Track My Phone’s Precise Location? – By Chris Hoffman, www.howtogeek.com
Lewis Tse Pui Lung/Shutterstock.com.Photo by: Lewis Tse Pui Lung/Shutterstock.com
It’s the year 2019, and everyone willingly carries a tracking device in their pockets. People can have their precise locations tracked in real time by the government, advertising companies, and even rogue bounty hunters. It sounds like dystopian fiction—but it’s a reality.
– Use Your Android Phone as a Flashlight
How to Use Your Android Phone as a Flashlight – By Cameron Summerson, www.howtogeek.com
It’s dark and you need to be able to see. It’s fine—whip out your trusty Android phone and put the camera flash to work as a flashlight. Here’s how to do it.
How to Take the Best Photos with Your Android Phone
How to Take the Best Photos with Your Android Phone – By Florence Ion, lifehacker.com
It’s that time of year again when you’re working your smartphone overtime attempting to keep up with all of the memories of holiday parties, family gatherings, and pets you’ve wrangled into festive attire. If you’re working with any of the latest Android phones, including the Google Pixel 3 or Samsung Note9, then one of the best cameras on the market is already in your pocket.
5 best remote desktop apps for Android!
5 best remote desktop apps for Android! – By Contact, www.androidauthority.com
Remote access to a desktop is one of the most niche power-user features out there. However, it is perfectly doable on an Android device. There are two basic ways to do it. Users can remote into their Android device from a computer. We covered that functionality in our best screen mirroring apps for Android list. This list focuses more on accessing your desktop computer from your Android device. There are a bunch of apps that boast remote access as a feature. However, only some of them are actually good. Here are the best remote desktop apps for Android!
Google Smart Lock: The complete guide
Google Smart Lock: The complete guide – By Jr Raphael, www.computerworld.com
Think fast: How many times a day do you pick up your phone to look at something? Unless you live in the tundra or have far more self-control than most, the answer probably falls somewhere between "quite a few" and "more than any sane person could count." Assuming you keep your device properly secured, that means you're doing an awful lot of unlocking — be it with your face, your fingerprint, or the code you tap or swipe onto your screen.
How to Remotely Troubleshoot PC’s
How to Remotely Troubleshoot a Friend’s Windows PC Without Any Extra Software – By Chris Hoffman, www.howtogeek.com
Windows offers a few built-in tools for performing remote assistance over the Internet. These tools allow you to take remote control of another person’s computer so you can help them troubleshoot it while you’re on the phone with them. They work similarly to Remote Desktop, but are available on all editions of Windows and are easy to set up.
How to Avoid Fingerprint Scams in Apps
How to Avoid Fingerprint Scams in Apps – By David Murphy, lifehacker.com
It’s great when an app allows you to add extra security—a fingerprint scan or a depth map of your face, for example—to access its contents. In case someone ever gets their hands on your unlocked device (or figures out your PIN), it’ll be trickier for them to access critical apps, like your banking apps, if they don’t have your finger or face nearby.
Best Phones for Google Fi in 2018
Best Phones for Google Fi in 2018 – By Hayato Huseman, www.androidcentral.com
For just $20/month for unlimited calls/texts and $10 per GB of data you use (any data past 6GB is free), Google Fi is one of the most compelling MVNOs around — especially when you factor in its excellent roaming support, nationwide coverage, and Bill Protection feature that credits back whatever data you don't use. Fi works on almost any unlocked phone these days, but certain features work better on some phones than others — these are the ones that will give you the best Fi experience.
Google Fi (aka Project Fi): The complete FAQ – By Jr Raphael, www.computerworld.com
Google Fi may sound like some weird sort of initiation ritual ("Whoa, what happened to Rick? I heard he got Googlefied!") — but if you can get past its silly-sounding name, the recently rebranded wireless service can both save you money and step up your smartphone security situation.
Android Power User Features
The best Android power user features you may have forgotten about By Corbin Davenport, www.androidpolice.com
Android has now been around for over a decade, and every single update has brought new features. Some functionality is unknown to the vast majority of smartphone owners, either because the options aren't well-advertised, or because their uses are limited.
In this post, we've compiled some of the best power user features that Android has to offer.
Google app with a dark mode
Here’s every Google app with a dark mode, and how to enable it By Ben Schoon, 9to5google.com
For years now, the Android community has cried out for dark themes in applications and the system throughout, all while Google continued to slap more and more white themes basically everywhere. Slowly but surely, though, we’ve been seeing more Google dark mode apps on various platforms. Here’s every Google dark mode app available today.
The Best Grammar Checkers For Every Type Of Writing
The Best Grammar Checkers For Every Type Of Writing by Jennifer Allen @jenjeahaly
We all want to write better and more effectively. It’s easy to become both paranoid and complacent over one’s writing style. Fortunately, there are plenty of online services that help by checking your grammar. We’ve looked at some of the best grammar checkers out there.
Android Pie’s lockdown mode
What you need to know about Android Pie’s lockdown mode By Contact, www.androidauthority.com
Hidden away amongst all the interface enhancements and feature additions in Android Pie is an all-new feature that has somewhat slipped under the radar for many users. Lockdown mode is a new security-focused addition that is going to be of particular use to anyone who is worried about protecting their private data in situations where their smartphone might not be in their possession.
Hidden features for Google Maps on Android
9 handy hidden features for Google Maps on Android By Jr Raphael, www.computerworld.com
Who doesn't love Google Maps? The native Android app helps those of us with oatmeal for brains find our way anywhere, without having to fire any neurons or exercise any synapses. It even helps us find places to pick up tasty cuisine — like, uh, oatmeal (yum!).
Google using lock screen passwords to encrypt Android Cloud backups
Google using lock screen passwords to encrypt Android Cloud backups By Lisa Vaas, nakedsecurity.sophos.com
Google’s got your back when it comes to your backups, it says – and it’s even promising to keep its own peepers off the goods.
Google Advanced Protection Program
Google Advanced Protection Program by landing.google.com
What is phishing?
Phishing is a common technique that can be used to trick you into giving away your username, password, 2-Step Verification code, or other personal information. Phishing attacks can happen through a variety of channels, including email, telephone, text message, or in apps.How does Advanced Protection defend against phishing?
Advanced Protection requires you to use a physical Security Key.
-Best Android Phones Under $300
The Best Android Phones Under $300 by reviewgeek.com Michael Crider
One of the nicest things about the Android platform is that phones come in all sizes and price ranges. We’ve selected the best phones under the $300 mark for American shoppers.
With a price range under three C-notes, you won’t get the latest processors or a long list of extra features. But these phones have access to Google’s Play Store.
How to Make Android as Secure as Possible
How to Make Android as Secure as Possible by howtogeek.com
Mobile security is a big deal, probably now more than ever. Most of us live on our phones, with financial information, calendar appointments, family photos, and more stored on our devices. Here’s how to keep your Android phone secure.
– 5 best password managers for Android
The 5 best password managers for Android by androidpolice.com
Our accounts hold invaluable information about us — about our work, our finances, and our social lives. Keeping that information safe from prying eyes is paramount, and to do that, we need solid passwords. Assuming you're a typical person living in the modern age, you probably have accounts and passwords for about a million websites and services, and it can be hard to keep them all straight. Password managers take the onus of remembering dozens and dozens of (hopefully) unique strings of characters off our stupid brains, and once you've used one, it's hard to imagine going without.
– Turn your face into a sticker for Gboard
Google wants you to turn your face into a sticker for Gboard by trustedreviews.com
The trouble with emoji is that very few of us look like the caricatures we punctuate our instant messages with. If you’ve been itching for a more personalised experience, Google is rolling out an answer right now in new versions of its own Gboard keyboard for Android and iOS.
Google PhotoScan, Glare-Free Way to Capture Photos
Google PhotoScan– The Glare-Free Way to Capture Old Photos by dottotech
Looking for a great photo scanning app for your phone? A way where you can easily scan precious photographs without a dedicated scanner?