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Most people instantly associate Android with things like great software compatibility and customization, but hiding just beneath the surface is a plethora of features that can elevate your Android experience to a whole new level. Some of these are right there in the UI, but many of us just scroll past without a second glance.
These features are often built with only certain groups of users in mind and therefore are not turned on by default or hidden away.
Note: This article is subjective and reflects the writer's views.
A look at some of Android's hidden features: Google Lens, Glidy typing, and more
1) Google Lens
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Google Lens is easily one of the most underrated features on Android. It can do so much: from an image search to real-time translation to copying text using your camera, it has it all. To open it, find the Google widget on your smartphone and click on the camera icon in the right corner. Alternatively, you can also find the Lens app in the Google folder of your phone.
Now, you can simply click a picture (or even use a photo from your gallery) and Google will comb through everything in its database to find similar options. You can even select a section of the image so that Google can focus on exactly what you are looking for.
Now, when traveling, if you ever come across a sign in a different language, just open Google Lens and use the translate feature and it will tell you whatever is written in real-time.
Moreover, you can convert that scribbled note you made on your notepad directly into text and paste it anywhere. Just open Lens and use the Text feature to extract the text, whether handwritten or typed, from any physical document.
2) iPhone gestures
Yes, you can use the iPhone gestures on your Android instead of the usual navigation bar! Not only does this make shifting from iOS that much easier, but also offers quite a convenient way of navigating your phone once you get used to it.
These gestures include: swiping up for accessing the home screen, swiping up and holding for switching between apps, and swiping from either side to back. MIUI took this a step further and made a carbon copy of iOS’s Control Center with the same name. All of these features are available in the settings, though the exact location varies depending on your Android skin.
3) Glide typing
Glide typing is another incredibly useful feature that very few people know about. All phones with Gboard enabled have it turned on by default. To use it, just slide your finger, without lifting it, over the letters that constitute the word you want to type. Lift your finger when the prompted word becomes what you want to send.
It takes some getting used to, but can greatly increase your one-handed typing speed for all those times you need to chat while binge eating. Google’s algorithm has gotten quite good at recognizing what you want to type and seldom makes errors.
4) Battery saver
While iOS’ aggressive resource management somehow squeezes an ungodly battery life out of an iPhone’s usually sub-3500 mAh cell, the battery-saver mode is truly a boon for Android users. This feature is, by far, the most widely-used one on this list, and for good reason.
Imagine you plugged in your phone at night but forgot to turn the button on. Now, you have to get through the day with a 30% charge. That’s where the battery saver comes in. It restricts your phone’s background activities, dims the screen, and employs other clever tricks to cut down on power consumption.
Most phones also come with a “super” or “ultra” power saver (different Android skins have different names for it) that puts your phone in dark mode, kills a majority of non-essential background programs, and limits performance, all to wring out every last second of screen-on time it can. This comes in handy when trying to make the most of those last percentage points before your phone dies.
5) Dark mode
Dark Mode has always had its faithful fan following, but has never gotten the attention it truly deserves. Apart from just making your phone look cooler, it also has two major benefits: firstly, it considerably extends the battery life of phones with OLED displays. An OLED display is made out of millions of tiny LEDs, and when those only have to emit the darker shades of gray and black, the difference in battery life is tangible.
It is also better for your eyes, especially if you use your phone for long periods. With these benefits and no considerable downsides, as long you like the aesthetics of dark mode, you should try it out.
Conclusion
Anyone who ever got bored and went scrolling through Android’s settings app can testify to the sheer amount of features we either don’t know about or don’t understand. The main reason behind this - and Android's main claim to fame - is its customizability and "open-ness." This is why Google spends a sizable amount of money on releasing useful new features with every update.
The ones listed in this article are just a few of the myriad features Android provides its users. Even a simple scroll through the settings menu will reveal others like limiting background activity, hiding apps, and changing the display's color settings.
