6 customized Android shortcuts that’ll supercharge your effectivity
Take two minutes now to uncover these shortcuts, and you will save infinite time within the days, weeks, and months forward.
janjf93/Google/JR Raphael
Quick: When’s the final time you actually, actually considered your Android cellphone’s Quick Settings setup?
If you are like most mammals I do know, the reply in all probability ranges someplace between “eons in the past” and “by no means.” And it is no shock: Android’s Quick Settings space is a kind of issues that is simply form of there. It’s handy, positive, but it surely’s all too simple to overlook that it is fully customizable — and expandable, too. It can flip into a useful residence to your personal customized Android shortcuts, if you happen to take the time to construct it up accordingly.
The problem, apart from merely remembering you could increase that space of your cellphone’s interface, is understanding the place to start. Google would not precisely have any good way of monitoring down and figuring out apps that supply Quick Settings additions, and even when you have got an app with a cool Quick Settings possibility in your cellphone, you may not even understand it is there.
But hey, that is what I’m right here for — that, and consuming copious portions of meatloaf. But the previous is what’s most related for our functions in the present day.
So put aside your personal meatloaf stockpile for a second, and let’s dig into your gadget’s equally scrumptious customized shortcut potential, lets?
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Android shortcut No. 1: Your timeout override swap
The shiny screens on these gorgeous trendy smartphones of ours are sometimes set to show themselves off after a sure variety of seconds. And that is typically an excellent factor. Otherwise, the dodo brains amongst us (hiya!) would overlook to close our screens off each time we bought distracted — by a dancing panda passerby, a plate of steaming squared meat, or no matter method of diversion tends to assert your consideration unexpectedly.
Sometimes, although, you genuinely need your display screen to remain on for an prolonged interval, even whenever you aren’t actively caressing it. Maybe you are poring over a posh doc, gazing a kind of bizarre 3D picture issues everybody was obsessive about within the 90s, or contemplating which hue of chartreuse is essentially the most rage-inducing shade of all.
Whatever the case, an app referred to as Wakey offers you a single-tap swap in your Android Quick Settings space to maintain your display screen on anytime the necessity arises.
To get it up and operating in your cellphone:
- First, set up the app (clearly, proper?!). It’s free with an optionally available $2 improve to take away adverts and allow some additional options, and it would not require any uncommon or eyebrow-raising permissions.
- Next, swipe down twice from the highest of your display screen to open your full Quick Settings panel. Tap the pencil-shaped icon on the backside of that panel, then scroll all the best way to the underside of the listing to seek out the “Enable Wakey” button down within the inactive tiles part. (If you are utilizing a Samsung cellphone, you will as an alternative faucet the three-dot menu icon in your Quick Settings space, choose “Edit buttons,” after which scroll over to the precise to seek out the inactive tiles part.)
- Press and maintain that icon and drag it up (or left, with Samsung) into your energetic tiles space. If you need it to be particularly simple to entry, place it in one of many first 4 spots so that you’re going to see it within the high row of choices — even simply with one swipe down from the highest of your display screen.
JR
And that is it: Whenever you need to forestall your display screen from timing out and turning off, you possibly can simply faucet that spiffy new Wakey tile. Just be sure you faucet it once more whenever you’re accomplished with no matter you are doing and able to have your customary display screen timeout chill in.
Android shortcut No. 2: Your floating calculator
Ever end up needing to conduct a fast calculation while wading across the ocean of knowledge in your favourite Android cellphone?
Sure, you possibly can cease what you are doing, head again to your house display screen, discover your calculator app, after which open it as much as carry out your mathematic magic earlier than plodding your manner again to no matter app you began in — however goodness gracious, that is an terrible lot of inefficient steps. And it is fairly inconvenient, too.
Instead, set up an superior app referred to as Shortcutter and let it deliver an simply summoned floating calculator into your cellphone’s Quick Settings part. It’s about as useful of a shortcut as you possibly can ask for. See?
JR
To create your personal floating calculator shortcut:
- Install Shortcutter. It’s free with an optionally available $2 improve for additional options, and it requires solely wise permissions associated to what it must do.
- Open up the app — and when you get previous the preliminary welcome screens, faucet “Pull-Down” after which “Shortcutter Micro Apps & Services” inside its predominant menus.
- Scroll all the way down to the underside of the display screen that comes up subsequent and flip the toggle subsequent to “Floating Calculator” into the on place.
Now observe the identical steps we over a second in the past so as to add the tile into your Quick Settings panel:
- Swipe down twice from the highest of your display screen to open your full Quick Settings panel. Tap the pencil-shaped icon on the backside of that panel, then scroll all the best way to the underside of the listing to seek out the “Floating Calculator” button down within the inactive tiles part. (If you are utilizing a Samsung cellphone, you will as an alternative faucet the three-dot menu icon in your Quick Settings space, choose “Edit buttons,” after which scroll over to the precise to seek out the inactive tiles part.)
- Press and maintain that icon and drag it up (or left, with Samsung) into your energetic tiles space. If you need it to be particularly simple to entry, place it in one of many first 4 spots so that you’re going to see it within the high row of choices — even simply with one swipe down from the highest of your display screen.
The first time you faucet the tile inside your Quick Settings panel, you will be prompted to permit Shortcutter entry to show over different apps. This is a wonderfully protected permission to authorize and one thing the app clearly requires with the intention to do what it is making an attempt to do with this.
Once that is accomplished, it’s best to be capable to faucet that tile anytime you have bought some mind-boggling math to carry out. That’ll deliver a bit floating bubble onto your display screen, like this:
JR
And you possibly can then faucet that bubble to tug up your floating calculator everytime you want it. You can transfer the calculator round wherever in your display screen, decrease it again all the way down to its floating bubble type to maintain it round for future use, or dismiss it solely if you wish to ship it away till you subsequent summon it.
Not too shabby, I say. Not too shabby in any respect.
Android shortcut No. 3: Your on-demand app launcher
It’s by no means too terribly tough to get to any app on Android, however each additional step and wasted second can positively add up — particularly when the app in query is one thing you open a number of occasions a day.
Well, take observe, you efficiency-loving earwig: That identical device we simply completed speaking about can provide you a super-useful technique to make any app out there from wherever in Android, it doesn’t matter what you are doing — with out having to hop again to your house display screen and dig round to seek out it.
You simply create a customized shortcut for the app in query proper inside your Quick Settings panel, and you may then pull it up anytime you need with a single swipe down from the highest of your display screen. Doesn’t get a lot simpler than that.
You might use this newfound energy to make any app extra-easy to open, however the place I discover it to be notably useful is with Android safety apps like two-factor authentication code mills — Google Authenticator, Authy, or no matter taste you favor — simply because I discover myself opening these issues so freakin’ usually.
Here’s the right way to make such apps infinitely simpler and fewer annoying to entry:
- Install Shortcutter, if you have not already, and open it up.
- Tap “Pull-Down” adopted by “Custom Tiles.”
- Tap the road that claims “Custom Tile 1” after which choose “Application” and select no matter app you need to use to your shortcut from the listing.
- Tap the identical line once more, choose “Rename,” and alter its identify from “Custom Tile 1” to the precise identify of the app you are utilizing (or anything, for that matter).
Now observe the identical steps we over a second in the past so as to add the tile into your Quick Settings panel:
- Swipe down twice from the highest of your display screen to open your full Quick Settings panel. Tap the pencil-shaped icon on the backside of that panel, then scroll all the best way to the underside of the listing to seek out the shortcut you created down within the inactive tiles part. (If you are utilizing a Samsung cellphone, you will as an alternative faucet the three-dot menu icon in your Quick Settings space, choose “Edit buttons,” after which scroll over to the precise to seek out the inactive tiles part.)
- Press and maintain that icon and drag it up (or left, with Samsung) into your energetic tiles space. If you need it to be particularly simple to entry, place it in one of many first 4 spots so that you’re going to see it within the high row of choices — even simply with one swipe down from the highest of your display screen.
And how ’bout that? You’ve simply lower quite a few useless steps out of your day. Give your self a pat on the again!
Android shortcut No. 4: Your recording quick-start
This subsequent shortcut is restricted to the Pixel homeowners amongst us: Google’s self-made Android telephones include an excellent audio recording referred to as, moderately fittingly, Recorder. It’s a spectacular device for recording the whole lot from conferences to conversations and even rambling note-to-self memos, full with Google’s unmatched textual content transcription and even prompt cross-device entry of all of your recordings.
But what few Android-appreciating animals understand is that Recorder holds a hidden shortcut that makes beginning a recording a snap. And if you happen to’re carrying a Pixel cellphone, it is already there in your gadget and simply ready to be dug up.
All you have gotta do is open up your Quick Settings panel and faucet the icon to edit it, identical to we have been doing with each merchandise on this assortment — after which look carefully on the listing of inactive choices on the very backside of the listing. Somewhere in that mess, it’s best to see a tile labeled “Recorder.”
Press and maintain that pet and drag it as much as the realm with all of your energetic Quick Settings choices, and you will then be capable to discover and faucet it for a single-step technique to begin an audio recording nearly immediately — no futzing, searching, or time-wasting required.
(For extra Pixel-specific shortcuts, by the best way, see my earlier column: 7 hidden Pixel shortcuts you in all probability aren’t utilizing)
Android shortcut No. 5: Your built-in digital distant
This subsequent Android shortcut is one other that is quietly lurking in your cellphone’s dustiest corners and ready to be found. And when you deliver it out to the forefront, you will marvel the way you went so lengthy with out ever realizing it was there.
It’s a local digital distant for any Google/Android-TV-associated units — the whole lot from TVs with that software program inbuilt to set-top packing containers and even the newer Chromecast dongle doohickeys. If you have bought any such apparati in your house and/or workplace, this simple little addition will deliver a superb improve to your life.
The secret to creating this bit o’ goodness seem is opening up the Google TV app — y’know, that factor that in all probability got here preinstalled in your cellphone and that you’ve got in all probability by no means bothered to take a look at. Well, get this: If you open that app up even as soon as, a brand new TV Remote tile will magically seem within the invisible space of your cellphone’s Quick Settings panel.
And from there, all that is left is to edit your Quick Settings — utilizing the identical actual steps from above — to tug it up or over into an energetic and visual place.
Once you do, you will all the time have a common management for your whole Google-connected screens at your frothy fingertips. Go, go gadget giddiness:
JR
Not unhealthy, proper?!
Android shortcut No. 6: Your inbox memo machine
Last however not least on this li’l listing of ours is certainly one of my favourite latest Android shortcut discoveries. It’s one thing I shared in my Android Intelligence publication, the truth is, and one thing I’ve heard nothing however improbable suggestions on from folks in the neighborhood who’ve tried it.
It’s an app referred to as InboxIt. Its major function is to offer you a easy technique to ship articles and different internet pages you encounter wherever in your cellphone straight into your inbox for later reference — and it is extremely efficient at doing that.
But the app has a hidden bonus potential, and it is each bit as useful: It offers you a Quick Settings shortcut for creating your personal customized memos and sending ’em instantly into your electronic mail for later reference.
JR
Oh, sure.
Once you have got the app put in, simply edit your Android Quick Settings panel (utilizing the identical steps we have referenced 7 zillion occasions now) and search for the “New Reminder” tile within the inactive space. Drag it up or over into an energetic and visual place, and poof: Your private memo machine is born.
All that is left is to faucet it as soon as and do a check run — ‘trigger there is a respectable probability the primary time you employ it, the app will immediate you to grant it entry to ship emails in your behalf (because it could not probably carry out this motion for you in any other case). And you will need to get that out of the best way earlier than you really want the perform for actual.
From that time ahead, although, you possibly can merely press your valuable fingie onto that Quick Settings shortcut anytime the urge strikes and know that no matter you ship shall be ready in your inbox a mere matter of seconds later.
InboxIt is free for its base capabilities, with an optionally available $3 improve that’ll get you a bunch of additional options and alternatives for personalisation.
And with that, congratulations are formally so as. You’ve simply made your Android cellphone far more helpful — and that, m’expensive, is one heck of an accomplishment.
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