Top 6 Incredible Android Hacks You’ve Probably Never Heard

Android is now the most used mobile operating system in the world, with many commentators putting its market share at around 70%. With such growing presence, there are too many Android applications, although if we are able to hack Android OS and customize it as we wish. Not to worry, crazy Android developers have already done this for us.

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People have successfully rooted their Android smartphones and there are number of wild Android hacks with countless applications (Android apps). Some of these Android apps are fun and some are very useful too. In this post, I am going to present the top 6 Android hacks and their applications to make your Android Smartphone smarter than ever before.

Discover Apple’s Find My iPhone Android Counterpart

You may have several friends who are using Apple products, and they boast about how secure their handsets are thanks to the Find My iPhone feature.

Well, you won’t have to shy away from them as your Android phone also has Find My Device (formerly called as Android Device Manager)- a feature that works exactly like Find My iPhone. It lets you locate your lost or stolen smartphone easily, so you’ll know where to retrieve the device.

Apart from that, Android’s Find My Device allows you to lock your phone remotely, especially if the phone was stolen. By blocking his access to your confidential data, the thief will be prevented from gathering useful information. And if you want to go further, you can erase everything on your phone via Find My Device.

To activate, follow these simple steps:

Step 1

Go to Settings and look for Security & Location. The name of this section varies depending on your phone.

Step 2

Tap on Find My Device.

Step 3

Turn the feature on and set up your location for an accurate tracking if ever the worst thing happens unexpectedly.

Step 4

You can also head to Device Admin Apps.

Step 5

Click Find My Device.

Step 6

Read the permissions first. If you opt to, you can activate this device admin app to automatically delete everything without warning once the phone is lost or stolen.For your information, you can also download the Find My Device app from Google Play Store for an easier access to the feature. You can also configure the settings.

Now, if before the calamity struck (let’s say, the phone got lost or stolen) you have already switched on the Find My Device feature, here’s what you need to do:

Step 7

Open your Google account on your PC or another phone. Look for Find Your Phone.

Step 8

If you have several gadgets connected to your Google account, select the one that’s lost. Let’s just suppose that I lost my device (that I wish won’t happen).

Step 9

After Google asks for verification, you’ll be given some options to locate and hopefully, retrieve your phone. You can also choose to sign out your account on the device.
Keep Your Apps Private Hack

You don’t want others scrolling through your messages or photo albums, do you? I understand why you are very strict when someone borrows your device. After all, it’s your personal space!

You won’t want your friends to turn you into a laughingstock just because of your goofy images they spotted on your recent album! That’s a big no-no. So how do you keep your nosy friends out of your other apps? Here’s how:

Step 1

Go to Settings. Find Security & Location.

Step 2

Tap on Screen Pinning.

Step 3

You’ll be instructed how to do screen pinning. Enable the feature.

Step 4

As what was instructed, you have to press the Overview button. You’ll then see the Pin icon on the bottom right. Once you found the app you want to pin, click it.

Step 5

To unpin, you have to press the Back button and Overview key simultaneously for a second or two or enter your PIN/passcode. You can now transfer to your other apps.
Use Guest Mode On Android

My phone, which is a Lenovo K8 Note, comes with the Guest Mode feature which I found very useful. While screen pinning only lets your friends access one app, the Guest Mode allows access to multiple apps, whether they like to take a selfie and post it on their social media accounts.

The good thing about Guest Mode is that it only shows the default apps. You know, I’m really into games. There was one time that a kid borrowed my phone and I realized that he restarted my game!

Guest Mode lets other people download new apps, take new photos, and enter their social media accounts as if the device is theirs. However, once you get out of Guest Mode, all your data will be retained. The next time they borrow your phone, switch back to Guest Mode and they’ll see that you haven’t deleted their pics.

Here’s how Guest Mode works:

Step 1

Swipe down the Status Bar. Press the User icon.

Step 2

Switch to Guest Mode.Step 3

You’ll be asked if you want to start over or continue your previous activity.

Step 4

Here’s what my Guest Mode looks like:

Compare it to my home screen:

Note: Don’t mind my wallpaper. I really love Japan’s sakura tree (and watercolor wallpapers).
Bypass Your Security While Staying Safe

When we say bypass, it’s not what most of us think- hackers trying to bypass your personal space to steal information. I believe it’s time to think of “bypass” in a positive light. How can you bypass your security while staying safe?

First off, you need to set up a trusted location that your device won’t require you to key in your passcode. This simple Android hack is perfect to do in your own house. Beware! Don’t set any public place as a trusted location.

To do this, follow the instructions below:

Step 1

Go to Settings and click on Security & Location.Step 2

Tap on Smart Lock. You’ll then be asked to enter your device PIN to continue.Step 3

Click on Trusted Places.Step 4

Now, add a trusted place. We advise you to choose this one well because it might put your phone at risk.

Step 5

Using Google Maps, you have to locate your chosen address and press Select this Location. While you’re in that area, you won’t have to repeatedly unlock the phone.
Access Developer Options

Although this Android hack usually gets overlooked, it is very useful for us device owners. By unlocking developer options, we can configure our phone’s profile, tweak its performance, to name a few.

Through accessing developer options, you can view the device statistics or opt to disable bloatware that came with the smartphone. Now that you know how useful the developer options are, follow these instructions:

Step 1

Head to Settings and click System. Other phones don’t have this section. If your phone is among them, just proceed to the second step.

Step 2

Look for About Phone and click it.

Step 3

Find the Build Number and tap on it exactly 7 times.Step 4

After my seventh click, I was asked to key in my passcode. A notification showed up saying that I’m already a developer.Step 5

Go back to the System tab and you’ll now see the Developer Options section.Step 6

Tweak your device according to your liking.
Never Lose Important Files Again

Have you been in a situation which you felt regret? Like that time your phone dived in the pool with you or fell from great heights, only for you to realize that you haven’t had a copy of all the files you have in there.

In case you don’t know, your Android phone comes with a built-in backup system. Of course, the feature is limited but is enough to retain your very important files before they get lost too soon. Here’s how to activate the backup system:

Step 1

Go to Settings and tap on System.Step 2

Look for Backup.Step 3

Make sure your Google account is connected to the backup feature. Mine has been activated already since I started using my phone a couple of months ago.Step 4

Click Back up now. You should see the cloud load and back up your data.

Interesting Fact: Once you buy a new phone and connect your Google account, you get to choose whether to transfer the file from your old device or not. In my case, I got all the images from my previous device and transferred it here on my K8 Note.