Phones have certainly come a long way from those black and white screens that can only accommodate texts, calls, and a few simple games. Today, nearly everything you need, right down to the AI assistant, has been compacted into one gadget—the smartphone.
Apart from the basic features of a phone, smartphones can take pictures, list down tasks, surf the internet, not to mention install a number of apps that were specially designed to accomplish countless tasks. Despite all that, smartphones continue to evolve into better and better versions, all for the purpose of making your life easier. However, no matter how many smartphones you’ve used, there are still a couple of tips and tricks that you may not know of. Here are seven smartphone life hacks that can make your smartphone even more user-friendly.
Hack #1: Go airplane mode to save battery life
Smartphones can drain the battery pretty quickly. If you’re running low on battery and you don’t have a charger, switch it to airplane mode. This trick is especially useful when you’re going out of signal range anyway. Just switch off airplane mode when you need to call or text already.
Hack #2: Sunglasses can serve as a stand
For those who are fond of watching videos, shows, or movies on their smartphone, you can use sunglasses as a horizontal stand. Fold your glasses and lay it upon a flat surface upside down with the arm facing you. Fit your smartphone between the arm and the lens of the sunglasses. Now you don’t have to constantly pick up your phone every time it slides down when you lean it on something.
Hack #3: Press “#” before sending a voicemail to hear it
Many people have tried sending embarrassing voicemails after they failed to stop themselves from rambling on and on. Pressing the “#” on your phone prompts your phone to repeat the voicemail to you before sending it. This way, you can hear if the message you recorded is decent enough to send and decide whether you want to delete it or record a new one.
Hack #4: Keep your phone in a Ziploc bag to keep it clean
Planning a visit to the beach? Keep sand off of your phone by placing it in a Ziploc bag. You’ll still be able to use your phone through the bag while the plastic protects it from sand and water. This is applicable for other purposes as well such as if your palms tend to be sweaty or if you’re going trekking and would rather have your phone dirt-free.
Hack #5: Use an empty glass or bowl to amplify the sound of your phone
The built-in speakers on smartphones are often not loud enough especially if you’re trying to play music in a room. An empty glass or bowl can work almost as efficiently as speakers. Simply play the music then pop your phone into an empty glass or bowl to amplify the sound. You can use this trick as well to make your alarm even louder so you’re sure to wake up at the right time.
Hack #6: Turn off the Wi-Fi or switch to airplane mode to block pop-up ads in games
Many free games rely on ads that pop-up in the middle of a game for profit. Instead of buying the game, turn off the internet service or Wi-Fi or switch to airplane mode when you play to stop the ads from popping up. Now you don’t have to endure those annoying pop-up ads that disrupt your game or even lag up your phone.
Hack #7: Switch to airplane mode for faster charging
Airplane mode is not only useful for preserving battery life, it can speed up the charging time as well. Simply switch to airplane mode before you charge your phone. The reason behind this is that your phone uses up more battery when it’s struggling to find cell service—a feature it doesn’t do on airplane mode.
