How to update Android correctly and what to do if it doesn't update. Use a standard browser. Google Search update

Step # 1. Installing and getting ROOT rights

Click on this button and the program is downloaded;
Click on the downloaded file and open the Kingo Android ROOT program. (Press "YES" if the system asks for permission to launch.);

Inside the program, we can see that the device is not connected yet. We connect our phone via usb;

We will also need to enable debug mode (the program itself will contain pictures with instructions on how to do this). If the instructions are not enough for you, then you need to find the "menu for developers" and enable the option "USB debugging";

1.6. After our program has seen the device, the "ROOT" button will appear;
1.7. Click on it. Ready! You have received ROOT rights to your device.

Step # 2. Recovery update on your device

The next step is to update Recovery.

Recovery or special boot mode is a special mode on the device, thanks to which you can restore the system or download updates for it.

Installing Recovery

To install Recovery, we will use the ROM Manager application, this program is specially made for easy access to the Recovery system.

To begin with, we must go from our gadget to the ROM Manager website;
Click on the download button and download this application;

Next, go to downloads and click "Install application";
We go to the ROM Manager. And we immediately see the "CloclworkMod" button in the main menu.

Click on it and the application is updated to the latest version;

The top line will contain the model name of your gadget. Click on it;

Next, Recovery will be installed and downloaded to your device (This action requires an Internet connection);

Then we select the line to save the current ROM. We save the file so that we can find it at any time (we write all the names, save the file under a convenient name for us, also set the current date of saving);

After that, the phone / tablet will perform a standard reboot. All actions will take place as usual;
Also, the backup will be saved on your device in a specific folder that you specify;
The backup is complete.

Advice! Do not under any circumstances delete the backup that you have saved. If you downloaded Android and something went wrong, you won't be able to do anything back!

Updates to the software and the operating system itself are, as you know, a guarantee of security and stable operation. Yes, if you do not update, your device will also work, but at the same time, new functions may be missing or vulnerabilities may appear. In order to prevent this from happening, we will tell you how to update Android in different ways.

When a new smartphone first appears on the market, its software is often quite raw. A good manufacturer tries to fix bugs and release updates as soon as possible. It turns out that the user who does not install the patch will still use the buggy device.

Moreover, sometimes gaps in the operating system are found that allow attackers to steal your personal data and force the smartphone to work in networks for DDoS attacks. It is in order to secure the user and make the smartphone faster, more reliable, and also more functional that firmware updates are needed.

Preparing for the upgrade

Before proceeding with the procedure for installing new versions of the OS, you need to make sure that your Internet connection is stable, as well as sufficient speed. The update algorithm is designed in such a way that an incomplete file will not be installed. However, if you are using a slow network, packets, often reaching gigabytes in size, can be downloaded for almost days.

Also, before you start, just in case, we advise you to create a backup copy of all existing data. Usually, the user's personal files are not lost, but it is still worth playing it safe. Just connect your smartphone to your computer or laptop and copy all videos, photos and music there.

When auto-update might not work

There are 8 generations of the Android operating system. In addition, each of the manufacturers modifies the OS for themselves. But one way or another, there are a number of established reasons due to which new updates may not be installed:

the update is simply disabled in the phone settings;
the manufacturer has stopped supporting the model and updates for it are no longer provided;
there is no network connection;
not enough free space on the drive.

From all this, you can understand what to do if Android is not updated. Next, we move on to the instructions for updating your device.

How to change the version (firmware) of Android

Since there are many versions of Android OS, we will describe the process for each of them. Also, the work with the OS may vary, for example, depending on the manufacturer of the device. In Xiaomi Redmi Note 4x, HTC One M7 or Meizu, things can look very different. We will not consider the first and second editions of the green robot, since if such devices still exist, then updates for them have not been released for a long time. An example of updating using third-party programs will also be given.

Standard Wireless Update Procedure

So let's get started and start with the oldest version of the OS from Google and go incrementally.

Android 4.x

In order to change the OS configuration, you first need to get into its settings. In the fourth edition of Android, this is done like this:

On the home screen, tap on the icon with the image of several dots in a row.

We press the settings gear, which is located in the main menu of the device.

Scroll down the list and select the item marked in the figure.

We need the item "System Update".

Here we see that there are no new OS versions, but to be sure, we still press the marked button.

In the case of Android 4.x, if there were updates, the system would download them, then reboot and install in PreOS mode. The same is the case with other versions of the OS.

Android 5.x

In the fifth edition of the operating system, we do this:

We move the notification line or, as it is also called, the "curtain" down and tap on the settings icon.

We turn the contents of the window to the very bottom and select the item "About the tablet" or "About the phone".

Just as in the fourth edition, click the item circled in the screenshot.

As you can see, there are no updates, but you can check them manually.

Android 6.x

Let's move on to the conditional equator of the development of operating systems from Google. This is the sixth version named Marshmallow. Let's consider how to check and, if necessary, apply updates here:

On the desktop or, as it is also called, the home screen, press the menu button.

We tap on the settings gear.

Moving on to the item marked in the screenshot below. You can find it at the very bottom of the settings.

Click on "System Update".

As a result, we see that there are no updates. To be sure, click on the circled button to re-check for availability.

Android 7.x

We will not talk about the newest version of Android G8, because it is installed so far only on some smartphones. But let's talk about its predecessor right now:

We lower the "curtain" and go to the settings.

Scroll down the list and tap on the last list.

Here, on the contrary, we select the very first item.

Then click "Check for Updates".

As in other cases, there were no updates. This means that we have the latest version of the operating system and you can not worry about its security.

ROM Manager

In order to install the program, you need to open the Play Market.

Here we register the name of the program we need and select it from the formed list.

Click the button that will start installing the application.

We allow the utility to access the necessary resources.

We are waiting for all the files necessary for the program to be downloaded and installed.

You can launch the application directly from the store.

Also, the program shortcut will appear on the Android desktop.

Here is the ROM Manager software interface. Here we need to tell you something. The fact is that this program has extensive functionality that you will not need in all its scope. Only the item "Check for update" is needed. Then just follow the prompts of the program.

Recovery

The last option that we will consider is working with custom Recovery using unofficial firmware. In order to install the firmware through it, you must first download it in .zip format. This can be done on one of the forums that are replete with the Internet.

In order to get into the recovery, turn off your smartphone. Then simultaneously hold down and hold the power button and the volume up button. When the logo appears, release them. In the Custom Recovery menu, select the install item.

Since there are several such recovery, the names of the points and their location may change.

Next, open the folder where the archive with the firmware was previously placed.

And choose the firmware itself.

Attention! If you flash a file that is not for your device, it may turn into a "brick" that cannot be restored even in a service center.

To apply the update, pull the slider to the right.

You can also update your phone through a special package from the manufacturer. For example, in the case of Samsung, this is the proprietary KIES utility. You need to work with it through a computer.

Summary and comments

This concludes our article and we can only say that if you have comments, you can leave them a little lower in the form intended for this.

Video instruction

For greater clarity and completeness of the picture, you can also watch a video on this topic.

On October 29, 2012 the Google company presented the updated Android version 4.2. It takes the OS to the next level - there is an incredible feature of a much smarter camera, updated typing capabilities and much more. Let's consider all the changes:

Simple, beautiful, on the edge of reason - amazing camera capability "Spherical panorama" (Photo Sphere)

Top, bottom and everything around - you have never seen such a camera. With Android 4.2, you can take spherical panoramic shots so incredible that you get the impression of being in this panorama. View your spherical panoramas directly from your device, share them on Google+ to share with family and friends, or add them to Google Maps for the whole world to see.

See incredible spherical panoramas from photographers around the world.

Smart keyboard: gesture typing

It has become much easier to type messages on the go using Gesture Typing (gesture typing) - slide your finger over the letters you want, lifting your finger after the word has appeared. You don't need to worry about spaces - they are filled in automatically.

The keyboard can predict and predict words, so you can create entire sentences by choosing the words you want from the list.

Android dictionaries have become more accurate and modern. Now you can translate speech into text, voice typing on Android has become more perfect. It can be used even without a wired connection, wherever you are - voice dialing is always available.

One tablet, many users

With the new multi-account option, each tablet user will get their own space - their own account. Everyone will have their own desktop, their own screensavers, widgets, applications and games - and, of course, their own records and levels! Since Android has multitasking functionality, it's easy to switch from one account to another - no need to enter passwords and log out. Note that this feature is only available for tablets.

Broadcast from your phone to the big screen

Android 4.2 offers wireless connection of the device to the monitor. You can watch movies, YouTube videos and anything on your computer or TV screen. The connection takes place via a wireless adapter that connects to a TV with HDMI, this is easy and simple.

Daydream

Daydream allows your device to display useful and pleasant information on the monitor in standby or dock mode. These can be your best photos, the latest news from Google Currents, and more.

Active notifications

Android helps you keep abreast of all events, keep in touch and receive notifications. Just swipe down from the top of the monitor to see all notifications in one place. Are you late for a meeting or missed a call? You can take your own actions directly from the notification panel.

Live in the present

Google Now gets you the information you need, where and when you need it, before you ask. Google Now will provide you with a weather forecast in the morning or give you the arrival time of the next train while you are on the platform. Thanks to the latest version, you will see popular places near your point of location, track parcels, receive information about new films and much more.

Google Search update

It became easier than ever to quickly enter a query, receive and view search results. Android also allows you to make a request using your voice - it's very convenient to get instant responses on the go. The device responds to your request with a voice and opens the Knowledge Graph, providing information in an organized way so you can always get more detailed information.

Fast and smooth

We studied Android like under a microscope, so it responds to all actions instantly, smoothly and smoothly. Slide through charts and make transitions like on silk, switch apps effortlessly and turn pages like in a real book.

The sensitivity and quick response seems to allow you to touch the pixels themselves as you slide your finger across the display. Jelly Bean makes your Android device responsive to every touch of the screen and, if you don't touch it, automatically turns off to extend battery life.

Transferring photos and videos

The Android Beam option on Jelly Bean lets you quickly share photos and videos with a single tap, in addition to sharing contacts, links, YouTube videos, apps and programs. Just place Android devices next to each other, press the "beam" and information from one device will be displayed on the other.

Magic widgets

Jelly Bean makes it easy and simple to personalize your display. Having placed the widget on the screen, an automatic transition is made to work with it. If the widget is too large, its size is automatically resized. Now it's a pleasure to work with your favorite applications and customize the display.

Availability

Toggle the zoom mode on and off. Visually impaired users can now triple the image on the monitor and, in this form, type text and work with the device. Blind users benefit from Gesture Mode with easy navigation and voice and gesture input. This is the new taste of Jelly Bean.

To begin with, I would like to apologize to our readers for such a long delay in the release of this article. Let me remind you that for the most impatient, we already had a little material from the Google presentation, this article is intended for those who are planning to buy a smartphone or tablet with 4.2 on board and want to know what benefits they will get from the new version of Android. Also in the future we will refer to this particular article when it comes to 4.2. Now, without further ado, let me turn to the overview itself.

Keyboard

To tell you the truth, I personally got so used to installing a third-party keyboard when testing or buying a new smartphone that lately I did not even pay attention to the innovations in the stock one. I still remember the annoyance that you experience when you first set up the tablet for 4.0, when, in order to enter English characters, you need to go to the settings and activate other languages. Fortunately, in 4.1 this problem was fixed and finally a separate button for switching languages was added. But Google decided not to dwell on these improvements, and in 4.2 the keyboard received another new feature: text input using "swipes". To do this, you need to activate this function in the settings.

I liked the new input method, although its accuracy is sometimes inferior to the original Swype, however, we hope that it will increase over time.

Notification bar

Google (apparently, by popular demand or with an eye on TouchWiz and CyanogenMod) finally decided to add functionality to the notification curtain.

Swiping to the right now opens the toggle bar. When you click on most of them, you are taken to the settings (we are talking about Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, charge indicator), in some cases, pressing immediately activates the action (for example, enabling / disabling the auto-rotate screen). On the right is your Google+ profile picture, clicking on it will open your address book.

Swiping on the left opens the familiar notification panel. Now it adjusts to the number of notifications, and does not fold to the full height of the screen.

Interestingly, smartphones use a different combination: for example, a swipe with two fingers brings up a panel with switches, and a simple swipe - a notification panel.

New in Gmail

Now you can quickly scale the letter with a two-finger pinch. This function is enabled in the settings. Double tap after scaling resizes the text to fit the screen.

Lock screen widgets

Starting from version 4.2, you can install one of several widgets on the lock screen. Mail, calendar, clock and Google+ widgets are available by default. Third-party developers can also add support for lock screen widgets. At the moment, the developers of HD Widgets and Plume have already taken advantage of this opportunity. If you have a Nexus device, be sure to give HD Widgets a try, in my opinion their lock screen widgets are really cool.

Watch

Google decided to improve this application and add additional functionality to it. When you open it, you see a large clock with the current date. Below are three shortcuts, one of them takes you to the alarm clock, the second allows you to set the time zone, and the third is responsible for switching to night mode and settings.

By the way, you can control the timer and stopwatch after starting directly from the lock screen.

Also, the application has got its own digital widget. Now you finally don't need to think about which of the third-party widgets to install on the home screen.

Sleep mode

Now, when entering sleep mode, you can configure the behavior of the device. For example, so that you don't get bored just watching the tablet charging turned off, Google decided to add several screensavers that turn on in sleep mode. First, you need to choose a time when they will turn on. Then you need to decide on the screensaver itself, there are five templates available: clock, collage, media, frame and colors.

The collage displays your photos as scattered thumbnails. You can choose the folders with the displayed photos yourself. Alternatively, you can select photos from your web storage in Picasa. If you are interested in any of the photos, just click on it to open it in full screen mode.

In the "Media" mode, you can see the latest news from the application of the same name on the screen. Clicking on the news opens its brief announcement, you can immediately go to the application itself.

The bottom line is that when a new user is added, he has his own desktops, games and applications. All his settings are personalized. At the same time, information such as Wi-Fi passwords is available to all users at once. The use of multiple accounts will be in demand, first of all, in families, and will eliminate problems from the category: "Dad, why did you delete my game?" True, it is important to remember that, despite the presence of two accounts, the amount of internal memory is still the same. By the way, about the internal memory: if you logged in from one account and connected the tablet to the computer, then you will only see the files uploaded for this account, for example, screenshots taken from another account will not be visible.

Also in 4.2, it became possible to shoot a 360-degree panorama.

15 Hidden Android Features You Should Know About

Currently, the Android operating system is the most popular. It is installed on more than 1.2 billion devices worldwide. But few people know that this OS contains hidden features. The Internet project "Be Mobile" has studied the "secret functions" and prepared a list of the most interesting ones.

1. Hidden mini-game

Starting with Android 2.3 Gingerbread, Google has been putting so-called Easter eggs on all Android smartphones - hidden secrets that can be seen by performing a series of non-obvious actions. Like the names of the OS versions, Easter eggs in it, as a rule, are associated with sweets: in the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean version, these were flying jelly beans, in Android 4.4 KitKat - the OS logo in the style of the Nestle sweet of the same name, and in Android 5.0 Lollipop - a hidden one. a game in the style of Flappy Bird. Android 6.0 Marshmallow is also on the sidelines.

In order to access the mini-game, open the "Settings". Go to "About phone" or "About tablet". Quickly click on "Android version" several times. A marshmallow marshmallow stylized as an android's head will appear on the screen. If you quickly click on it a few more times, a mini-game will open.

As in Android 5.0, the minigame in Android 6.0 is made in the style of Flappy Bird, but the lollipops are replaced with marshmallows in the form of a robot head. The game has funny graphics and, although it looks simple, it is quite difficult to score at least 10 points in it. I got a maximum of 4 points. I couldn't do it anymore.

2. Remote control of a smartphone

Lost Android mobile devices can be found and blocked, but Google has hidden this option deep enough. It is activated in the menu "Settings -> Security -> Device Administrators" For more information, see the Android Remote Control section.

Check the box next to "Remote device search" and "Remote lock".

Activate extended rights for the device manager upon request. Now you can control the device from google.com/android/devicemanager in your Google account or via the Android Remote Control application

People familiar with Android can easily recover deleted files if you don't encrypt your mobile device. To activate this option, open "Settings -> Security -> Device encryption"... Install encryption.

3. Safe Mode

Another protective feature of Android is Safe Mode. It deactivates all third party apps. Moreover, in "safe mode" they can be deleted if for some reason they are incompatible with your mobile device, are accidentally in the boot cycle, are Trojans or viruses.

To start "safe mode", hold down the power button. When the menu for turning off the smartphone and activating the airplane mode opens, hold your finger on the "Power off" item for a long time. Then confirm the boot in Safe Mode.

The smartphone will boot into "safe mode". All third-party app icons will be grayed out. In which case they can be safely removed.

4. Synchronization and push notifications settings

When installing certain applications, you do not think about the permissions for sending push notifications or any others. Over time, these applications start spamming with unnecessary information. Games in particular suffer from this, but there can be quite common applications. Fortunately, notifications can be turned off.

To do this, open "Settings -> Applications -> All", find the culprit and select "Notifications". Here you can either disable all notifications at once ("Block all"), or allow only "swipe" notifications ("Brief notifications"), etc.

5. Advanced WLAN Settings

On Android, there is a completely invisibleӗ for most users̆ section of settings with additional Wi-Fi options. To get to it, you need to go to "Settings -> Wi-Fi", then press the menu key and select "Additional functions". Here you can turn off notifications about detected networks, turn off Wi-Fi in sleep mode, prevent the use of Wi-Fi networks with a bad signal, and set up Wi-Fi Direct (direct pairing of devices without using an access point).

6. Configuring control of mobile Internet traffic

In Android, you can monitor Internet traffic without third-party programs. For example, now many mobile operators provide a limited package of free traffic for a month. To control this traffic and not exceed the quota, or to understand how much traffic is still left, you can set limits.

To do this, there is a separate item "Data transmission" in the settings. There you can set a traffic limit, upon reaching which a notification will appear, as well as a limit, after exceeding which data transmission will be automatically disabled. For each application, separate statistics are kept on data in the background and active modes, and a graph is plotted. Starting with Android 5.0, this interface is also available in quick settings by touching the mobile network icon.

7. Blocking calls from specific numbers

It so happens that you need to block calls from a specific number. There are no special blacklists in Android, and the applications available on Google Play implement blocking of numbers through dirty hacks and not always correctly.

However, blocking of individual numbers can be obtained in the basic version of Android, for this you just need to send unwanted subscribers to voicemail. To do this, click on the desired contact, then click the edit icon, then the menu and select the item “Voice only. mail". There, by the way, you can set a separate ringtone for the unfortunate subscriber.

8. Disable preinstalled applications

It so happens that the manufacturer pre-installs a lot of incomprehensible programs and applications that you do not use. They take up a certain memory, and you dream of getting rid of them.

Many preinstalled apps can be disabled on Android. To do this, go to "Settings -> Applications" and open the "All" tab. Now you can see the list of available utilities. Select the required application, and then click "Disable". Now you can click on "Erase Data". For “frozen applications” that cannot be removed just like that, there is a separate “Disabled” tab. Unfortunately, not all applications can be frozen. Which - depends on the manufacturer.

9. Expansion of internal memory

Android has always had a problem with expanding the internal memory of a smartphone. The connected SD card did not allow this, remaining external storage. The function of transferring applications to a memory card, which appeared in Android 2.2, also did not save the day very much. Finally, in Android 6.0, Google decided to fix things. Now, after connecting a flash drive or SD card, the system offers two options. The first is to use it as a removable media. The second is to make it an internal storage.

In the second case, the smartphone will format the flash drive in the ext4 file system using 128-bit AES encryption and mount it as a system partition. Next, a test for read and write speed will be carried out. Now, unfortunately, all memory cards are significantly inferior in speed to built-in memory, which in theory can lead to slow operation of the device. Fortunately, only the time to open a particular application or to load a part of it depends on the performance of the disk subsystem. And all calculations are done outside the disk.

10. Quick change of case of letters

It so happens that the text has already been written and you need to change the case of individual letters or whole words. Android has its own secret in this regard. To change the case of letters or to make words or sentences begin with a capital letter in an already entered message, just select the message and press the Shift key one or more times until the desired result is obtained.

11. Quick access to settings

In Android 5 and Android 6, quick settings can be accessed by pulling out the shutter with two fingers. Of course, you can access quick settings the old fashioned way: swipe down twice across the screen. But this does not apply to secrets at all.

12. Quick switch to silent mode

You can quickly enable vibration mode in Android 5 and Android 6 by pressing the volume key, and then clicking on the icon on the left side of the slider that appears. In practice, this option turns out to be much faster than repeatedly pressing the volume down key on the end of the smartphone.

13. Calling Magnifier

Android has a screen magnifier. To enable it, you need to sequentially go to "Settings -> Special. features -> Gestures to zoom. " Now any part of the screen can be enlarged by clicking on it three times. This function may be especially in demand among visually impaired people and the elderly.

14. Disable adding shortcuts to the desktop

To turn off the automatic creation of icons on the desktop, launch the Play Store. Then go to the settings and uncheck the "Add icons" item. Now, by default, program icons will appear only in the general list.

15. Hidden Play in Chrome Browser

To conclude our collection of one more hidden game, this time in the mobile browser Chrome. Try turning off Wi-Fi and mobile internet on your smartphone (tablet). Next, open Chrome.

If you try to go to any address, the browser will display an error with its code. A dinosaur will appear above the text. If at this moment you click on the dinosaur, the character will come to life and begin to move across the screen. It's like the old PlayStation world: by touching the screen, you can control a dinosaur that jumps over cacti, and, like in any similar game, your task is to hold out and score the maximum number of points. Of course, the game is pretty primitive, but it hooks for a long time. Checked for yourself!

READ ALSO: How to properly configure a router tl wr740n

By the way, now this game has become available for download in the Google Play Store and it is called Dino Run - Dinosty.

2004-2018, LLC "Be mobile", 16+

Information and photos presented on this site cannot be used for public reproduction without the written permission of the authors.

Source: http://yamobi.ru/posts/android_secrets.html

Cryptoworld

practical safety

15 tricks in setting up android that will be useful to everyone.

In four years, from a small but ambitious project, Android has turned into perhaps the most complex and full of functionality mobile OS of our time. Android has support for a huge number of technologies and functions, many of which are hidden from the user or hidden where you would not even think to look. This article is a collection of tips and tricks that can be applied to any Android device without having to get root.

01. DISABLE AUTOMATIC DESKTOP ICON CREATION

I think I'm not the only one annoyed by how the market behaves when installing the application. For some reason, he thinks that for any slightest software or the next game, I definitely need an icon on the desktop, and he successfully creates it. And I have to delete it. And then another one. And so every time.

Fortunately, this behavior is easy to disable - just open the Google Play settings (on the left panel) and uncheck the "Add icons" option. There you can also turn off the forced password request every 30 minutes when purchasing applications, as well as the hated auto-update of applications.

02. DISABLES GOOGLE SEARCH AND OTHER USELESS SOFTWARE

The standard firmware of Android smartphones includes a huge amount of useless software, ranging from a bunch of Google applications (do you know that Google requires manufacturers to include almost all the software developed by it in the firmware of their devices?) And ending with all kinds of junk from the smartphone manufacturer ... All of this (or at least most) can be turned off.

Go to "Settings → Applications → All", tap on the desired software and click "Disable" (of course, you will be warned how "dangerous" it is). By the way, when you turn off Google search, Google Now will disappear, as well as the search bar from the desktop (after a reboot), instead of which an empty area will remain.

03. RESTART IN SAFE MODE

Few people know, but Android, like many other operating systems, has a so-called Safe mode. This is a mode in which the operating system boots with disabled third-party applications. Malware that is not very skillfully written (the one that is not registered in the system partition) falls off, like any software that interferes with the normal operation of the system. Safe mode can be used to bypass screen lockers, apps that freeze the smartphone, or, alternatively, to identify who is actually eating the battery - the next firmware or software update.

The mode is turned on in a fairly simple, but not at all obvious way: by pressing the power button and then holding your finger on the "Turn off the power" item. After rebooting, the culprit of the problem can be removed via "Settings → Applications".

04. REMOVE OBSTANCED NOTIFICATIONS

"Construction of the castle is over!" - how did you get these notifications. All and sundry are trying to notify me of all possible and impossible events: "Vasya Dzhubga answered you on Twitter", "You have 100,500 new messages", "You won the surgery to enlarge your right leg." You swipe one notification, three new ones appear in its place.

How to get rid of all this slag: hold your finger on the notification for a long time and uncheck the box under the "Stop" button. This is a recipe for KitKat. In Lollipop, everything is a little different, but the essence is the same: hold down, then the i button, in the window that opens, put a check mark on "Block". There you can also force the notification to be prioritized so that it is always at the very top.

05. DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE SERVICE MENU

Another not at all obvious function is the service menu. It can be opened by dialing the number * # * # 4636 # * # *. Basically there are various technical information like IMEI number, signal strength, current location or network type. But there is also a function of forced switching of the smartphone to the required type of network (2G, 3G, LTE), which is very useful for some situations.

In conditions of a poor 3G / LTE signal, the device tends to reset to 2G in order to conserve battery power and ensure subscriber availability. This behavior can be disabled. Open the service menu and select WCDMA only or LTE only in the "Configure preferred network type" item. In the same way, you can switch your smartphone to 2G - GSM only. It will help if you need to save battery power and the Internet is rarely used. By the way, in the same place you can turn off the radio module altogether (of course, until the next reboot).

Smartphones based on Chinese MTK chips have their own and much more sophisticated service menu. His number is * # * # 3646633 # * # *. There are various system information and a huge number of tests, among which you can find several useful settings, such as adjusting the volume level during a conversation or, for example, changing the GPS / AGPS settings. The menu itself is terribly illogical and contains so many differently shaped information that I do not even dare to describe it, but simply send the reader three letters - XDA.

06. USE THE STANDARD BROWSER

I don’t know why users are so disliked by the built-in Android browser. In my opinion, he is beautiful. Lightweight, fast, on the Chromium engine, it can sync with your Google account (that is, it immediately includes all bookmarks and passwords from Chrome), but most importantly, it has a very convenient and almost ingenious navigation method. This is the so-called radial menu that can be activated in the settings (only in Android 4.0-4.4).

coy and everything else that a browser can do. This is much more convenient than the standard panel and the regular menu, so I recommend giving it a try.

07. MANAGE YOUR CONTACTS WITH YOUR COMPANY

Google has web services not only for remote installation of software, blocking and searching for a smartphone, but also for managing contacts. All contacts of people ever saved and synchronized when connecting a new smartphone can always be found at google.com/contacts. They can be viewed, edited, added and removed. And, oddly enough, it is essentially a part of Gmail.

08. FOLLOW UP THE PROCESSOR

Android has a built-in feature to show the current CPU load and currently active processes on top of the screen. In theory, it is intended for developers of applications and firmware and is hidden from ordinary users, but no one bothers us to activate it. But first you have to get through to the "For Developers" section of settings, which by default does not exist at all.

We go to the settings, then "About phone", find the line "Build number" and tap on it seven times in a row. The message "You have become a developer!" Should appear on the screen. This means that the item "For Developers" is now open, and we are going to it. We rewind almost to the very bottom of the screen and in the "Monitoring" section we find the "Show CPU load" switch.

Turn on and see the list in the upper right part of the screen. The first line is the so-called loadavg, showing the number of processes that had to run or wait for their turn to run in the last minute, five and ten minutes. To put it quite roughly: if these values divided by the number of processor cores are higher than one, this means 100% processor load in the last minute, five or ten minutes, respectively. Below is a list of the most voracious processes (in fact, the analogue of the top command from Linux).

09. USE ADB TO BACKUP SOFTWARE ON THE COMPUTER

We have already written more than once about a wonderful tool called ADB, which can significantly simplify device management from a computer for a person who is familiar with the console (here we are mainly talking about Linux, of course). In addition to the ability to install software, transfer files to a smartphone, view logs and other utilities, recently ADB allows you to backup all settings and applications of a smartphone.

To use this functionality, install the universal ADB driver (goo.gl/AzZrjR), then download the ADB itself (goo.gl/3P7klM), install the driver, then expand the ADB archive, connect the smartphone to the computer with a USB cable, run the command line and execute the command

If no device is found, then the ADB debugging mode is disabled on the smartphone. To enable, go to "Settings → For Developers", turn on the "Debugging via USB" switch. Now we run the previous command again and agree with the warning that appears on the smartphone screen. Now you can make a backup:

A message will appear on the smartphone screen asking you to specify the encryption password for the backup - you can safely press "Next". The application backup process will begin, which will affect both the APK packages themselves (the -apk flag in the command) and their settings. All applications from the memory card will also be included in the backup. You can restore a backup using the following command:

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10. DISABLE BACKGROUND DATA TRANSFER IN APPLICATIONS

Working in the background, applications can actively use the Internet for a variety of purposes, from updating their content to leaking information about your location. In addition, such activity in any case leads to an increased consumption of battery power.

Android has the ability to selectively restrict applications for transferring data in the background, but it is located in a place where most users would hardly ever look. To prohibit any application from using the Internet in the background, you need to go to the settings, then - "Data transfer", scroll down the screen to the list of actively using the network of applications (for some it will be a surprise that it is there at all) and tap on the desired software. At the bottom there will be an option "Limit background". It should be borne in mind that the option will disable data transmission only over the mobile network, so that data will continue to flow over Wi-Fi.

11. USE THE SEARCH BAR

Often, owners of Android smartphones neglect the search bar at the top of the home screen. This is really logical, given the ability to perform a search by typing a request into the address bar of any mobile browser.

The desktop search bar, meanwhile, does a lot more than just redirect a request to google.com. It allows you to search your contacts, apps, calendar events, bookmarks, and web browser history automatically. With normal smartphone use, it may not be so useful, but when connecting an external keyboard, it is an indispensable tool. Just click and type in the name of the application, contact, or whatever, and it immediately appears on the screen.

12. YUZAI SMART LOCK

Smart Lock is one of those functions that you don't think about, but having tried it once, you can no longer live without it. This is one of the most notable new additions to Android Lollipop and one of the most useful features added to Android in recent times. The idea behind Smart Lock is extremely simple - it disables the pin code or other lock screen protections if there is a specific Bluetooth device or location on the map nearby.

By default, Smart Lock is "kind of" disabled. That is, it does not light up anywhere, but after pairing with a new Bluetooth device (of any type), it will definitely offer to add it to your whitelist. After that, you will forget about her again. But only until you turn on the lock screen protection in the "Security" section of the settings. Now it will work as it should.

The Smart Lock settings themselves are located in the same section, and, in addition to adding new Bluetooth devices, you can specify "safe places" there, and immediately with a list of options based on Google Now "observations". By the way, if you disable it, as described in the first tip, then this functionality will be lost.

13. SAVE ENERGY RIGHT

Another notable innovation in Lollipop is the Power Saving Mode. It migrated to standard Android from the firmware of smartphone manufacturers, who used to implement it on their own. Now the function is in pure Android - you use your smartphone to the fullest, and when 15% of the battery charge is reached, the system offers to turn on the power saving mode, which turns off the background data transfer, reduces the brightness to a minimum, turns off some sensors and reduces the FPS of screen rendering to a couple of dozen frames per give me a sec. For clarity, the status bar and on-screen buttons at the bottom of the screen turn red - so as not to forget.

To save battery life on your smartphone with an AMOLED screen, you can set a black wallpaper and use apps with a black background.

Energy saving mode is configurable. Go to Settings → Battery → Menu → Power Saving Mode. Here you can specify the condition for automatic activation of the mode (however, the choice is meager: 5%, 15% or never) and, most importantly, enable the mode right now. It is very convenient if you have to travel for a long time without the possibility of recharging.

14. FOLLOW TRAFFIC

Most likely, smartphone manufacturers, as usual, will shovel the standard Android 5.0 interface and change everything (hello Samsung - the biggest fan of breaking interfaces), but in the standard Lollipop shutter, or rather, in the "second curtain" with There is one highlight with the quick settings. The data transfer button in the center does not switch the data transfer at all, but expands into an interface that allows not only viewing the current traffic consumption, but also turning off the data transfer using the switch on top.

15. SHARE AN APP, NOT A PHONE

Especially for those who like to give their phone to other people, Lollipop has a Screen pinning function that allows you to lock your smartphone on one application without the ability to close it or switch to another. Like many other usefulness, it is completely invisible and hidden quite deep in the settings. To activate, go to "Settings → Security", wind almost to the very end and turn on the "Lock in the application" option.

Now, if you press the button for viewing running applications ("Browse"), a end button will appear at the bottom of the thumbnail of the current application. After clicking on the icon, the screen will be locked on the selected application and to go back you will need to hold the Back and Browse buttons at the same time. In this case, you will have to enter a pin code if it is set for the lock screen.

XX. USE ACITIVITY LAUNCHER

Any graphical Android application includes one or more so-called “activities”. Each of them is an application window (screen), for example, the main screen or the settings screen, maybe even a file selection window. By default, you can open directly (from the desktop) only those activities that the application developer will mark as main (main), the rest are available only through the application itself and only if the developer himself allows it.

However, having the right tool at hand, you can reach any other activity of any application and even create a shortcut for it on the desktop. The Activity Launcher does exactly that. Just install the application, select "All Actions" from the menu above and find the software you need. All her activities will appear on the screen, and any of them can be opened with a simple tap or hung on the desktop with a long finger hold.

An example of useful "internal" activities is the Chrome bookmarks window (Chrome → Bookmark), access to the hidden AppOps mechanism in Android

Android has a large set of keyboard shortcuts for pluggable keyboards. You can use the arrows, Tab and Enter to navigate the desktop and various menus. In addition, the following key combinations are available:

Esc - Back button;

Win + Esc - Home button;

Ctrl + Esc - Menu button;

Alt + Tab - switch between applications;

Ctrl + Space - switch layouts;

Ctrl + P - open settings;

Ctrl + M - manage installed applications;

Ctrl + W - change wallpaper;

Win + E - write a letter;

Win + P - music player;

Win + A - calculator;

Win + S - write SMS;

Win + L - calendar;

Win + C - contacts;

Win + B - browser;

Win + M - Google maps;

Win + Space - search;

To find out your MAC and IP address, go to Settings → Wi-Fi → menu → Advanced

functions ". MAC and IP will be at the very bottom.

Lollipop has a built-in Flappy Bird style game. Go to "Settings → About phone",

tap on the item "Android version" several times, then hold your finger on the "chupa-chups" that appears. We play.

Google Now supports a large number of Russian-language voice commands. All of them can be divided into two groups: voice search and the actual voice commands themselves. Voice search allows you to perform smart searches on Google, when the system displays a specific answer instead of a list of links, and voice commands allow you to perform certain actions, for example, send an SMS or set an alarm. The list of commands is shown in the image "Google Now Voice Commands". Voice search, on the other hand, includes over a dozen different types of questions:

Weather. What is the weather tomorrow morning?

Addresses. Where is the nearest pharmacy?

Flight information. When does Aeroflot flight number 2336 depart?

Time. What time is it in London?

Developments. When does the sun go down today?

Calculations. What is the square root of 2209?

Translation. What is the Spanish word for cucumber?

Sport. When does Spartak play?

Finance. What is the S&P 500 index today?

Facts. What is the height of the tallest building in the world?

Exchange Rates. Convert 2600 rupees to US dollars.

Images. Show photos of the Golden Gate Bridge.