👆 Saved you a swipe: On most Android phones, swipe down from the top of the screen once to see key shortcuts and settings, then swipe again to see the full selection. It’s called the Quick Settings screen. A faster way to get there: Swipe down once with two fingers.
This hidden trick will make it easier to use your Android phone
When controlling your Android phone, gestures will always be paramount. You can operate your OS and get more done faster through these simple commands.
Our favorite Android tips and tricks all have a lot in common. We love simple gestures that allow us to make quick decisions or get from one app or utility to another in record time. Tap or click here for more of our best tips for Android.
Read on for five of our favorite gestures on any updated Android smartphone. NOTE: Some of these steps work only on Android 10 and up.
1. Swipe either way
Android’s back gesture is usually performed from left to right. Power users know you can also complete the same swipe from right to left.
This parallel makes it one of the most accessible swipes we know. Either way results in literally the same command. Perfect for the southpaws among us or just anybody hoping to swipe and forget about it.
RELATED: 5 handy Google apps you should be using on your Android
2. Swipe into Overview
Overview lets you check out all of your recently-used apps simultaneously with one simple gesture. From here, you can hop between any of them with incredible ease.
To activate Overview, swipe up from the bottom of your Android display. After doing so, you should see a directory of everything installed on your smartphone. Switching between apps is as easy as tapping into what you need.
3. Get home from Overview
If you tap the blank area outside of any app’s card, you’ll be immediately redirected to the home screen instead of another app.
How to record your screen on iPhone and iPad
We’ve all been spending more time with our smartphones and tablets of late. You may have even taken the time to learn some pro tips while you were sheltering in place. When you discover a neat trick you might want to share it with someone by sending a screenshot.
Swiper no swiping: This hidden Samsung trick will make you feel a little like a magician. Swipe the edge of your hand across the screen to take a screenshot. Here’s how to set it up.
🥸 It’s not just emails: You can mark texts as unread, too, so you don’t forget to reply later. On iPhone, swipe right on a conversation and tap the Mark as Unread button (it looks like a thought bubble). On Android, hold down on the convo, click the three-dot icon in the corner, then select Mark as unread.
Like with email, you can mark a text as unread: On iPhone, simply swipe right on a conversation to mark it as unread. On Android, hold down on a conversation, tap the three dots and then tap Mark it as unread.
Fun Samsung shortcuts: Instead of hitting the backspace key over and over to clean up a typo, use two fingers to swipe left. That’s “Undo.” Want to “Redo?” Swipe two fingers to the right and your text will come back.
Switch up your search: By default, there’s a search box on your iPhone home screen. You can hide it via Settings > Home Screen & App Library. FYI: Whether it’s visible or not, you can search your iPhone with a swipe down from the middle of your home screen.
Smartphone shortcut: On a Samsung, go to your Contacts and choose a person you want to talk to. Swipe left to text message then or swipe right to call — no extra tapping around required. Cool.
Looking for a specific part in a YouTube video? Frustration no more! In the phone app, swipe up to see the vid frame by frame. You can look for exactly what you want. Lift your finger to play from there. On a desktop, hover your mouse over the video timeline to see each frame.
Phone screen out of control? Group your apps by category. Here’s an option: Set your home screen to include only personal and family apps. Swipe to the next screen for all your work apps. On another screen, add all your entertainment apps.
On an Android-based device, you can quickly swipe to the right on the home button to see all your open apps. Want to close one? Just swipe it off the screen. This is worth doing now and then if you never close your apps.
Adds up: You’re doing some math on your calculator app and one wrong tap ruins it all. Not anymore. Swipe to the right or left to delete the last character. My high school math teacher called me average. How mean.
Samsung shortcut: You make a mistake typing. Instead of hitting the backspace over and over, use two fingers to swipe left. That’s “Undo.” Want to “Redo”? Swipe two fingers to the right and your text will come back.