Everyday devices come with a wide range of features designed to make life easier, yet many go unnoticed or underused. From hidden smartphone settings to overlooked smart home capabilities, these tools can boost efficiency and convenience. Whether it’s simplifying tasks or enhancing your daily routine, it’s time to explore the technology features you may not even realize you’re missing out on.
Do Not Disturb Mode on Smartphones
Many people leave their phones on silent or vibrate, but the “Do Not Disturb” feature offers a more customizable solution. You can schedule it for specific times, like during meetings or sleep, and allow only certain notifications to come through. It reduces distractions without completely silencing important calls, offering a balance between focus and availability.
Airplane Mode for Charging Faster
Most people think airplane mode is only for flights, but it can speed up charging by turning off unnecessary connections like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and mobile data. By reducing the phone’s workload, it allows your battery to recharge more quickly, which is handy when you’re in a rush.
Voice Assistants for Routine Tasks
Voice assistants like Siri, Google Assistant, and Alexa are often used for basic queries, but their ability to automate routines is underutilized. You can set up routines to control smart home devices, send texts, or get weather updates with a single command, making them powerful tools for efficiency.
Wi-Fi Calling
Wi-Fi calling allows you to make calls using a Wi-Fi network instead of your cellular service, which is perfect for areas with poor cellular reception. Many people don’t enable this feature, but it can drastically improve call quality and reduce dropped calls when you’re indoors or in remote areas.
Split Screen on Smartphones and Tablets
Most smartphones and tablets support split-screen multitasking, but few people take advantage of this feature. Whether you need to reference a document while drafting an email or watch a video while scrolling through social media, split screen can increase productivity by allowing you to use two apps at once.
Low Power Mode
Low Power Mode is available on many devices, including smartphones, but users often only turn it on when the battery is almost dead. This feature limits background activity and reduces performance to extend battery life significantly, which is useful for conserving power throughout the day, not just when your battery is running low.
Mobile Hotspot
Turning your smartphone into a mobile hotspot can be a lifesaver when you don’t have access to Wi-Fi. However, many people overlook it or assume it’s difficult to set up. It’s as easy as toggling a switch in your phone’s settings, allowing you to share your data connection with other devices like laptops or tablets on the go.
Guest Mode on Android Devices
If you’re letting someone borrow your phone, the “Guest Mode” feature on Android is a great way to protect your privacy. It creates a separate user profile that doesn’t have access to your apps, messages, or personal data, ensuring that your information stays secure while someone else uses your device.
Find My Device
While people know about tracking their phone when it’s lost, many don’t actively use or set up features like “Find My Device” or “Find My iPhone.” These tools can not only help you locate a lost phone but also remotely lock it or erase its data, providing peace of mind in case of theft or misplacement.
Smart Reply in Emails and Messaging Apps
Smart Reply is an AI-based feature in apps like Gmail and messaging apps that suggests quick responses to messages. It speeds up communication, especially when you’re on the go, yet many users don’t enable or use it. It’s a simple way to manage replies without typing out full responses.
Desktop Mode on Smartphones
Certain Android phones come with a “desktop mode” that lets you connect your phone to a monitor and use it like a computer. This feature is often overlooked but can transform your phone into a powerful productivity tool for tasks like writing, spreadsheets, or even presentations, making it ideal for remote work setups.
Near Field Communication (NFC) for Easy Payments
NFC is the technology behind contactless payments like Apple Pay or Google Pay, but it can also be used for quick data transfers between devices. Many people have the capability but don’t realize how it simplifies payments and secure data exchange. It’s faster and more secure than using cards or cash.
Screen Pinning on Android
Screen pinning is a feature that lets you lock one app on your phone screen, preventing anyone else from switching to another app until you unlock it. It’s ideal when handing your phone to kids or others, yet it remains underused because many people don’t know it exists.
Digital Wellbeing Tools
Digital Wellbeing (on Android) and Screen Time (on iOS) are features designed to help users manage their screen time and app usage. While many know they exist, they are rarely used to their full potential. These tools can track usage patterns, set app limits, and create focus times, helping to prevent digital burnout.
Live Listen on iPhone
Live Listen is a lesser-known feature on iPhones that turns your AirPods into hearing aids. By activating it in the Control Center, you can amplify sounds from the environment directly to your AirPods, making it easier to hear conversations or even improve hearing in noisy environments.
Focus Modes on Smartphones
Focus modes on iOS and Android allow users to block distractions by only allowing selected apps and notifications during certain times, like work or sleep hours. Although many people stick with basic notification settings, using Focus Modes can create an environment that boosts productivity and reduces distractions.
Picture-in-Picture Mode
Picture-in-Picture (PiP) allows you to watch videos in a small, movable window while using other apps. Available on many smartphones and tablets, PiP is often underused, even though it enables users to multitask more efficiently, whether it’s browsing the web or answering messages while watching a video.
Clipboard History
On Windows and Android devices, clipboard history lets you store multiple items that you’ve copied, which can be retrieved later. Most people only think about the last item copied, but clipboard history can save time by allowing you to paste from a list of previously copied text or images.
Wi-Fi Direct
Wi-Fi Direct lets devices connect directly to each other without needing a wireless access point. It’s faster than Bluetooth for large file transfers and can be used for media sharing between devices like phones, laptops, and smart TVs. Many people don’t utilize this feature, even though it offers greater speed and flexibility than traditional file-sharing methods.
Custom Shortcuts
Both iOS and Android allow users to create custom shortcuts for apps and tasks. For example, you can set up a shortcut to send a message, call a specific person, or launch multiple apps at once. Despite the efficiency it offers, many people stick with default settings and miss out on the time-saving potential.
App Permission Management
On both Android and iOS, you can control the specific permissions that each app has, like access to the camera, location, or contacts. However, many users forget to manage these settings, which can lead to privacy risks. By reviewing app permissions, you can ensure your data is secure and that apps are only accessing the information they truly need.
This article originally appeared on UnifyCosmos.
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