Discover 5 Surprising Hidden Features On Android Devices

Smart features of our Android devices have made our lives easier in many ways. Every day we learn something new, with new applications and features coming into the market. While most of the features help us in our everyday lives, many features are hidden in our Android smartphones. These features can help in enhancing one’s experience if we take the time to explore the device properly.

Every manufacturer adds their custom features and design, which makes the user interface more interesting and unique.

Let’s have a look at the surprising hidden features on Android devices

1. Multiple Users:

The multiple users feature on an Android smartphone or table helps you create multiple profiles for different people, each with their applications, settings, and data. As the primary users, you will get full control to add or remove profiles on the device.

For instance, if you share your Android smartphone or tablet with a roommate, you can set up a different profile to keep your applications, settings, and data separate from theirs. Besides this, you can also disable calls and messages on their profiles, which will make sure that your privacy doesn’t get disturbed and all your communications stay on your plan.

Open Settings and go to Users & accounts.

• Select Multiple users.
• Tap the toggle switch to enable the feature. Alternatively, you can search for Multiple users to find it quickly.
• Tap Add user.
• Enter a username for the new profile.
• You can now switch between the primary and secondary profiles at any time.

2. App Pinning:

Another interesting and useful feature in Android is App Pinning. By using this hidden feature, we can keep one app open on our screen and we can’t switch to any other application until we unpin it. This feature helps prevent accidentally closing an important app or stops others from snooping into your phone or table when you hand them your phone.

While they can disable the screen by using this feature at least you will know that they’ve tried to tamper with your phone in your absence.

Here’s a step-by-step guide for using app pinning on your Android device:

• Open the Settings app.
• Go to Security and Privacy.
• Tap on More Security and Privacy.
• Find App Pinning and switch it on using the toggle button.
• Open the app you want to pin from your Home Screen or app gallery.
• Press the app overview button (three stacked lines) in your navigation bar.
• Tap the three-dot icon next to the app you want to pin.
• Select Pin from the menu that appears.

3. Developer Options:

The ‘Developer Options’ feature is a longstanding one that remains hidden by default in Android devices. Although, the feature is not new, it is not immediately visible in the settings menu. This feature was originally designed for app developers so that they can Test and Debug their applications. The menu in the Developer Options feature includes various settings that can be useful for regular users.

However, one has to be extra careful when modifying these settings as incorrect changes can impact your device’s performance, stability, and security.

To access this feature, you need to follow a few extra steps.

• Open the Settings app.
• Navigate to About device.
• Tap the Build number seven times. (On some phones, you might see Version No. instead.)
• This action will unlock Developer Options.
• Return to the Settings menu to find Developer Options at the bottom.

4. Quick Share:

The Quick Share feature on Android devices is just like Bluetooth, but it is comparatively a lesser-known and lesser-used file transfer method. It was earlier known as Nearby Share.

Before discovering this hidden feature of Quick Share in Android devices, Xender was a popular choice for transferring files quickly between Android and iPhone devices. This feature offers a quick, secure, and efficient alternative, leveraging both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi to transfer files faster than Bluetooth alone. With this feature, one doesn’t need to pair your device.

Quick Share is available on Android 13 and newer versions. Here’s a step-by-step guide to use Quick Share on your Android devices:

• Open Quick Settings: Swipe down quickly from the top of your screen with two fingers.
• Enable Quick Share: Tap the Quick Share tile to turn on device visibility.
• Set Sharing Permissions: Choose who can share files with you.
•  Select File to Share: Find the file you want to share, such as an image from your gallery or a document from your file manager.
•  Initiate Sharing: Tap the share button and select Quick Share from the sharing options.
• Enable Bluetooth and Wi-Fi: Allow Quick Share to activate Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.
• Scan for Devices: Your phone will scan for nearby devices. Make sure the other device is on and has Bluetooth and Wi-Fi enabled. Once detected, select the device and send your file.

5. Easter Eggs:

‘Easter Eggs’ are hidden features or games within Android devices that don’t change how your phone works but they are just for fun. Every feature of Android devices has its own unique Easter eggs.
For Android 14, the Easter egg is a playful game that starts with a logo resembling the Apollo 14 mission.

You can find Easter eggs on your Android devices by following the below steps:

• Open Settings: Go to Settings > About device > Android version.
• Activate the Easter Egg: Tap the Android version repeatedly until you see the space logo.
• Start the Game: Long press the logo until your phone vibrates like a spaceship taking off.
• Control the Spaceship: Drag your finger to move the tiny spaceship that appears. Check your coordinates, velocity, and thruster status on the left side.
• Objective: Navigate to coordinates (0,0) to fly through a star.
• Game Dynamics: There are no cheats or hacks—just navigate and explore until you reach the star or discover different planets.

Also Read: How To Speed Up Your Android Device: Tips And Tricks