Android Tips, Tricks, Apps and Hacks

164 Pages·2014·70.46 MB·English

by  Mike Hine

Android

Tips, Tricks, Apps 2Hacks

The independent guide to mastering your Android device

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Welcome to

Android
Tips, Tricks, Apps Hacks

Android is a mobile phenomenon, powering millions of smartphones and tablets
all around the world. Thanks to innovations from top manufacturers like Samsung,
HTC, and Sony, each year our phones get more sophisticated and more powerful
and there are now countless ways in which Android can enhance your life, via both
the core apps and the vast selection on Google Play. This latest volume of Android
Tips, Tricks, Apps & Hacks focuses on the best apps available to users of Google's OS.
The Tips section offers over 100 ways in which you can use the core Android apps
more effectively, eking out even more functionality from your device. The Tricks
chapter then explores some of the best third party apps in depth, explaining how
you can use Android for blogging, staying fit, editing images, making music and
more. Once you've got to grips with Android's amazing diversity, you can go one
step further with our Hacks tutorials, which shows you how to root and alter your
device with a host of innovative technical tweaks. Finally, our Apps section gives
you a rundown of some of the best apps on Google Play. Enjoy the book.

Android

Tips, Tricks, Apps “Hacks

Imagine Publishing Ltd
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Head of Design
Ross Andrews

Production Editor
Mike Hine

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Disclaimer
The publisher cannot accept responsibility for any unsolicited material lost or damaged iin the
post. All text and layout is the copyright of Imagine Publishing Ltd. Nothing in this bookazine may
be reproduced in whole or part without the written permission of the publisher. All copyrights are
recognised and used specifically for the purpose of criticism and review. Although the bookazine has.
endeavoured to ensure all information is correct at time of print, prices and availability may change.
This bookazine is fully independent and not affiliated in any way with the companies mentioned herein.

Android is a trademark of Google Inc.

Android Tips, Tricks, Apps & Hacks Volume 8 © 2014 Imagine Publishing Ltd

ISBN 978-1910155035

Part of the
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bookazine series
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SECRETS

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The best of the beet on the ultimate stage

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@ Morespeed @ Better battery
7 Hidden settings @ Get the most from 4.4 KitKat

Tk Gmail Play Movies & TV

I Ds Chrome Play Newsstand
Home screen Google Now Play Books
Settings Google Calendar Google+
Device Manager Camera Google Maps
Clock Photos Google Earth
People Music Player Google Drive
Phone Google Play Hangouts
Messages Play Games Google Translate
Mail Play Music YouTube
Discover Twitter on Android
Create and share notes

Manage your finances
Publish your own blog
Establish a fitness regime
Plan a running routine
Watch what you eat
Track your sleep habits
Navigate with your phone
Track a flight
Plan the perfect holiday
Buy concert tickets
Search for anew home
Buy and sell items
Discover your next book
Build a music-based profile
Create music on your device
Improve your photos
Search with your camera
Learn a new language
Get into astronomy

Hi
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146

148

MASTERCLASS

118 From beginner to advanced:
Android hacks you must try

Apps

150 Essential apps
Our pick of the five best apps from several
categories on the Google Play Store

AGES

aT

acks

Automate Nandroid backups
Manage recovery from

an app

Modify your smartphone
with just one app

Completely hide root
from apps

Power up with Xposed
modules

Flash KitKat using ROM
Installer

Tweak your ROM with
GravityBox

Get much longer
battery life

Keep your device on
during backups

Root and install
Superuser on OUYA

Android Tips, Tricks, Apps & Hacks
AMAZING NEW

ANDROID SECRETS

KitKat, the latest version of Android, is full of great features
— here we round up 30 of the best

eyaltial late Riedeelai(cet(elar-laveerctics|
C naming system, the latest version of

Android (4.4) is known as KitKat, and it
brings with it a collection of great new
features. There are the standout changes, like
italouO) ole/-lcaeRGrelelel(-Bal-lalelelV]ce-|e)eNi-ls)-lalare
the old Messaging tool, built-in suport for all
your cloud services, and the new Google
Experience Launcher complete with the
cial arelavesreerelele|(<ah [e)Va

But there's also a whole host of features

hidden away in the OS that enable you to get
a whole lot more from your phone or tablet.
There's the new app runtime that significantly
speeds up your apps; the enhanced Gallery
tool which, even though it looks set to be
replaced by Google+ Photos, is now an
incredibly powerful image editor; and there’s
FEW te) (-Maleci@ejmalie(e (eRe Rayi-r-L ce tar-| aun] .co

8 Android Tips, Tricks, Apps & Hacks

Android even more pleasurable to use. In this
feature we'll guide you through some of the
best features that you may miss when you first
update your OS, or pick up one of the brand
new devices that come with KitKat.

But first, when will your old smartphone or
tablet get this tasty new update? KitKat
launched initially on Nexus 5 devices, but has
been rolled out to other handsets and
manufacturers faster than previous updates.
Many still find the process slow, however, and
there are plenty of custom ROMs featuring
KitKat features available to download on the
web. If you're impatient, a trip to XDA-
developers.com will tell you whether a
cooked version of KitKat is currently available
for your handset.

With Motorola owned by Google, you
shouldn't be surprised to find that its phones

have started receiving updates. The Moto G
has an update available now, although older
devices such as the Droid Ultra, Maxx and Mini
currently don't. They have been updated in
the USA, however. The Moto X launched in the
UK with KitKat pre-installed - so no update
necessary there!

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and Galaxy $4
devices have now received a KitKat update,
and other devices in the range are expected
to get the update treatment soon, too (Active,
Mini and Zoom). Owners of HTC One models
(as well as those with the HTC One Mini and
HTC One Max) have begun receiving updates,
too — though once you've seen the new HTC
One (M8), which comes with KitKat, you'll
likely want to upgrade right away! If you have
the Google Play edition HTC One, then you
should have been running Android 4.4 KitKat
Nexus 5

Google Now page is built
directly into the home screen

New KitKat Dialer will display
the identity of incoming calls
from companies not in your
contacts list

No infrared for remote
control options

Free from carrier bloatware,
Android in its purest form, as
Google intended

HTC One (M8)

HTC BlinkFeed presents
curated social networking
updates in digestible chunks

# Turn your phone into a
remote control and reminder
system with HTC TV

HTC Sense Ul provides quick
access to Accuweather data
from the Blinkfeed view

HTC Zoe records GIF-like short
movies you can easily loop
and share

Nexus 5 vs other KitKat ph

Samsung Galaxy S5

Dual Shot, Sound Shot and Drama

Shot camera options for highly
memorable photos

5 Translator makes it easy to
communicate when you are
travelling abroad

Use Air Gesture for hands-free
smartphone interaction

Samsung WatchON turns your
smartphone into a multimedia
remote control

ones

Moto G

Moto Assist automatically
silences the ringer in meetings
and at night

” Photo Sphere camera app on
standard Moto G, stock Android
camera on Google Play Edition

Trusted Bluetooth saves time
adding Bluetooth devices you
trust to your phone

Built-in access to Motorola Care,
instant chat and telephone
support via the Help app
Speed and performance improvements
How switching to ART can give you a real speed boost

Android can be slower than we might like it to
be. We know this, the device manufacturers

know this, Google knows too. Over the last Android KitKat - but beware, it might not turn Use Dalvik

couple of years, the Android development team out to be as good as you'd hoped. At this point,

have been working on Android Runtime (ART),a ART is little more than a toy, an experimental Use ART

new method of handling how apps run. preview that Google has included in Android 4.4 Paes

Currently, this role is filled by Dalvik, and this has KitKat. Should you activate ART and assess how

been the case since the first Android phone was it runs your apps? It’s up to you. Some may

released in 2008. Clearly Dalvik is capable of speed up, others may slow down or fail to run at

doing the job, but ART offers a new, faster all. Until ART is optimised we can only guess at

alternative. As things stand, apps are compiled how much its eventual introduction will

when they’re run using the just-in-time (JIT) enhance Android. Estimates suggest that app

compiler, but with ART the apps are compiled launch time can be halved and animations will

when they are installed thanks to ahead-of-time | besmoother. ART isn’t all good news; there are

(AOT) compilation. The implication is that apps some drawbacks, such as the increased storage

become more like native software. They should requirements for installed apps and longer

be quicker to launch and use less battery, installation times on older devices.

How to switch to ART

(@) Developers — * EnableAndroid © ~~) Waitfor eee
options ae Runtime the reboot

Developer options must be = <==

enabled to switch toART- tap Select Runtime and choose —_—— = display a message informing you | gj
this maybe hiddenon your | Use ART. Click OK to confirm — that “Android is upgrading” as ae
device. Torevealthe option, —your phone will be restarted in o your apps and services are

open Settings>About ==: order to make the necessary optimised to run ART. Once

Phone and tap the Build
number field seven times.

—
ete |

—_ i a. ee |

In Settings>Developer options,

changes. This may take some
time to complete.

perhaps by requiring fewer cores. It sounds
good, doesn't it? You can switch to ART on

Speed improvements in KitKat
What are the differences in speed between ART and Dalvik?

Android starts, your phone
should be much faster!

As your device reboots, it will

Doctor Who: Legacy
. i — | Dalvik Dalvik scores Dalvik scores Dalvik scores
; —— rr 16719 | 137/305 | 539
ART scores ART scores ART scores
Gmail | 17431 LPLUE YA ae)
IS i i
810 ED ar ll A als
oy) 24% 1%
Chrome faster faster faster
0 «OOM Davi a
9/10 WE at | Limitations to ART
Switching to ART is a good idea if you want to see how fast Android might
. ixol become, but while your phone's overall performance might improve, if apps
Comics (Comixo ogy) you rely on in day-to-day life no longer work (such as WhatsApp or Rdio) then
— «| ; switching to ART doesn’t make sense. Furthermore, there are some custom
a Dalvik ROMs that don’t support ART. If you're flashing ROMs and want to use Android
9, /1 0 Art Runtime, find an up-to-date CM or AOSP ROM.

10 Android Tips Tricks, Apps & Hacks

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