Android Tutorials

20 'Android Tutorials' stories October 2017 - April 2022

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Use an Android phone or tablet? Find tips, tricks, and tutorials for the platform here!

How to delete unwanted apps on your Android device

Andrew Romero Apr 25 2022 - 1:26 pm PT

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How to delete and uninstall apps

It would be insane to think that every app you ever install on your phone would be useful or interesting forever. Uninstalling or deleting apps is a natural part of owning an Android device, meaning you need to know how to do it. This guide will take you through the ins and outs of uninstalling and deleting apps on your Android device.

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How to change Gmail swipe actions on Android

Andrew Romero Apr 6 2022 - 6:20 pm PT

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For a lot of Android users, Gmail is the go-to email application. This isn’t only because it almost always comes preinstalled on devices, but it works well. One feature that works particularly well is swipe actions. So what are they and how can you use them? This guide digs into that.

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How to turn off notification dots on Android

Justin Duino Apr 11 2018 - 12:28 pm PT

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With Android Oreo, Google introduced notifications dots, allowing users to see a small marking above individual app icons if it has a corresponding notification. But unlike with other operating systems, it doesn’t show a tally of notifications. If this makes notification dots less useful, there are two ways to quickly disable the feature…

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How to hide sensitive notifications from your Android lockscreen

Justin Duino Apr 10 2018 - 8:17 pm PT

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Sometimes you don’t want your text messages and emails showing up in its entirety on your lockscreen for anyone to see. Thankfully, Android allows you to hide sensitive notifications until you’ve unlocked your handset. Here’s how…

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How to spoof your Android phone’s location to get around media blackouts

Justin Duino Apr 8 2018 - 2:04 pm PT

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Unfortunately, due to contracts made between sporting events, award shows, and other televised events with TV networks, sometimes you can’t watch something just because in a blacked-out market. Thankfully, it’s pretty easy to spoof your location to get around these.

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How to delete your Google Chrome browser history on Android and desktop

Justin Duino Mar 29 2018 - 9:40 pm PT

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Whether you visited a website by accident or just don’t want your browser history saved, you can quickly delete it right from your Android phone or on your desktop computer. Here’s how to remove your Chrome browser history…

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How to stream directly to Twitch live from your Android phone

Justin Duino Mar 26 2018 - 3:45 pm PT

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Weirdly enough, there’s no way to livestream your Android device’s screen directly from the Twitch app. While there’s a way to stream your front or rear camera, you’ll need to download a third-party app to share your gameplay and commentary to your Twitch fans. Here’s how it all works…

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Add the Pixel 2’s Active Edge squeeze function to your Android phone with ‘SideSqueeze’

Justin Duino Mar 26 2018 - 1:31 pm PT

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With the introduction of the Pixel 2 and 2 XL, Google showed off a squeezable input method called Active Edge. Just like a feature first introduced by HTC, by squeezing the two sides of the phone, you can trigger an action. By installing the ‘SideSqueeze’ app, you can bring this functionality to almost any Android phone…

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How to control your Android phone from your computer with Scrcpy

Justin Duino Mar 9 2018 - 8:13 am PT

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Have you ever had a need or want to control your phone from your desktop? While it’s not the only existing solution on the market, the developer behind GenyMobile just released their own version that’s open source, free to use, and it doesn’t require installing an app on your phone. It’s called Scrcpy, and here’s how to build and use it yourself…

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How to find and use Google’s new AMP Stories on Android

Justin Duino Feb 13 2018 - 2:51 am PT

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Following in the footsteps of Instagram, Snapchat, and others, Google now allows users to tap through bite-size news stories within its search results page. Here’s how to find and use Google’s brand new AMP Stories…

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How to set up a VPN on Android

Justin Duino Feb 12 2018 - 1:36 am PT

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A VPN, which standard for a virtual private network, can be used to hide your identity online and avoid tracking by advertisers. It’s can also be used on Android phones to help protect your data when on unsecured Wi-Fi networks. Here’s how to set up a VPN on Android…

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How to check your Apple AirPods’ battery life on Android

Justin Duino Feb 8 2018 - 1:50 am PT

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Despite the fact that Apple’s AirPods only work as simple Bluetooth headphones while paired to Android devices, it hasn’t stopped a third-party developer from making an app that shows you the two earbuds’ battery life similarly to how it appears on iOS devices. Here’s how it all works…

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How to join the Google Play Services beta on Android

Justin Duino Feb 6 2018 - 1:43 am PT

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Typically, when Google rolls out an update to Play Services, it introduces new features or functionality to Android. One instance of this was when Google rolled out Assistant to most modern smartphones. If you want these updates even earlier, you can enroll in Google Play Services beta track. Here’s how…

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How to set up and use (very hacky) gesture navigation controls on any Android phone

Justin Duino Feb 2 2018 - 3:24 pm PT

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After OnePlus introduced gesture navigation controls in an Oreo beta for the 5T, it opened up the discussion of Android potentially moving away from on-screen buttons. While Google might not implement a system like this for years to come, here’s an app that lets you try out gestures on your phone right now…

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How to update Google Play Services on Android

Justin Duino Feb 1 2018 - 10:59 pm PT

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Google Play Services, just like most apps, gets updated through the Play Store. And just like with some apps, Play Services doesn’t get updated on the device as soon as a new version is available. Here’s how to manually update Google Play Services…

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How to download applications on Android from the Google Play Store

Justin Duino Feb 1 2018 - 1:53 am PT

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If you’re new to the Android platform, one of the first things you need to know how to do is download and update applications. Here’s a quick Android Basics to get you started…

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How to buy Bitcoin on your Android phone w/ Coinbase, Cash App, or Robinhood

Justin Duino Jan 31 2018 - 5:05 pm PT

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Bitcoin has received a lot of public attention as of late. Because of this, new apps like Coinbase have gained popularity in the Play Store for letting Android users buy and sell Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies right from their phones. Additionally, other apps like Robinhood and Cash App have been updated to allow for these sorts of trades. Here’s how to buy and sell Bitcoin with all three apps…

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How to fully backup and restore your Android device without root

Justin Duino Nov 4 2017 - 11:06 am PT

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One of Android’s little-known tricks is its built-in backup and restore process that allows users to save their private data as well as the different installed applications. The process is pretty simple but it isn’t always full-proof. But unlike other backup and restore processes, this one doesn’t require your device to be rooted. Here’s how to access the tool…

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How to take a screenshot on any Android smartphone

Justin Duino Nov 1 2017 - 1:08 am PT

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While every Android OEM adds different features and modifications to the mobile operating system, there are always two for sure ways to capture screenshots. The first is using the physical power and volume buttons, and the other is with Google Assistant. Here’s how to use either to capture anything on your display…

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How to stop new apps from being added to your home screen on Android Oreo

Justin Duino Oct 29 2017 - 6:00 am PT

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Android has long had a feature that automatically added shortcuts to the home screen after they were downloaded from the Google Play Store. As this could get annoying, the feature could be disabled within the Play Store’s settings menu. With Oreo, though, Google moved this setting out of the store itself and placed it into one of the operating system’s menus. Here’s how to turn this automatic feature off…

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