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407 'how-to' stories August 2011 - June 2022

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A collection of tutorials, tips, and tricks from the 9to5Google team helping you fix and get the most out of Android, Google Assistant, Chromebooks, Android TV, and more.

How to block a number on your Android device

Andrew Romero Jun 27 2022 - 6:00 pm PT

How to block a number on Android

We’ve all been there. Whether it’s spam, robocalls, or a repeated wrong number, there are plenty of reasons you might want to block a phone number. On Android that process is very straightforward and can be done over and over for tons of different numbers. Here’s how to block a number on your Android device.

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How to clear cache android

How to clear an app’s cache on Android and why you might need to

Andrew Romero Jun 27 2022 - 8:23 am PT

When using your phone, there exists a virtual toolbox of things you can do to fix potential issues and bugs that come up. For instance, if an app stops working as planned, you can clear that app’s cache. Here’s how to do that on Android.

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fullscreen video ultrawide monitor

How to stream flawless fullscreen video on an ultrawide 21:9 monitor in Chrome

Andrew Romero Jun 23 2022 - 3:05 pm PT

If you have an ultrawide monitor, you no doubt know the struggle. Streaming videos and content from services, while created in 21:9, doesn’t get you quite the right look. This guide will show you how to get fullscreen 21:9 content to display correctly on your ultrawide monitor.

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Chromecast Google TV

How to add Google TV Profiles

Andrew Romero Jun 23 2022 - 8:47 am PT

Google TV is an all-around great OS that finds itself on devices like Chromecasts and some TVs. Recently, Google added the ability to add different profiles to the media hub – here’s how you can add or remove profiles in Google TV.

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How to Google Play Points

You can now use Google Play Points to pay for Apps – here’s how

Andrew Romero Jun 8 2022 - 12:30 pm PT

Rewards programs can vary in usefulness, and some aren’t worth using at all. Google Play Points has some hidden usefulness that can fly under the radar – unless you’re looking for it. This guide will take you through how to use Google Play Points to redeem and pay for things like apps and perks.

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find gas prices in Waze

how-to
Waze

Use Waze to find the cheapest gas prices near you – Here’s how

Andrew Romero Jun 7 2022 - 12:40 pm PT

Waze is a popular navigation tool that undoubtedly does a great job of getting you from point A to point B; the problem is that getting to point B is expensive right now. Fortunately, Waze is also a great tool for finding the cheapest gas prices near you. This guide will break down how to use Waze to find gas prices.

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‘Driving Mode’ is your replacement for mobile Android Auto – Here’s how to use it

Andrew Romero Jun 2 2022 - 5:00 pm PT

Google Assistant Driving Mode

There are plenty of people out there who use Android Auto on their phones. After all, it’s an alternative to what can sometimes be an expensive Android OS for your vehicle. Unfortunately, that Android app has been deemed “totaled” by Google. This guide will give you the rundown on Google Assistant’s “Driving Mode,” a capable replacement for Android Auto on mobile.

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Google Maps Street View car

Did you know you could change your vehicle in Google Maps to the Street View car? Here’s how

Andrew Romero Jun 2 2022 - 12:04 pm PT

Can you believe it? It’s been 15 years since the development and rollout of the Google Street View car, that awesome little vehicle with a 360-degree camera attached to the top like a big lollipop. To celebrate, Google Maps has added a new Street View car mode that lets you cruise around as – you guessed it – the Google Street car. Here’s how you can activate and use it as your personal vehicle.

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Samsung appears to have closed Galaxy Watch 4 beta sign-ups; how to install if you made the cut

Andrew Romero Jun 2 2022 - 7:13 am PT

Galaxy Watch 4 owners can now install Samsung’s newest One UI Watch beta for the smartwatch, but only if they’ve signed up previously. This new beta showcases the next Wear OS generation for Samsung’s wearable and might have some cool new improvements up its sleeve, but Samsung has already closed off sign-ups for the beta program.

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Next-generation Google Assistant on a Pixel phone

How to turn off ‘Hey Google’ on your Pixel

Andrew Romero Jun 1 2022 - 6:30 pm PT

One thing the Google Pixel does well is “Hey Google” detection. The problem is that if you have a lot of Google Home devices in your house or apartment, sometimes your Pixel can pick up your query when you don’t want it to. This guide will help you disable “Hey Google” detection on your Pixel and present a couple of other options for enabling your Google Assistant, like using the power button!

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Gmail
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How to easily unsubscribe from marketing emails right in Gmail

Andrew Romero Jun 1 2022 - 12:56 pm PT

We’ve all been there. Emails are stacking up, and none of them seem important in the least. Fortunately, there’s a feature in Gmail that allows you to unsubscribe from emails with a couple of taps or clicks. This guide will take you through it.

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Google Chrome price tracking

Did you know Chrome has its own Task Manager on Windows? Here’s how to use it

Andrew Romero May 31 2022 - 6:30 pm PT

Google Chrome has the potential to be a large program with many different moving parts. Depending on how many moving parts you add to it, it can slow down and get bogged up with tasks. That’s why the Task Manager exists. Here’s how to find and use it.

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Galaxy Watch 4 Classic rotating bezel feeling stiff? Here’s how to clean and fix it

Andrew Romero May 31 2022 - 12:59 pm PT

Clean Galaxy Watch 4 bezel

One of the many neat features of the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic is the rotating bezel that lets you navigate the watch just by turning the outer ring. Over time, though, that Galaxy Watch bezel can get stiff and feel much worse than the day you first got it. This guide will lead you through the steps to clean that Galaxy Watch bezel out and fix it so that it feels brand new once again.

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Disable Hey Google Galaxy Watch

How to disable ‘Hey Google’ on Galaxy Watch 4 to save battery

Andrew Romero May 30 2022 - 12:18 pm PT

While the addition of the Google Assistant to the Galaxy Watch 4 has been a well-received one, it isn’t without its drawbacks. One of those is that having “Hey Google” detection enabled, which has a negative effect on battery life. This guide will help you disable or turn off “Hey Google” detection on your Galaxy Watch 4.

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Google Chrome shortcuts on Windows and Mac

Basic Google Chrome keyboard shortcuts you should know for Mac and Windows

Andrew Romero May 27 2022 - 12:21 pm PT

There’s something to be said about just using a browser and using a browser proficiently. Google Chrome on Windows and Mac doesn’t keep that too far out of reach with its plethora of different keyboard shortcuts you can learn. Here are the basics.

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Nudges on Gmail and Google Messages

How to disable Nudges in Google apps like Gmail and Google Messages

Andrew Romero May 26 2022 - 12:41 pm PT

Apps like Google Messages and Gmail have come a long way in terms of development over the past few years. A side effect of this development results in a plethora of features you might not even want to be enabled. One of those is Nudges on Gmail and Google Messages. So what are Nudges and how do you disable them on your Google apps? This quick guide will take you through it.

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Google Maps arrival alerts

How to find gas prices with Google Maps

Andrew Romero May 13 2022 - 12:42 pm PT

Google Maps is great for a lot of things – finding new restaurants, saving new places, and even finding the cheapest gas station near you. Here’ show you find gas prices in Google Maps.

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How to find songs that played near you with your Google Pixel

Andrew Romero May 10 2022 - 11:50 am PT

One of the worst things to happen is hearing a song play, thinking you’ll remember it to find later, only to completely forget. Fortunately, your Pixel has a feature called Now Playing. It lets you identify playing songs in the background so you can easily add any song you hear to your library. On top of that, you can find songs that played near your Pixel over a week ago in your Now Playing history. Here’s how to do it.

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Chrome Journeys

What are Chrome Journeys and how do you use them?

Andrew Romero May 4 2022 - 12:01 pm PT

Late last year, Google started testing out a new feature called “Journeys” for Chrome. This feature would allow users to utilize their Chrome history in a more impactful way by showing you not only the sites you’ve visited recently, but how you got there and what you found along the way. Sound cool? This guide will take you through Chrome Journeys and explain how to use the feature.

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How to use call screening and adjust your settings on the Pixel

Andrew Romero May 3 2022 - 12:37 pm PT

Hands down, one of the very best features to live on the Google Pixel is its call screening feature. The ability to discern a caller’s intention before even picking up is fantastic and makes handling calls and fighting spambots much easier. On the Pixel, these settings are fully customizable and allow you to change what kind of calls get screened. This guide will bring you through all of the basics.

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How to clear your passwords in Google Chrome and turn off autofill

Andrew Romero May 2 2022 - 11:34 am PT

clear passwords in Google Chrome and turn off autofill

There are multiple different services available that allow you to save your passwords, including Google Chrome. If you happen to use one of the many other password-saving programs out there, you probably don’t need to use Chrome’s version. This guide will help you clear all your passwords to essentially turn off Chrome’s autofill.

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Google Photos app with a Material You redesign

How to restore trashed photos in Google Photos

Andrew Romero Apr 27 2022 - 2:26 pm PT

We’ve all been there. For some reason or another, a photo you want to find has ended up in the trash, and you need to find it again. Fortunately, Google Photos makes it easy to restore your pictures even after they’ve been “deleted.” This guide will explain how to restore your trashed photos in Google Photos.

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twitter auto-refresh

How to delete your Twitter account on Android

Andrew Romero Apr 27 2022 - 11:06 am PT

Say goodbye and delete your Twitter account. At least for now.

Twitter has had its ups and downs in recent years, and though no one really knows for sure what’s to come of its new ownership, there are reasons you might want to exit. This guide will explain how to delete your Twitter account on Android so you can move on to bigger and better things.

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How to delete unwanted apps on your Android device

Andrew Romero Apr 25 2022 - 1:26 pm PT

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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