Have you ever noticed that some Android gallery apps display every last photo that you have stored on your device? This is particularly annoying when most stock gallery apps don't provide an option for hiding certain folders from your filmstrip view. Then there are music players that load up ringtones and video players that queue every video on your device, regardless of whether you want them there or not.
Android Lollipop, introduced an array of new features and aesthetics that pleased many loyal users. One of those additions being the new heads-up notifications. Taking subtle inspiration from iOS, these notifications are visually appealing and can be easily dismissed or expanded, but they do require that you take an action before they go away immediately. Of course, you can always wait 10 seconds for them to disappear, but that can be really annoying if you're in the middle of a game or editi...
When Lollipop was released, Android's lock screen got a huge makeover. But most of the changes were made for aesthetic purposes rather than functionality.
We previously showed you how to make your Android's LED notification light dance to music, but the app itself was limited in customization options, the devices it worked on, and the music apps and services it worked with. Now we'll be showing you a similar app that supports more music services and lets you select which colors will display through the LED.
You can find a plethora of tennis games on the Google Play Store, but if you're a true tennis fan and gaming enthusiast, you should check out Tennis Racketeering by Core Aplikacije. The game lets you use an additional Android device as a racket, giving you Wii-like abilities without Nintendo. It's simple to set up and extremely fun to play, so follow along below to see how it works.
There's a reason that YouTube continues to be the most popular video sharing site on the planet—ever since its purchase by Google, they've always made sure to load YouTube up with extra features to keep it ahead of the pack.
The king of all Xposed modules is alive and kicking on Android Lollipop. GravityBox received an update over the weekend that will bring its bevy of UI tweaks to folks who have installed the framework on their Android 5.0+ devices.
These days, using the power button to lock your Android seems a little old-fashioned. Thanks to third-party apps and mods, you could seamlessly lock your device using a double-tap, a swipe, and even gravity, or you could just throw it in your pocket, all of which help prevent additional wear and tear on your power button. Now, we've got another method for you—just shake.
The lack of Xposed support on Android Lollipop has left modules like GEL Settings incompatible with my Google Play Edition HTC One, so I've had to find a new launcher to meet all of my needs. While I can safely say I will never find the perfect launcher for me, Blinq comes pretty damn close.
We've already seen the visual changes that Android 5.0 Lollipop has brought to the table, but Google spent just as much time altering things under the hood. Awesome new functionality and hardware capabilities have been added left and right, and with the OS already out now, it's high time we had a look at some of these tweaks.
Normally, it's good to automatically update your apps to the latest version, but sometimes those updates take away features that you've grown to love.
Google, like Apple before them, no longer supports mobile Flash, but clearly there's plenty of Flash content still available on the web. From games to videos, it can be frustrating to get the most out of your mobile browsing experience without Flash functionality.
Google has finally announced the newest flavor of its mobile OS, Android L (Lollipop?), and I couldn't be more excited. While we won't see its official release until the fall, there are still some features we can get our hands on right now.
Rooting an Android device used to be a nightmarish labyrinth of .zip files and command prompts, confusing seasoned modding veterans and newbies alike. Thankfully, the process has gotten simpler over the years, with various "one-click" rooting tool kits surfacing and working for nearly every major Android flagship on the market.
You can't always have your media on the same network as your Chromecast. Say you're at a friend's house or even out of town—it sure would be nice to cast your videos when you're out and about, wouldn't it?
Currently in its alpha stage, Facebook has pushed forward a redesigned mobile app for Android users that provides a flat user interface and rearranged navigation tools.
One draw that Samsung's Galaxy S line has had over the Google Nexus 4 and 5 and the HTC One (though the M8 appears to be following suit) is expandable storage. Pop a microSD card into the slot and you have extra storage for music, photos, and even apps themselves in some cases.
The Chromecast may be slowly weaving its way into the smartphone ecosystem, but the amount of supported Android apps that are available for the streaming media player are still severely limited.
In the wake of its 20th anniversary, the folks over at Eltechs have released Original DOOM, a full shareware version of the revolutionary first-person shooter DOOM for Android, available for free on the Google Play Store. It's unmodded and unaltered from the original FPS classic.
With millions of options to choose from in Google Play's expansive library of songs and albums, it can most definitely take a toll on the wallet after a while. As (slight) consolation, Google offers one free song a day, available for download straight from Google Play onto your Samsung Galaxy Note 2 or other Android device. Google's daily free song sure beats other services' free selections. Apple only offers one free single each week, and Amazon offers a decent selection of free songs from r...
If you're interested in seeing what it would be like to run Android on a real computer rather than a tablet or smartphone, you don't have to wait. This Android project has now made it possible to run Android in a virtual machine on either a PC or a Mac computer. You'll need the following command to merge the ISOs:
Develop your own Android app by following along this informative video. After installing the Eclipse IDE and the Android development environment, the walkthrough shows you the steps of compiling prewritten code into an Android app and viewing it on an emulator. Next, a step-by-step process to creating a simple "Hello World" app is demonstrated and explained.
The Nintendo 3DS comes with six AR cards that allow you to play the augmented reality games packaged with the device. Of course, if you were to lose the fragile paper cards or damage them in some way, you would be unable to continue playing them. It's easier and safer to carry constant access to the AR games by installing apps on your Android and Windows Phone 7 smartphones. Both apps are free and available through the smartphone app markets.
With unrEVOked, it's now easier than ever to root your HTC Evo mobile phone. So easy, in fact, that this hacker's how-to can present a complete, step-by-step overview of the process in just four minutes.
Organize your contacts list by merging duplicate entries. Learn how with this quick, official guide from HTC.
Spice up your digital photos with filters and effects. See how with this quick, official guide from HTC.
Capture video with your Desire HD and share it on Flickr, YouTube and Facebook! See how with this quick, official guide from HTC.
Get turn-by-turn directions and find places of interest with the Locations app on your HTC Desire HD. See how with this quick, official guide from HTC.
Personalize your Desire HD's home screen with custom widgets! See how with this quick, official guide from HTC.
Don't like the default position of the tabs and applications on your Desire HD? Learn how to move 'em around with this quick, official guide from HTC.
Tethering lets you share your Desire HD's 3G Internet connection with a second, Wi-Fi enabled device. Learn how to use it with this quick, official guide from HTC.
Want to know how to set a custom wallpaper or ringtone on a Droid 2? Whether you're a proud owner of the Moto Droid 2 Google Android smartphone or are merely considering picking one up, you're sure to benefit from this video tutorial, which also takes a look at the Swype typing feature. For more information, including detailed, step-by-step instructions, take a look.
Whether you're a proud owner of the Moto Droid 2 Google Android smartphone or are merely considering picking one up, you're sure to benefit from this video tutorial, which presents a reasonably thorough overview of the device's various features and functions. For more information, including detailed, step-by-step instructions on how to perform a number of basic tasks like setting the time, take a look.
Want to know how to check your email accounts using a Motorola Droid phone? This clip will show you how it's done. Whether you're the proud owner of a Motorola Droid Google Android smartphone or are considering picking one up, you're sure to benefit from this hands-on guide. For more information, including detailed, step-by-step instructions, take a look.
Android 11 is available as a simple beta install for Pixel devices right now. Just visit Google's beta signup page, make sure you're signed in with the same account used on your Pixel, then opt into the program. You'll get an OTA update that will put you on Android 11 in no time. But is it ready to be a daily driver?
Starting with Android 9 and 10, Google made privacy and security the main priorities for Android updates. Both versions brought numerous changes to help erase the notion that Android isn't safe, but Android 11 might even have them beat.
Downloading third-party screen recording apps can be dangerous. The primary function of these apps is being able to record everything on one's display, so it's easy to see how a malicious developer could exploit this for their own gain. That's why the addition of Android 10's built-in screen recording is so impactful.
Computer vision is a key component in enabling augmented reality experiences, but now it can help give sight to the blind as well. In this case, that assistance comes from Envision, developers of mobile apps for iOS and Android that use optical character recognition (OCR) and object detection to provide an audio description of the user's surroundings.
Although not quite as common today with the always-connected world we live in, you still might be having bandwidth wars in your home right now. If the internet connection in your area is mediocre, you know the feeling well. Google Stadia recommends having a 25 Mbps connection for playing in 4K, so you can expect to need at least that much to maintain a smooth, high-quality gaming session.
Everyone occasionally has tipsy fingers that lead to mistaken button taps. Even if you didn't accidentally delete your note, you may have found that it is in fact still relevant and not time for that note's demise. Thankfully, there's a simple way to undelete your Google Keep notes.
