Running Android Search Results

How To: Use the Much-Improved Face Unlock Feature in Android Lollipop

I think it's safe to assume that most of us appreciate a little privacy and security when it comes to our mobile devices, which is exactly why we have lock screens that require unique passwords, patterns, or PINs. Although someone can discretely peer over your shoulder to see what your password is, it's much more difficult for them to duplicate your face to unlock the device.

How To: Enable Kids Mode on Any Android

Whether if it's to play games or watch Netflix or YouTube, children love using our smartphones and tablets. As an uncle of many, I don't mind my nieces and nephews using my gear, but I do mind them opening apps they have no business being in, like my photo gallery or messaging app.

How To: Take Perfectly-Framed Photos Every Time on Android

At the end of an all-day affair with friends or family, I'll unwind and go through all the pictures I took that day as a sort of recap. All too often, though, I'll come across a few that are almost perfect, except I didn't quite position my phone well enough, leaving someone's face cutoff or too much space to one side of the image. It's a fail of a basic and crucial tenet of photography—framing.

How To: Quickly Track & Free Up Space in Your Cloud Storage

It seems like every cloud service out there is offering tons of upgrade options and free promotions to give people as much space as they need to store their files online. I personally have over 100GB of Google Drive space which is shared between multiple computers, phones, and tablets, so keeping track of everything can be a huge pain in the ass.

How To: The Ultimate Guide to Using TWRP: The Only Custom Recovery You'll Ever Need

Just the fact that you own an Android device means you're privy to an entire world of third-party development. Many of the mods you'll see here on Gadget Hacks can be performed fresh out of the box, but with root and Xposed, the list grows longer. But to truly be able to take advantage of all that Android's massive development community has to offer, you'll need to have a custom recovery installed.

How To: Give Your Android Phone Some “Material Design” with Google's New Calculator App

With Google's latest version of their mobile OS, Android L, the most notable aesthetic difference is the newly introduced Material Design concept that will soon be ever-present through the interface. The objective of this bold design is to create "hierarchy, meaning, and focus," as described by Google, and the deliberate choices of color and white space "to create immersion and clarity."

How To: Play the Insanely Addictive 2048 Game for Android on Your TV

Just like some of its popular puzzle predecessors, 2048 is an extremely simple yet insanely addicting game that pits you against a slew of blocks, to be configured into increasing sums with fervid, high-paced moves. If you have yet to play it, check out either the iOS (by Ketchapp) or Android (by Estoty) versions of the game. Due to its overwhelming popularity, dev TalkLittle has ported the puzzle game as 2048 for Chromecast (available for Android only), which lets you play the game solo or b...

How To: Enable the Swipe-Back Gesture for All Apps on the Galaxy Note 2 & 3

While some Android applications have built-in gestures that allow you to perform certain actions, it's not a feature that's been comprehensively, let alone consistently implemented. If you're on Twitter or Facebook and you want to go back, the only global way is by tapping on the capacitive back button at the bottom of your device. Thanks to XDA dev PeterCxy, you can now enable a global swipe back gesture on your Android smartphone or tablet, making it easier than ever to backtrack within apps.

How To: Turn Your Nexus 7 Tablet into a Mouse & Keyboard for Your Computer

Like insurance, it's always better to have a computer mouse and not need it than to need it and not have it. Honestly, I don't want to carry around a clunky mouse with my laptop, so I don't. I do something else, something more convenient. I use my Nexus 7. If you want to give it a try, I'll show you how it's done right now. All you need to is a Wi-Fi network and a specific Android app to control your computer with your Android tablet.