Keep nosy friends out of other apps
Every now and then, you probably need to hand your phone over to someone else, like if a friend is using your GPS while you drive or your kid wants to play a game. But that doesn’t mean you also need to give them the chance to weed through all your embarrassing photos and Web history. Android lets you pin one app to the screen, requiring the password to be punched in before opening a new app. To unlock the option, go to Settings > Security > Screen Pinning, and turn the feature on. Now go to the app your friend needs to look at, then hit the back button to go to the Overview screen. Swipe back down to the app you were just on, and tap the pin icon on the bottom right. When you close the app, the phone will shut completely, and you’ll need the password to get back in. To keep your security air-tight, never do these things on public WiFi.
Access hidden symbols
There’s more than meets the eye on your keyboard, with some Android hacks hiding in plain view. Long-pressing certain keys will reveal more character options, and you can drag your finger up to type the one you want. For instance, hit vowels to find accents and umlauts, or hold down the dollar sign to find more currency symbols. Don’t miss these other hidden symbols you didn’t know your phone could type.