Tech Diary | 27-04-2022 | 10 Annoying Things on Your Android Phone|

Android has come a long way since its humble beginnings as an operating system with only basic features. However, there are still some annoying things that Android phones and tablets do that get on their users’ nerves, whether they like it or not. Here are 10 of the most annoying things about Android devices and how to solve them.

Source: https://bit.ly/3EV87qS

1) Adjust the Ringtone
Although you can easily change your ringtone, don’t. The first thing most people do when they get a new Android phone is to set an annoying tone so it’s easier to find in their purse or pocket. If you want to make your Android phone less annoying, just leave it at its default setting. You can always go back and change it later if you want.

2) Go Dark Mode
Android’s default setting is to light up your phone with every notification, which gets annoying really fast. To keep your eyes from burning out of their sockets, set your phone to dark mode whenever you’re not using it.

3) Let Other Apps Handle Text Messages
The apps you have installed to deal with text messages and other notifications on your Android mobile are pretty good. But there are still a few things you can do to make those apps better.

4) Hide Notifications
Android mobiles let you choose which apps get permission to send you push notifications. If your phone is beeping every five minutes and begging you to open it up, then maybe it’s time to put some of those notifications on lockdown.

5) Personalize Your Notifications
The biggest annoyance of all is having your phone buzz every few minutes with useless updates, notifications, and alerts. If you’re not sure how to silence these unwanted interruptions, here are a few ways to deal with them: Go into Settings and check for any apps that have a Vibrate or Sound toggle; turn these off and your phone won’t make noise when it beeps or flashes.

6) Lock Apps With Fingerprint Scanner
Recent Android phones have fingerprint scanners, which can be set up to lock your phone or apps. The added security is a nice feature, but it means you’ll need to swipe your finger each time you want to use something—which gets annoying very quickly. Go into settings and disable it for any apps that are causing trouble.

7) Turn Off Google Location Services
Though Android Mobiles are capable of quickly and precisely locating your whereabouts, there are still some annoying applications that are constantly used. To turn off location services on your phone, go to Settings > Location Services > System Services and disable any app that you don’t wish to use. Make sure Google Play services are left enabled; it’s responsible for keeping apps updated and storing your personal data.

8) Disable Always Listening Functions (Android Devices Only)
There are a few reasons why you might want to turn off all voice searches, especially if you’re in a place where noise will generate unnecessary attention (like a movie theater). Head into your settings, click voice search, then hit okay next to listen for Voice Activation. If you don’t feel like typing at that moment, press and hold down home button + power button at once.

9) Change App Permissions (Android Devices Only)
For many of us, our phones are essentially just computers that we can carry around in our pockets. Thankfully, we have control over what apps have access to when it comes to permissions. Make sure you always review your apps' permissions before installing them and only give access to what's necessary for that app to work. You can do so by going into Settings > Apps > [App Name] > Permissions. This will show you a list of all permissions an app has requested and which ones you've granted or denied. If you don't want an app to have any access at all, simply uncheck all boxes at once with a single tap. It may seem like a hassle now, but it'll be worth it if one day your phone gets hacked because some shady app had more access than it should've had.

10) Use Android Device Manager (Android Devices Only)
You can locate your phone via Google’s service, which allows you to ring it at maximum volume. This is a great way to find your phone if you’ve misplaced it somewhere in your house. It also allows you to remotely erase any information that might be stored on your device. The program only works with phones running 4.1 Jelly Bean or higher, and enrollment is automatic when you set up a Google account. Just make sure to log into Device Manager before losing your phone. If you don’t have access to Wi-Fi, use an old-fashioned data cable instead of Bluetooth. Android devices sometimes have trouble connecting over Bluetooth after they lose their signal (if they aren’t connected directly through a USB port).