Functions of your smartphone that maybe you did not know

Wide access to the internet has made the smartphone an essential element to connect to social networks, websites and other communities. This type of device brought a series of features that older phones did not have, which fell into popular taste for the diversity of options it offers. But do users know all of their tools?

Share data between two phones side by side

This can be done through Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, present in most modern Android phones and created so that the smartphone also serves as an electronic wallet.

Through this feature, users can share data and files by colliding the two mobile phones when Android Beam is activated.

It is important that both phones have this function. To check if your phone has it and activate this tool, just go to Settings> Connections> NFC.

Unlock the screen with your face

The Android device is capable of recognizing your face and unlocking the main screen. Go to Settings> Screen Lock> Face Unlock, and follow the instructions on your mobile phone.

So that nobody cheats with your face, with a photo for example, activate the "Check presence". In this mode, unlocking the phone occurs only with the blinking of the eyes.

Your photos and videos can make a movie

Android version 4.3 allows you to create short movies with photos and videos made on your mobile phone. For this, it is necessary to activate the “Auto Backup” function in the settings of the Google+ application.

Then, access the photos section of the application and click on the camera located at the top of the screen to choose the content that will create the movie. You can select a theme and background music for the video.

Access open tabs on your computer

This function is possible only when the user uses Google Chrome as a browser and remains connected to their Google account. Open the browser, click on "Other devices" and the open tabs on the computer desktop will be seen on your Android device.

Automatically turn off songs

To activate this tool on your smartphone, you must go to the music player, access the settings and activate "Automatic music deactivation". With this, you can determine how long a song or album will be playing.

Flash notification

When you receive a call, message or any other notification, the front LED of your device blinks. However, you can also use the flash light for this. On Android, go to Settings> Accessibility> Flash Notifications.

Using the camera flash is a silent and effective way of knowing when notifications arrive through sms or social networks. To select this feature on iOS, go to Settings> General> Accessibility> Flashing LED Alerts.

Use the smartphone as a Wi-Fi router

For those who urgently need Wi-Fi internet, it is possible to turn the mobile into a router, changing the mobile internet signal to Wi-Fi to connect your laptop or any other device. To do this, you need to go to Settings> More> Portable zone and tethering, and configure a portable Wi-Fi access point. But it is important to be aware, since this tool consumes your data plan, so it should be used only in really necessary cases.

Show information on the lock screen

If you lose your phone, it doesn't cost anything to leave your email in case someone finds it. In this case, you just have to enter Settings> Security> Owner information. In this field, enter an email address.

In this way, when an honest person finds your mobile and tries to return it, they will have an email to communicate with you.

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Synchronize the computer with the mobile to send SMS

This feature is native to some of the mobile phones, but not all have this tool. For those who do not have it, an application called AirDroid is recommended. This allows the phone to be synchronized with the computer to transfer files over the Wi-Fi network, manage applications, take photos remotely, view the images saved on the phone and even respond to SMS messages without having to suffer with the smartphone keyboard. Another alternative for those who are looking to answer SMS through the computer is MightyText.

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Alternative ways to take a photo

The camera application on your mobile phone also hides some useful secrets. In the case of iOS, for example, the volume up button can also be used to take a photo. In the case of Android, you can activate voice control. In this way, it is possible to take photos giving the order with a word.

Automatic text reader

This function is for when you are in the middle of the traffic or, simply, you cannot read some text on your mobile phone on your own. To have it read automatically on iOS, go to General> Accessibility> VoiceOver. There you can program the speed and volume of the voice.

For Android, go to Settings> Accessibility> TalkBack. If your phone does not have the function, you can download it on Google Play. Activated the function, it only remains to touch the screen to indicate the text to be read.

Customize the vibration of notifications

If you're tired of the standard vibrations of iOS notifications, just go to Settings> Sounds> Ringtones> Vibration.

On Android, on the other hand, you need to select a contact in your phonebook. You go to Vibration Pattern and choose the one you like or create a new one. In case your phone doesn't offer this resource, download the Good Vibrations app to use this resource.

Block unwanted calls and messages

Did you get tired of that annoying and insistent contact? Just go to Settings> Calls> Block mode> Block incoming calls. You can also do this by selecting the contact and sending it to "Add to reject list".

These are some of the many options that you may not have known about on iOS and Android. What do you think of these new functions of your smartphone ?