4 Android and iOS Tricks You Probably Didn't Know: Cool!

Keeping up to date with the latest software features can be one of the not easy tasks to do. However, to stay aware of these tools, we have brought you 4 tricks for Android and iOS that you might not have known – and it could save your life.

It turns out that with the amount of updates since 2007, less obvious features often slip through the loopholes. Given that, here are some tools that are definitely overlooked, but are in both iOS 15 and Android 12.

4 Android and iOS Tricks You Probably Didn’t Know

find your way

Map apps have been part of the modern mobile toolkit from the start, but Google and Apple have now added a camera and a dash of augmented reality to the experience to offer an extra “hand” with on-site guidance.

In Google Maps for Android and iOS, enter your destination, select “Trails” and click on “Walking”. Then select the “Live View” icon at the bottom of the map. Once that’s done, the phone will ask you to point the camera at nearby buildings so the app can recognize the surroundings when compared to Google Street View images. When you set them, your directions to your destination appear superimposed on the onscreen camera view to guide you.

Apple Maps uses the iPhone’s camera in a similar way when you ask for walking directions in supported cities and select an AR (augmented reality) icon on the map screen.

Digitizing things

In addition to the tour guide function, your phone’s camera can act as a document scanner and quickly read QR codes. On iOS, for example, you can scan a document or receipt in the Notes app. When creating a new note, click the camera icon on the toolbar and select Scan Documents. Furthermore, you can also scan a document and attach it to an email you are writing by selecting the “Scan” icon on the keyboard toolbar.

The Google Drive app has a similar scanning feature. Press the “+” button, then “Scan”. The free Google Stack app for Android also scans and organizes your PDF files. The camera app on some Samsung phones can still detect and scan a document when you point your phone at the paper.

As for square, black and white QR codes for electronic payment systems or websites, just open the “Apple Camera” app or “Google Camera” app and point to the QR code to scan it. Also, many Samsung phones have a QR scanner option that also works with the camera app.

What is this song?

The cell phone microphone has also gained new features that go beyond voice reminders, written voice messages, and audio/video calls. One reason: Apple purchased the music recognition app Shazam in 2018.

The feature, which automatically attempts to identify a song playing nearby, works on both iOS and Android versions (https://bityli.com/VBSpdW). It can be activated in turn by pressing and holding the “Shazam” button when the app is open.

In this sense, after selecting a song using the app, you can play it on your Deezer, Spotify, Apple Music or YouTube Music account. Also, in Shazam settings, you can connect the recognized playlist to Apple Music or Spotify.

Get help quickly

When you need help in an emergency, know that your cell phone has shortcuts to help you out. On iPhone 8 or later, press and hold the right button and one of the volume buttons until you see the “Emergency SOS” slider. On the screen, drag your finger over it to call the local emergency number. If you cannot do this, press and hold the buttons until the phone automatically places the call. Finally, in the “Emergency SOS” settings, you can enable the phone to make an emergency call by pressing the side button 5 times.

On the other hand, some Android phones have their own emergency service features. On phones with a power button, for example, press and hold this button until the emergency symbol appears on the screen and select it. But if you don’t have a power button, try swiping down on the screen to get to Quick Settings from emergency mode, or swiping up from the bottom to get to the Emergency Call button. Google’s free Personal Emergency app for Android (https://bityli.com/WSKCsM) provides more tools for dealing with potential emergencies, for those who like to be prepared.