Android has become the dominant operating system of the mobile world, now accounting for around 80% of the market share. It’s gone through a number of iterations over the last decade, with the latest version being Android 11. The jump from Android 9 to 10 brought a large number of changes, but it was Android 11 that took these changed and refined them, making them more suer friendly than ever before.

For those wanting to get the most out of their new or current Android, these helpful tips and hints can make all the difference.

The Gesture System

Most long-time Android users will be familiar with the navigation buttons at the bottom of the screen, which usually include a home, back, and app switcher button. These are used to get around the phone, from opening up the app drawer to switching between apps. Android 10 introduced gestures, which are loosely based on the gesture navigation system from iOS. They can be turned on in the settings and allow for a much easier time. Using just their thumb, a user can flick to return to the home screen, switch between apps in one movement, and open a variety of other features.

System-Wide Dark Mode

Although it took some years to be fully implemented, Android users rejoiced when developers introduced the system-wide dark mode. It can be turned on at any time but can also be set to automatically shift depending on the time of day, which can also be set by the user. Not only does it make it much easier for a user’s eyes but switching over to dark mode can also means significant reductions in battery usage.

Permissions

A change that was embraced by privacy-enthusiasts the world over, Android 10 brought in a wide variety of different permission changes. It allows the user to see what apps are using which permissions, as well as tighter controls for those apps. This is vitally important for taking control of how much data is leaked from a device, as it’s not uncommon for some apps to previously have access to the camera and microphone without the explicit permission from the user. The permissions can be found in a tab within the main settings, and allows the user to pick and choose the permissions they would like to give or take away from a specific app, whether it’s for streaming or an app with the latest games for Swedish players.

Emergency Mode

Emergency mode is a special setting that’s been added to the power button of the phone. When clicked, it takes the user to a section of the settings where previously set emergency information can be found and used. This information can include the personal information of the user, any emergency contacts that they’ve set, their blood type, as well as any allergies that they might have. It’s also possible to access it regardless of whether the phone is locked or not, meaning that a friend or even stranger is able to activate and see the potentially life-saving information.