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6 Smart Settings To Make Your Android Phone Anticipate Your Needs
6 Smart Settings To Make Your Android Phone Anticipate Your Needs
Ben Patterson
Android’s clever Smart Lock feature can keep your phone unlocked while you’re at home,
or whevever you’ve got your handset on you.
That’s the idea behind Smart Lock. Once activated (just tap Settings > Security > Smart
Lock to get started), you can set Smart Lock to unlock your phone whenever you’re at home,
when it scans your face with its camera, when it hears your voice, or whenever it’s near your
Bluetooth watch or a Bluetooth car stereo. There’s even a setting that’ll keep your phone
unlocked as long as you’re holding it or while it’s sitting in your pocket.
So, is Smart Lock smart enough to know that your Smart Locked device just got
snatched out of your hands by a robber, and that it should lock your phone immediately? Well,
no, which is why anyone who’s paranoid about security should probably stick with a passcode
or touch ID. Still, for those of us sick of punching in PINs while sitting on our living room sofas,
Smart Lock makes for a pretty intelligent setting.
Ben Patterson
Once you tell it where you live, Google Now will give you details on your commute before
you even ask.
Open the Google Now app, tap the menu button in the top-left corner of the screen, tap
Customize, then start filling in your preferences, starting with your favorite way to commute:
by bike, car, public transit, or walking.
Next, make sure to let Google Now know where you live and work; once you do, it’ll let
you know how long your commute will be before you even ask.
You’ll also see a series of categories that’ll let you give Google Now more clues about
your tastes and preferences, ranging from your favorite websites and sports teams (perfect for
getting alerts whenever your favorite team is about to play) to stock tickers, favorite
streaming services, and more.
Ben Patterson
With the right setting enabled, you can ask Google Now a question without having to
touch your phone.
Here’s the trick: tap Settings > Google & Now > Voice > “Google Now” detection, then
toggle on the Always On setting. You’ll be prompted to train your Android phone to recognize
your voice, a process that involves saying “OK Google” three times.
Once your handset is trained and the Always On setting is enabled, you can say
something like, “OK Google, how long will it take to get to get to the Empire State Building?”
whenever you want, even if your phone is locked and sitting across the room. It’s a lot like
using the new Google Home device, just without the Home.
Bonus tip: You can also enable the Trusted Voice setting to let Google Now unlock your
phone when it hears your voice, meaning you’ll be able to set alarms, send email, and more
without having to manually unlock your handset.
Ben Patterson
The Google Photos app will create collages, albums, and even videos based on your latest
snapshots.
Tap the menu button in the top-left corner of the Google Photos interface, tap Settings >
Assistant cards, then toggle on the New Creations settings.
Once that’s done, Google Photos will begin creating and suggesting new collages and
albums based on your most recent pictures, and it’ll even cut together movies—complete with
background music—using your latest clips. If you don’t care for what Photos comes up with,
you can always just swipe the creations away.
Ben Patterson
Android’s Do Not Disturb feature has the smarts to keep it down during calendar events.
Dig a little deeper, though, and you’ll find a smart setting that’ll automatically silence
your phone during meetings on your calendar, or during any other quiet time you designate.
Tap Settings > Sound > Do Not Disturb > Automatic Rules, then tap Add Rule. To keep
your phone quiet during meetings, tap Event Rule, then customize your settings. You can, for
example, set your new rule to silence your phone during meetings on a specific calendar, and
only during meetings you’ve actually accepted.
If you always want your phone to silence notifications at lunchtime, set up a new Time
Rule, then pick the days of the week, times, and the type of Do Not Disturb mode you want
—“priority” mode (which allows certain callers and alerts through, depending on your priority
mode settings), alarms only, or total silence.