Your smartphone is capable of a lot more than you think. Manufacturers never reveal the true power of the devices they create, because most of the time it takes a skilled and savvy tech guru on the outside to be the one to discover it.
None of this should come as a surprise, since modern phones are essentially pocket-sized computers. Truth be told, the technology embedded in your mobile vastly exceeds what was possible for personal computing in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s.
We can do now more than ever before with these small, digital devices, a fact which can be just as terrifying as it is inspiring! Leave it to hackers to continually unlock and devise new and improved features; here are but a few of the cool things you can do with your Android or iPhone!
Harmless hacks that may make your day a little easier
- Swap out standard apps for better alternatives – as much as you might enjoy Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and other time-consuming applications, installing a few tailored for productivity will make you work a lot more efficiently. A few of the most popular apps in this category include Todoist, Pact, Circa, and Duolingo. While not a hack per se, this is one way to retrain your brain to perform more meaningful tasks; because let us face it, staring at your social media newsfeed for hours on end does nothing to make you smarter!
- Read, do not listen to voicemails – wouldn’t it be great to bypass listening to all those pesky, incoming voicemail messages, and instead read them in a text message-based format? Luckily, this is exactly what Google Voice transcriptions does. This is great for people who prefer to read and skim through voicemails, and is especially useful when you have a bunch coming in on the daily.
- Use your camera the way it should be– enough with taking selfies already; there are many other things you can be doing with your smartphone camera. Put that high-resolution display to better use by snapping screenshots of what you have in the fridge before departing to the grocery store, where your vehicle is parked when arriving at said store, and important card information. What do all of these tips have in common? They help you remember and keep track of things you may otherwise forget.
- Text safe on the go – we have all been guilty of texting and walking, and although not nearly as dangerous as doing so while driving (certain exclusions apply), it is never fun to stumble into a stranger on the sidewalk or accidentally stroll into the street. Type n Walk is a cool and convenient app that utilizes your phone’s front-facing camera while you are in motion, providing you with a forward field of view as you pluck away at your virtual keyboard.
OK, we know there are a lot of cooler hacks out there, but we do feel this list is highly beneficial. Use it wisely and be rewarded with more free time and fewer embarrassing accidents!
