Mobile phones and Android tablets have many great features, but they can also be a double-edged sword. There may be many things you are unaware of or some things you are doing incorrectly. Let’s fix some of these mistakes.
Closing Apps Too Often
One of the biggest myths about Android is that closing apps can prolong battery life. This has never been true and can even have a worse impact. While it may seem logical, especially if you’re used to desktop operating systems, it is not necessary on Android devices.
Android is designed to manage background apps for you. When resources are needed, Android will automatically close apps that have been unused for a long time. If you close every app after using it, the app will have to start from scratch when it needs more power or resources.
You only need to force-close Android apps if they are not functioning properly. Otherwise, it’s better not to touch them and let Android handle it on its own.
Being Too Lenient with App Permissions
Android apps can request various types of permissions, from location to other activities. Being too lenient with these permissions can be risky, so it’s better to be cautious.
For example, when it comes to location access, you have the option to choose between “Precise Location” and “Approximate Location.” You should always choose “Precise Location” if possible. Another good practice is to grant permissions temporarily to apps. Select “Only This Time” if it’s something you won’t use regularly.
Fortunately, Android has built-in features to protect you from apps misusing permissions, but you can also protect yourself. It’s easy to check which apps are using which permissions.
Not Using Third-Party Home Screen Launchers
Almost everything on Android can be replaced with alternatives from the Google Play Store, including the home screen launcher. Third-party home screen launchers offer more customization options than the default launcher from your phone manufacturer.
Some personal favorites include Nova Launcher and Niagara Launcher. Nova is great if you want a lot of customization and settings to explore. Niagara has a beautiful minimalistic design, especially on large-screen phones.
Open the Google Play Store and search for “home screen launcher.” You will find many apps to choose from. Changing the default launcher is usually easy; the app will guide you through the process. Let’s explore!
Installing Antivirus Apps
As the most popular operating system in the world, Android, like Windows, naturally becomes a big target for viruses and malware. You might think that means you need to install antivirus apps on your Android phone. Not necessary.
Android has several built-in layers of protection to keep your device safe from malicious attacks. First and foremost, unlike PCs, you probably only download apps from the centralized app store, Google Play Store.
Apps published on the Play Store are carefully checked by Google Play Protect to detect malware, so you can feel safe when downloading them. Even if you install Android apps from sources outside the Play Store, they will still be scanned for malware. Play Protect also monitors your web browser.
In short, most people don’t need to worry about using antivirus apps. Just use the Play Store and listen to your web browser when it says a site looks suspicious, and you’ll be fine.
Not Exploring the Hidden Developer Options Menu
Android has a hidden menu called “Developer Options.” As the name suggests, most of the features in this menu are intended for developers, but there are some features that may be useful for regular users too. You should take a look at it.
For example, you can force all apps to use Dark Mode, speed up animations to make the phone feel faster, open a Windows-like task manager, turn off cellular data when using Wi-Fi, and more. Even if you don’t find something usable, keep exploring.
Keeping Bloatware on Your Device
Your Android device is likely to come with a number of pre-installed apps. While some of these apps may be useful or apps you would install yourself, some devices are sometimes filled with bloatware from carriers and sponsorship deals. You don’t have to let these apps take up space on your device.
Android makes it easy to uninstall most apps and games, even those pre-installed by the phone manufacturer or carrier. If an app can’t be uninstalled conventionally, chances are you can “Disable” it so it won’t appear anywhere and run in the background.
Not Checking App Updates Regularly
It’s important to keep Android apps up to date. This ensures that apps run smoothly with bugs or security vulnerabilities fixed. The Google Play Store offers several different ways to ensure apps stay updated.
First, you can manually check the Play Store regularly for app updates. This is a good idea, and you can update multiple apps at once. Enabling automatic updates is also a good idea. You can almost forget about app updates if you use the automatic method, but it’s still good to check occasionally.
Not Enabling Automatic Dark Mode and Night Light
Blue light may not be as big of an issue as we think, but it’s undeniable that a bright phone screen is hard to see in a dark environment. Android has several features aimed at reducing eye strain at night.
First, the system-wide dark mode can transform the entire user interface and many apps into a theme with white text on a black background. You can even set dark mode to activate automatically at sunset, which we highly recommend.
Dark Mode changes the theme but doesn’t address the issue of blue light. Therefore, Android devices have a feature called “Night Light” or “Eye Conform Shield.” This feature changes the display color temperature to a more orange hue, balancing out the blue light. Like dark mode, this feature can also be set to activate automatically at night.
Not Setting a Do Not Disturb Schedule for Nighttime
Nothing is more disruptive than unwanted notifications waking you up from a deep sleep. So don’t let that happen. Every Android device has a feature called “Do Not Disturb Mode,” and you should set it to automatically activate when you sleep.
This doesn’t mean you will be completely disconnected from the outside world while you sleep. There may be some people and apps you want to still be able to contact you anytime. “Do Not Disturb Mode” can allow exceptions for important notifications while holding back non-essential ones.
Whether you have a Google Pixel phone or a Samsung Galaxy device, you should take a moment to set up “Do Not Disturb Mode” to activate automatically at night. Do it once, and you’ll be glad you did.
Using Cheap Accessories That Could Be Unsafe
Your Android phone may come with at least a few accessories like charging cables and adapters (if you’re lucky). But you may want to have more accessories at home. With so many cheap accessories on Amazon, it’s easy to end up with poor-quality ones.
This is especially important to consider when it comes to USB-C cables, which are used by most Android devices for charging. USB-C should be good, and usually it is, but there are still some issues with it. Poor-quality USB-C cables can damage your device, especially if you use them for fast charging.