Best Android Tips and Tricks-III

How to Type Faster with Multiple Spaces
Instead of typing a period at the end of each sentence and follow by a space, you can tap the space bar twice to get the same result.

How to Type Special Characters

If you often need to switch between the on-screen Alphabet and Number keyboards just to type a comma in a sentence, then why not check out below to find out more?
While on the Alphabet keyboard:

• , (comma) => touch and hold the Full-stop key (.)
• ' (single quotation mark) => touch and hold the Full-stop key, and slide to choose the single quotation mark (')
• " (double quotation mark) => touch and hold the Full-stop key, and slide to choose the double quotation mark (")
• Turn caps lock on/off => double-tap the Shift key to lock, single-tap to unlock.
• Special letters not on the keyboard? => touch and hold a key, then slide to choose a variation (See the screenshot).
• Need just a digit or symbol from the Number keyboard? => touch the ?123 key and slide to a digit or symbol key, and you're back to the Alphabet keyboard automatically.

While on the Number keyboard:

• Symbols not on the keyboard? => touch and hold a key, then slide to choose a variation, or tap the #\< key to find out more.
• Often type an equation? => touch and hold the #\< key, tap a sign and you're back to the Number keyboard when you release the #\< key.
• Need just a letter from the Alphabet keyboard? => touch the ABC key and slide to a letter key, and you're back to the Number keyboard automatically.

How to Cut, Copy and Paste

This looks simple but can be tricky sometimes when you use different apps. In general, these steps can be used in Email or some other apps:

1. Double-tap or touch-and-hold to select a word.
2. Drag the handles to adjust the area if needed, then tap Cut or Copy.
3. Tap an insert point, and drag the handle to adjust it if needed.
4. Select Paste (Hint: tab the handle when the 'Paste' button doesn't appear).

Note: When working in a web browser such as Android's Browser, use touch-and-hold to select a word since "double-tap" has been used to enlarge or reduce a webpage.

How to Turn Off Auto-Correction

When you're typing through, the system checks your spelling and suggests a few words. Unless you've selected one of them, the highlighted suggested word overwrites your word when you finish typing it followed by a space, punctuation mark or return character. If you feel that's annoying, you can turn off Auto-Correction.

1. Open the app Settings and select 'Language & input' under PERSONAL.
2. Tap the Quick Settings icon next to 'Android keyboard'.
3. Select 'Auto correction' under TEXT CORRECTION.
4. Select 'Off' to turn off 'Auto-Correction'.

Note: As an alternative, whenever a word is replaced not to your liking, you can tap the Delete key immediately after which and the system returns the word you've typed.

How to Lock Screen Orientation

The Android screen switches to either the portrait or landscape view in response to the way you hold the device when you run certain apps. What if I want to lock the screen orientation to one view so that the screen doesn't rotate to another? Easy.

1. Run the Settings app.
2. Tap Display under DEVICE.
3. Uncheck "Auto-rotate screen".

Your screen will then lock to the portrait mode. To unlock it, check the above option.

How to Print Screen

Where’s the PrintScreen button when you need to take a screen shot of your Android device? Instead of using one button, try a combination of two:

1. Press and hold down the Power and Volume-down buttons simultaneously.
2. Open the Gallery app, and you can see your screenshot already saved in the Screenshots album.

Note: Older Android system doesn't support this feature, but it has a more complicated way to take screenshots using Android SDK such as this without rooting the device.

How to Select Wallpapers for your Android

You can easily select a wallpaper from a collection of a few in your system and set it as wallpaper for your Home screens.

1. Touch and hold an empty location of a home screen.
2. Choose either Gallery, Live Wallpapers or Wallpapers from the pop-up menu.
3. Select an image and set it as wallpaper.

Alternatively, you can run the Settings app, then go to DEVICE > Display > Wallpaper, and continue with the step 2 above.