Best Android Tips and Tricks-IV

How to Access Notifications
At the top of your screen, you will see notifications which report calendar events, alarms, incoming mails or other ongoing events. Swipe down from the top of the screen to reveal the list of notifications, then swipe up from the O-sign to hide it.

• Depending on the notification type, you can swipe a notification sideway to dismiss it, or tap the X-sign to dismiss all from the list.
• To access a notification, tap it and you're taken to the related email, reminder, message or app. The notification then clears automatically from the list where applicable.

Note: When you slide down from the top of the screen, you can also see this Quick Settings icon. Touching this icon is equivalent to running the Settings app.

How to Edit Bookmarks and Folders in Android's Browser

Just like most browsers, the default Browser in Android allows you to add bookmarks and folders easily for getting to the websites fast when browsing.
Add a bookmark/folder

1. On the page you like to bookmark, tap the Menu button and select 'Save to bookmarks'.
2. Change the Label if needed.
3. Click 'OK' to save to Bookmarks, or select 'Add to' then 'Other folder', browse to a folder or add a new folder and tap 'OK'.

Remove a bookmark/folder

1. Tap the Tabs button , then the Bookmarks button .
2. Touch and hold a bookmark or a folder, then select 'Delete bookmark' or 'Delete folder' from the pop-up menu.
3. Press 'OK' to confirm.

How to Add a Web Clip Icon to Home Screen

If you frequently visit a web page, you can tap a web clip or bookmark icon on your home screen and quickly access the page without the need to touch the Browser icon. This web clip icon can be added to your home screen easily:

1. On the page you often visit, tap the Menu button in Android's Browser.
2. Select 'Save to bookmarks'.
3. Edit the Label if necessary, then select 'Add to' and tap "Home Screen'.

Next time you visit the same web page, just tap the web clip icon on your home screen. Some websites including Gizmo's Freeware have a web clip icon which has been customized for you (see the screenshot).

How to Send Instant Messages

Besides third-party apps, Messenger developed by Google gives you a real-time instant messaging service via Wi-Fi, 3G or 4G for Android users. To use this service and send an instant message from your Android device is pretty straightforward.

1. Tap the Messenger app icon.
2. Tap the plus sign and add a person or a group of people from your circles.
3. Add text or photos and tap the Send button.

Note: Messenger appears as a standalone app that comes with your Android system, or as a component of the Google+ app that can be downloaded from the Google Play store.

How to Setup Mail Accounts and Sync Options

The Android system allows for adding multiple mail accounts including GMail, Exchange, Yahoo, Hotmail and others. To set up a mail account is straightforward especially for this example, GMail.

1. Open the app Email.
2. Enter Email address and Password, then tap 'Next' for verifying.
3. Leave 'Sync email form this account' checked, select other options you like, and tap 'Next'.
4. Enter your name to be displayed on outgoing messages, and tap 'Next' to finish.

After this setting, you can then open the app Email to send emails and read incoming mails, which are automatically synced with your GMail account over the air.

How to Add a Mail Signature

Each time you send out an email using the Email app, you can have a mail signature, such as 'Sent from my mobile device', automatically added at the end of your message.

1. Open the app Email, tap the Menu button, then Settings.
2. Tap the email account that you've set up.
3. Tap 'Signature', enter a signature in a few words you like then tap 'OK' to confirm.

How to Sync Emails, Contacts and Calendars

The Android system allows you to operate and sync your emails, contacts, calendars and other items using multiple accounts. You can set your accounts to sync these items on your device with the servers automatically or manually.

1. Run the Settings app, select 'Accounts & sync' under PERSONAL.
2. At the top, tap to switch the 'Accounts & sync' to 'ON' for automatic syncing, or 'OFF' for manual syncing.

When the 'Accounts & sync' is switched off, you can touch an account and sync contacts or other items manually—either touch an item to sync or tap the Menu button then 'Sync now' to sync all items. The last synced date and time are shown below each item.

How to Browse and Edit Files on your Mobile

You might have a lot of your files you want to browse through, copy, rename or delete them on your mobile device like the way you do in Windows. Unfortunately you can't do much as Android 4.0 has not had a built-in file manager, but you can easily install a third party app from the Google Play Store.

1. Run the Play Store app.
2. Tap the Search button and enter the name of a file manager, such as ES File Explorer, one of the popular.
3. Tap the app from the list and download it.
4. Open the app and enjoy working with your files and folders on your mobile device.

How to Copy Files between your Mobile and PC

What if you need to copy files and folders between your mobile device and PC? You can do so by connecting your mobile device to your PC using a USB cable provided. Better still, you can connect them wirelessly via a local WiFi network to do the same or even more without needing a cable.

1. Run the Play Store app.
2. Tap the Search button and enter the name of a remote desktop app, such as AirDroid (reviewed here).
3. Tap the app from the list and download it.
4. Open the app and start using it to connect your mobile to PC for copying files wirelessly and doing even more between the two platforms.

How to Share Mobile Data Connection

When you're using an Android device with mobile data connection enabled, wouldn't it be convenient for another computer device such as a Windows-based notebook to share this connection for access to the Internet? Yes, you can do a wireless connection via a portable hotspot, or a wired connection using a USB cable:
Turn your Android mobile into a portable Wi-Fi hotspot:

1. On your mobile, go to Settings > More > Tethering & portable hotspot.
2. Tap "Portable Wi-Fi hotspot" to enable it.
3. Tap "Configure Wi-Fi hotspot" to enter an ID and password to prevent unauthorized connections.
4. On a computer with Wi-Fi connectivity, click the network icon on the system tray to identify and connect to the wireless network you set.

Enable USB tethering on your Android mobile:

1. Connect a computer to your Android device with a USB cable.
2. On your mobile, go to Settings > More > Tethering & portable hotspot.
3. Tap "USB tethering" to enable it.
4. On the computer, click the network icon on the system tray to identify and connect to the wired network. The Windows system may take more than a minute to discover the network for Internet access.

Note: Enabling Bluetooth tethering on your Android mobile to allow for Internect access from a computer is also possible after the two devices are paired.

How to Backup and Restore your Data

Using the Android system, you can automatically back up your data, such as a list of apps you've installed, the words you've added to dictionary, your Wi-Fi passwords, Browser bookmarks and other settings via your Google account on the servers.

1. Run the app Settings, tap 'Backup & reset' under PERSONAL.
2. Check both 'Back up my data' and 'Automatic restore' if they're unchecked.

When you need to reset your device or re-install an app which makes use of the backup service, you can then restore your data and settings from your Google account.

How to Lock your Android Device

Don't like your kids to mess with your mobile or someone to read your emails on your device? Lock it with a password, pin, pattern or even use Face Unlock.

1. Open the app Settings and select 'Security' under PERSONAL.
2. Select 'Screen lock' under SCREEN SECURITY.
3. Tap a type of security either Pattern, Pin, Password or Face Unlock to lock your device.

Each time when your device is turned on, you'll have to use the same security type to access your device.

How to Reboot the System

In the event your Android apps freeze or the system becomes unresponsive, you can try to reboot the system as follows:

1. Press and hold the Power button of your device until a pop-up menu appears. Select 'Power off' and tap 'OK' to confirm. The system will then turn off.
2. Turn the system on by pressing and holding the Power button until the Google logo appears.