12 Android Settings That You Should Change Right Now

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Most of us don’t meddle much with default Android settings, but if you are looking for tricks to enhance your overall Android experience, there are a few changes worth trying. You can use some simple tricks to get more out of regular apps and your Android in order to improve your productivity and to make things simpler. Here are the 12 changes that we recommend you should try out on your Android phone.

1. Google Keyboard Settings

If you are a chatterbox and do type a lot on your Android mobile then there are times when the keyboard you’re using actually slows you down. This is because you do not find appropriate numbers, emojis etc. on your keyboard.

If you are a google keyboard user than there are some of the settings that you can switch ON right now. Just tap on Settings –> Additional Settings –> Language and Inputs –> Google Keyboard –> Preferences
(i) Switch Number Row: This option will allow you to have a number row on your keyboard for an easy input of numbers in your text.
(ii) Switch Show Emoji-Switch Key: This option will show a button on your keyboard for easy and fast input of emojis in your text.
(iii) Switch Block Offensive Words: This option will automatically block the potentially offensive words.
(iv) Switch Auto-Correction & Capitalisation: This option will punctuate your text automatically and put a space between the words.

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2. Get Chrome Address Bar at bottom

If you have a large display mobile phone then you must know how tough it gets to use an address bar on Chrome when you are using the phone with one hand.
You can now get the address bar to bottom using the steps below.


Open Chrome –> Type ‘Chrome://flags’ in the address bar of the chrome –> Scroll down to ‘Chrome Home Android’ tab –> change the settings from Default to Enable –> Relaunch the chrome app twice.
Now you will get the address bar at the bottom, along with this you will also be able to see quick links, recent downloads, bookmarks & history.

3. Pin your favourite website on the Home screen

You might find this feature a masterstroke as it will ease your browsing experience. By enabling this feature you can simply add a shortcut of your favourite website to your home screen.


To do this, simply open Chrome –> search for your website –> tap the three dots present at the top right corner –> click ‘Add to Home Screen’ button.

4. Do Not Track

Many websites keep a track on your search and browsing history which in return will show you ads and recommendations. You can disable this feature by switching ‘Do Not Track’ option present in the Chrome.


Go to Chrome –> Tap on the Settings –> click on ‘Privacy’ –> Turn ON ‘Do Not Track’ option.

5. Autofill and Payments

There is a feature present in Chrome which will allow you to autofill the forms, save an address, save your card details and even save the frequently used apps to do payments.


To enable this feature, go to Chrome Settings –> click on ‘Autofill and Payments’ –> Turn ON ‘Auto fill forms’ option.
You may also see an address, cards & payment apps option to add relevant data to it.

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6. Hide sensitive Notifications from Lock screen

Lock screen notifications are handy and a very cool feature to use. But many times it allows other people to view your personal information.

Here is a way to hide your sensitive notifications from getting displayed.
Go to settings –> Notification –> Tap on the settings cog icon on the top right –> click ‘Hide Sensitive Notification Content’.
Now you can see that the contents of the notifications are hidden on the lock screen.

7. Get rid of App Shortcuts

Whenever you download an app from Play Store, you must have noticed that there is an app shortcut created on the home screen of your mobile phone. Most users find it annoying and want to remove the clutter.

Here’s how you can do it.
Go to Play Store –> Play Store settings –> Untick the option ‘Add icon to Home screen’.

8. Speed Up Animations

Android animations help keep things fresh and also make your phone look fancy. Although at times it seems to slow down things a bit. But you can speed up animations to speed up your device.

To do so, first turn on the ‘Developer options’ by clicking 7 times on the ‘Build Number’ option present in the About phone settings.
Now, go to ‘Developer Options’ –> Animation Scale –> scroll down to window animation, transition animation & animator duration scale.
Change them according to your wish and you will see your mobile running faster.

9. Google play Protect

The new security feature rolled out for Android scans the device for regular security threats and warns about potential harm. By default, this option is enabled but one option which isn’t really enabled is ‘Improve harmful app detection’.

To enable this feature, go to settings –> Google –> Security –> Google Play Protect –> enable ‘Improve Harmful App Detection’.
You should enable this option as most of the virus and malware comes from the third party apps.

Also Read: How to Get Pixel 2 Live Wallpapers On Any Android Smartphone

10. Turn off Interest-based Ads by Google

You must have seen the ads while browsing on your mobile phone. But have you noticed that the ads you see pop only based upon your interests, the things you’ve just seen on an e-store etc.

Most of us find it annoying to see the same ads again and again. Well, here is how you can disable it.
Go to settings –> Google –> Ads –> Turn on ‘Opt out of Ads Personalisation’.
Although it will not block the ads, but at least there will be newer ones and they will not be based on your interests.

11. Smart Storage

If you’re someone who always has a complaint of low storage on your mobile then this setting is just a perfect one for you. This feature is present only in the Android 7 onwards. This feature simply removes the photos and videos which are 90 days old and back them up in Google photos to free up your internal storage.

To enable this feature on your device, go to Settings –> Storage –> Click on ‘Smart Storage’ option.
Note: This feature is mostly available on stock android phones.

12. Instant Apps

This feature is also available only on Android 7 and onwards versions. This feature allows you to use the apps without installing them on your android device. You can simply access the apps on your browser and can judge if they are good enough to be installed.


To enable this feature, go to Settings –> Google –> search for ‘Instant apps’ option and enable it.

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