Update your smartphone to Android 10 and learn to master its new features by discovering these ten tips.
The Android 10 update has just been rolled out to Pixel smartphones and should start appearing on smartphones from other manufacturers in the days or even weeks to come. While this new mobile operating system will not revolutionize the way you use your smartphone, it introduces several new features that should still improve your daily use.
Among them, the inauguration of a global dark theme for the Android interface, the possibility of configuring gestural navigation or even better control of your private data. In the following lines, you will find some tips and hidden functions that will allow you to take full advantage of the new features of Android 10.
1. Activate the dark theme
The first novelty to be tested on Android is undoubtedly the dark theme which allows the interface elements (menus, backgrounds, etc.) to be changed to black. If this has the merit of relieving the eyes of some, the dark theme of Android 10 will also allow to save some battery on smartphones equipped with an OLED screen.
To apply it on your device, open Android Settings and go to the View menu. Turn on the Dark Theme feature to apply it on your device. It is also possible to add a shortcut allowing to activate or deactivate it quickly, directly from the notification panel.
Note that the dark theme of Android 10 will apply not only to the interface elements of the OS, but also to some already compatible applications such as Chrome, Contacts, Google Drive, Google Photos, Gmail or the Play Store.
2. Navigate using gestures
Another great novelty of Android 10 is the ability to configure gesture navigation instead of two- and three-button navigation.
To take advantage of it, open the Settings, access the System menu, then in Gestures enter the System navigation submenu.
Select Gesture Navigation and, if desired, tap the cogwheel icon to adjust the backspace sensitivity.
Now swipe up from the bottom of the screen to return to Home, swipe up and down while holding your finger and then releasing to view multitasking, and swipe the screen from right to left or left to right to return to the previous screen.
To quickly switch between apps, slide your finger from right to left, or left to right, across the bottom of the screen. And if you want to access Google Assistant, swipe up from the bottom right or left corner.
3. Manage permissions to protect your privacy
With Android 10, Google intends to offer better control over the permissions requested by installed applications. Now for each specific authorization, Android displays a pop-up alert right in the middle of the screen, which allows more flexibility than before. For example, the use of your location can be configured to be allowed only once, or only when the app is active.
To more easily manage all these permissions, go to Settings and then, in Privacy, enter Authorization Manager.
For each type of authorization listed, enter in detail, and tap on the listed applications to modify their authorization.
4. Share your Wi-Fi password with a QR Code
Sharing the password of your Wi-Fi connection has never been easier than with Android 10. The new version of Google’s mobile operating system now allows you to generate a QR code that your guests will only have to use. to scan to connect to your network.
Open Settings, go to Network & Internet, and tap Wi-Fi and then the network you’re connected to to view its details.
Then tap on the Share button, confirm by entering your unlock code (or using your fingerprint sensor or other) to display the QR Code to connect to your network.
Your loved ones will only have to scan it with their smartphone to connect to your Wi-Fi network without having to enter the password.
5. Share content quickly
Share sheet in Android 10 is improving and getting smarter. In addition to the fact that it is now more responsive than before, it now displays a preview of what you are about to share and inaugurates a Copy button allowing you to quickly copy an item to the Android clipboard.
6. Use the suggested responses in the notifications
Remember the answers suggested in Gmail? They now land directly in notifications to allow you to respond quickly to a message.
Simply deploy the notification panel upon receiving a message to see suggested responses when available.
7. View the estimated battery life
Natively, the battery percentage is not displayed. You can change this very easily by going to Settings, then to the Battery menu, enabling Battery Percentage.
But that’s not all. Now Android 10 is able to display the estimated time until which you will be able to use your device. You will find this information directly in the Battery menu of Settings, but also by deploying the notifications panel.
8. Use the floating bubbles
Some Android notifications can now be displayed as floating bubbles regardless of the current task on your smartphone. As they are disabled by default, to take advantage of them, you must first activate the options for developers on your device.
Next, open Settings, enter System, then in Advanced Preferences, go to Developer Options.
Scroll through all the options until you reach those relating to Applications and activate Bubbles.
9. Undo the deletion of an application
Have you accidentally deleted an app from the Home screen and can’t remember which one? Don’t panic, as with emails sent too quickly in Gmail, Android 10 now gives you a few seconds to undo the deletion of the last item.
Each time an element disappears, a banner is displayed at the bottom of the screen and allows you to Undo the last operation.
10. Change the accent colors
The arrival of Dark Mode in Android 10 also offers the possibility to change the accent colors of the system. To change the default accent color, first make sure you have Developer Options enabled on your device.
Then open Settings and then in System go to Developer options.
Scroll down to the bottom of the options and enter the Accent Color menu to change the one displayed by default to one of the seven other available colors.
The color of menus, interface elements and some icons, especially within the notifications pane, will be automatically changed.