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Android 10 Tips & Tricks: the 7 best new features you didn't know about

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Android 10 has landed on Pixel smartphones and is starting to trickle down to devices not made by Google too. If you've just downloaded the update, these are the new features you should be checking out first.

Some of the new Android 10 features have been long-requested by users, whilst others address growing privacy concerns. Google has put a lot into this software update, which is the first to drop the sweet theme and go for a more mature name and branding. Here is our list of the best tips and tricks for Android 10.

Shortcuts:

  1. Smart Reply
  2. Smarter sharing options
  3. Share Wi-Fi Networks with QR codes
  4. Dark Mode
  5. Focus Mode
  6. Get strict with app permissions
  7. New gestures for navigation

Smart Reply, whatever messaging app you use

One of the first new features you'll notice on Android 10 is Smart Reply. It allows you to reply to messages with one of Google's suggested responses (including emojis) and even directly from the notification bar. It's been available for Google apps before, but with Android 10 it is coming to all messaging apps including WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger.

smart reply android 10
Smart Reply can offer simply replies via buttons in the notification bar on Android 10 / © NextPit

With privacy being a big part of Android 10, Google was quick to point out that Smart Reply uses on-device AI to work out suggested responses, and nothing is sent to Google's servers. You don't get the option on every message, of course, the AI is not that good yet, but you'd be surprised how often this can save you from opening the apps and typing out a short response.

Smarter sharing options

Sharing on Android has always been a bit of a hassle but with Android 10, Google has made the whole thing a lot easier. Pulling up the share menu now gives you loads more options for sending links, images, and other data to others from your smartphone. As well as SMS, popular messaging apps and email, there are now options to share with lots of other apps. Sharing with Google Keep, for example, saves you having to copy and paste text from a webpage or message to your note-taking app.

sharing menu android 10
You know have more sharing options on Android 10 / © NextPit

You can also share more quickly and easily with yourself. One of the best examples of this is sharing a Chrome tab with one of your devices. If I'm using Chome on my smartphone and want to continue reading on my tablet to have a larger display, the new Share menu in Android 10 allows me to send the tab between the two devices effortlessly.

Share Wi-Fi Networks with QR codes

Sharing Wi-Fi passwords with friends and colleagues was always a pain on Android, especially if the password was a long string of random numbers and letters. Now, Google has taken a leaf out of Huawei's book and integrated Wi-Fi sharing right into the OS. From the Wi-Fi settings, you can choose to share your connected networks via QR code. The menu also clearly displays the password so you can read it out to more or one party if you want to. Note: we have edited the screenshot below to hide the password for obvious reasons.

wifi sharing android 10
Sharing Wi-Fi passwords and networks is easier on Android 10 / © NextPit

Dark Mode

Android users have been asking for this one for a while, and it's finally here. On Android 10, there is now a system-wide dark mode. You can flick it on in the settings menu, or create a quick-tile setting to toggle on and off from the drop-down quick menu. Dark mode affects supported apps and all of the Android menus. It will automatically kick in when you switch to battery saver mode, given that saving battery life on OLED display is one of the main reasons people have been calling for this feature and why dark modes are so popular.

android 10 dark mode
Save battery life with Dark Mode on Android 10 / © NextPit

Focus Mode

Part of Google's Digital Wellbeing package, Focus Mode aims to take away some of the distraction that certain apps on your smartphone can bring. You can pause distracting apps and there is even a quick setting tile to make this even more painless. Notifications will also be paused for the apps that you have identified as having the potential distract you. The idea is that you can remove the temptation of WhatsApp messages coming or in having the urge to watch a quick video on YouTube when you've decided to settle in and study or spend time with your loved ones.

Get strict with app permissions

Big tech has to be seen to be taking privacy more seriously these days, so it's no surprise that Android 10 comes with improved functionality for privacy and security. There are three main areas Google has improved:

Location sharing just the once

You can now choose to only share location data with apps while you’re using them. You’ll also receive reminders when an app that you are not actively using is accessing your location, so you can decide whether or not to continue sharing. This adds a third location sharing option to the previous all or nothing extremes.

app permissions location
You can opt to allow an app to use your location only when it is in use / © NextPit (screenshot)

Web & App Activity and Ad Settings in once place

In a new Privacy section under Settings, you’ll find controls like Web & App Activity and Ad Settings in one place. It's not really game-changing, but it makes things a little more convenient to find.

Security patches directly from the Play Store

With Google Play system updates, security and privacy fixes can now be sent to your phone from the Google Play Store. It works the same way your apps update. The change means that you get these fixes as soon as they’re available, without having to wait for a full OS update.

New gestures for navigation

With Android 10, Google has improved gesture navigation - don't tell me you are still using the 3-button system? You can now slide your finger in from the edge of the screen to go back, for example. It takes a bit of getting used to, but once it clicks it becomes second nature. You can also pull up the home screen, and fluidly move between tasks. A new feature Google is calling "peaks" is designed to reduce accidental gesture inputs, and gives you a kind of pre-warning that you are about to trigger a gesture. It looks especially slick on smartphones with a 90Hz display, such as the OnePlus 7 Pro.

android 10 gesture control
Once you switch to gesture navigation, it's difficult to go back to buttons / © NextPit

Have you discovered any cool new features in the depths of Android 10? Let us know so we can check them out, and tell us your favorite new functionality since Android 10 landed on our smartphones.

Source: Google Blog

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David McCourt

David McCourt
Editor

David enjoys staying abreast of the latest technology and newest Android apps. Outside of the office, he can be found playing snooker and writing bad 00s indie songs.

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14 comments
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  • 3
    Hania peerzada Jan 1, 2020 Link to comment

    nice post


  • 25
    Deactivated Account Dec 30, 2019 Link to comment

    David Sir Thank you for the article. I'm using Android 10 on my Oneplus 7 smartphone. I got this update back in October. I am a geek and like to customize my smartphone to my needs and taste but after Android 10 update a lot of functionality broke and I had to uninstall a lot of apps and had to make many other changes. On the positive side, it encouraged me to reorganize my device and go minimal by keeping only those apps on my smartphone which I really require, which helps with device
    battery, performance, RAM and storage. The new navigation gestures of Android 10 are my favorite part of the entire experience and I like that now I can let apps use my location only when I am using them and not all the time as it was before. Android 10 is also faster and more battery efficient. Indeed Android version updates are important.


  • Rusty H. 33
    Rusty H. Dec 30, 2019 Link to comment

    From what I've seen in 10...I'm not missing much. Plus, for my phone, the latest 10 update still has bugs (from the user forum). 9 is ROCK solid stable, does what I want, so I'm holding off until they get the bugs fixed. Nothing in 10 I can't live without.


  • marco sarli 39
    marco sarli
    • Admin
    Dec 30, 2019 Link to comment

    Pity most of us still do not have 10


  • 49
    storm Dec 30, 2019 Link to comment

    Except most skins bury, hide or disable the best settings.

    Stop reskinning the OS! Just put your crap settings in their own menu. Put your bloat in the app store for easy independent updates or even removal for those who want to.

    And bonus, it keeps the OS partition small and bloat free.


  • 1
    Kanishk Dec 1, 2019 Link to comment

    Why light turn off timer is not given directly to the shortcut tiles (it's difficult for a PDF reader, everytime has to go to the settings to change the back light time) and the digital wellbeing tile can only be excess through the gray scale tile


  • 3
    seanpaul Oct 1, 2019 Link to comment

    I can't find where to turn the dark mode on :(


    • David McCourt 16
      David McCourt Oct 1, 2019 Link to comment

      Settings > Display > Dark theme. It should also be in your drop-down quick tile menu. If not, press the pencil icon to add it.


  • 2
    Arun Sep 27, 2019 Link to comment

    I upgraded to Android 10 and the battery is draining quicker and not fast charging at all. It taking long time to do even 1% charging. And I have lost all APK apps I had before and I'm trying to reinstall but it's keep stopping!!!!! This Android 10 version suck!!!!!!!!

    Rusty H.


    • Dean L. 34
      Dean L. Sep 30, 2019 Link to comment

      Hopefully things will improve with the October update in preparation for the Pixel 4. One can always hope...........(fingers crossed)


  • 2
    Emam Sep 26, 2019 Link to comment

    Except gestures feature, everything available in current one ui in Samsung. Even missing can be achieved with third party apps. Google need to improve.

    seanpaul


  • marco sarli 39
    marco sarli
    • Admin
    Sep 24, 2019 Link to comment

    Interesting but first i will have to get 10

    Dean L.


    • Dean L. 34
      Dean L. Sep 26, 2019 Link to comment

      I have Android 10 on my Pixel 2 and am using the gestures are interesting so far. Having dark mode as part of the system is pretty good but I'm not realizing extended battery life. In fact at this time it seems like battery life is degraded. So maybe an update will improve it in the future since I have to charge it sometimes 3 times to get through a day.

      Sorin


    • 2
      Arun Sep 27, 2019 Link to comment

      don't get it!!!

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