About a decade ago, mobile phones could only manage a handful of key features including making calls, texting, playing media and games, as well as taking selfies but fast-forward to today, and you’ll discover that there are tons of other exciting stuff our smartphone can do.
If you own a smartphone in today’s world, you’ll be able to make calls, text, stream media, read the news, purchase products, make payments and so much more.
This article will reveal some pretty useful smartphone features that you need every day. Some of these smartphone features you already know and some you never knew.
1. Remote controller
Not many are aware of this but some smartphones come with remote control features. This basically allows you to operate some of your electronics at home. This can come quite handy if your electronic’s native remote controller gets broken or lost.
Rather than cough out money to get a new remote or a universal remote controller, simply take your smartphone and search its tools to look for the remote control feature and pair it with your electronic.
If your smartphone doesn’t have the feature, you can download one for Android from Google Play here and for iOS on the App Store here then follow the instructions to pair it with your electronics like TVs, sound systems, air conditioners, cable boxes, etc.
2. A useful tool for leveling
All smartphones come with an accelerometer and a gyro sensor. These features allow the device to determine its position in space. By downloading certain apps for iOS and Android, you can convert your phone to a level device.
This is particularly useful for small-time construction work such as mounting your TV on the wall, hanging a wall frame or decorative items, etc. However, we recommend using real tools when engaging in professional-level construction projects.
3. Dashcam for cars
If you own a car, you can utilize your smartphone by making it work as a dashcam or DVR. It is simple, really. All you have to do is physically install the phone on your dashboard so it can get the best view of the road.
To make it more efficient, you can download some apps (Android & iOS) tailored to work with DVRs. Using your phone as a dashcam works best when you’re on a trip in a car that belongs to someone else or a rented vehicle.
4. Smartphone as a CCTV
Talking about cameras, you can also convert your smartphone to a CCTV device. This works best when you have more than one mobile device though. Simply install the phone at a nice angle in a room and keep it plugged and charging so it doesn’t run out of power.
You’ll need to get a good memory card with generous storage capacity too for saving the captured video. You can also use the phone camera as a motion detector that takes snapshots of objects that move in its view then sends the images to you right away.
You can use this as a simple security system for your home. Start by downloading and installing an app with a motion sensor function like this here You can watch this video for more information on setting up the device.
5. Remotely control the phone
This is quite useful if you incidentally lose or misplace your phone. However, you’ll need to have an anti-theft app set up on the phone before it gets missing. A very good example of such an app is Cerberus.
If you install and set up Cerberus on your smartphone, whenever it gets missing or is stolen, you can quickly login to the Cerberus website and control your phone from there.
Generally, it can remotely make the phone take photos, activate the microphone, block the phone, wipe the device’s data, locate the device via GPS, or even make it emit a loud signal that will draw the attention of people nearby.
6. Expand the device storage
After using your smartphone for some time, you may likely notice the device’s memory getting full. At this point, you’ll want to start using an external memory card or back up your data onto a PC, or even subscribe to cloud services such as Dropbox.
Indeed, these are all cool but there’s another great option – upload all your data to Telegram Messenger. The Telegram application lets you transfer texts, files, and links to yourself. It can double as both cloud storage and a notepad.
Just install it, register your mobile number on the app, locate your number on the app and start using it to save your important data. You can access your files from any device so there’s no need to worry about what happens when you lose your phone.
7. Customizations
After using a smartphone for some weeks, it’s only natural for you to get bored of its UI and other functions, especially if it doesn’t come with periodic updates. Fortunately, the smartphone comes with options that can allow you to change its settings like a pro.
To start with, go to the “Developer Menu” or “Developer Options” on the phone. You can get there by going to your phone’s settings and clicking on “About the phone”. Next, tap on “Model Number” seven times.
You should get the popup message that you’re now a developer. From this menu, you can make your phone more efficient by improving its overall performance, system appearance, and signal reception quality.
8. Switch to monochrome mode
You can switch to monochrome mode on your smartphone which changes the screen display from colored to black and white. This is useful if you’re trying to save battery or trying to go easy on your eyesight. It is essentially useful when reading.
Activate monochrome mode by entering the developer’s menu and look for “simulate anomaly”. From there you can switch on monochrome mode.
9. Insightful stats
Perhaps your friends and family members have been accusing you of being a smartphone addict. You can discover how true this is by checking out some insightful stats on your device.
If you own an iPhone, you can go to “Settings” then select “Battery” and tap the dial key to the right of the “last 7 days” column. You should see a list of the apps you use the most here.
Android users, unfortunately, may have to install an app like Instant before they can view their most-used apps.
Top Recommended Smartphones for You
Our devices have evolved magnificently over the years. Mobile devices these days come with several unique smartphone features beyond just the front and rear cameras.
Buying a smartphone today can be confusing as it has become difficult to choose the best one for you with all the different brands out there and their smartphone features.
However, the Samsung brand is a trusted name when it comes to smartphones and that’s why we’re recommending them just for you.
Indeed, there are plenty of Samsung phones in the market – we are aware of this and that’s why we have selected some of them here for you to choose from.
These smartphones are available at all SIMS Samsung stores or the best electronics stores near you.