Confession time: I do know embarrassingly little about automotive restore, and I could not repair a misbehaving home equipment if my life trusted it (which, on no less than a pair events, it nearly has). Heck, I can barely grasp a bit of wall artwork with out screwing one thing up alongside the way in which. In relation to Android telephones, although, nicely — I am virtually a modern-day mechanic.
Now, grasp on a sec: It is not practically as spectacular because it sounds. I haven’t got any fancy energy instruments or perhaps a pair of cool-looking coveralls with my title on ’em (not but, anyway). I’ve largely simply been utilizing and learning Android for a very long time now — since someplace within the mid-1800s, give or take — and once you pay shut sufficient consideration to one thing for a protracted sufficient interval, you begin to see the identical primary patterns popping up time and time once more.
The reality is that for as “magical” as they could sometimes seem, our glossy and glossy smartphones are finally simply home equipment. And most of the time, the problems most people have with their telephones are fairly darn constant. Which means whether or not you are troubleshooting your individual machine or making an attempt to return to a struggling co-worker’s rescue, the percentages are good that your downside could be addressed with out an excessive amount of hassle.
Contemplate this your information — a set of a number of the most typical complaints I hear about Android telephones and the best options I recommend in these situations. Apply the data to your individual ailing machine or move it on to another person who wants it, and also you, too, can expertise the enjoyment of feeling like a mobile-tech mechanic (with or with out the coveralls).
Android downside #1: Low storage
Ah, sure — the age-old downside of finite area. Whenever you see a telephone’s storage beginning to run low, simply keep in mind this catchy little adage: “Cease hoarding stuff, you unruly digital packrat.” (Okay, so perhaps it wasn’t fairly as catchy as I had hoped.)
In all seriousness, although, most of us actually do not want a lot saved domestically on our smartphones as of late — particularly on Android, the place cloud syncing is straightforward and automatic administration is straightforward. Begin by putting in the Google Photos app and setting it as much as again up all images and movies as they’re taken. That’ll allow you to delete the native copies (in addition to have an effective way to get to all of your reminiscences from any machine, anytime, even in case you lose or break your present Android telephone), and that alone is certain to unencumber tons of room.
Second, set up the Files by Google app. It will present you all of the pointless space-takers lurking inside your telephone’s storage — together with these now-redundant native copies of cloud-synced photos together with junk information, duplicate information, and different simply eradicated issues — and it will offer you easy one-tap buttons to clear any of that crud away.

The Recordsdata by Google app identifies areas the place you may unencumber area and offers you a fast ‘n’ simple solution to zap unneeded objects away.
Lastly, in case you’re utilizing considered one of Google’s Pixel telephones, look within the Storage part of your system settings and faucet the road labeled “Good Storage.” There, you may configure your telephone to robotically take away any redundant copies of already-backed-up images and movies anytime your storage begins to get low once more.
Android downside #2: Subpar stamina
We may discuss Android battery life all day, however the quickest solution to make a right away distinction in your telephone’s longevity is to regulate your display settings.
First, flip down the display’s brightness (both within the Fast Settings panel that comes up once you swipe down twice from the highest of your display or within the Show part of your system settings). The show burns by means of extra energy than the rest in your machine, and the decrease you may comfortably use it, the longer your telephone will final with every cost. In case your telephone is operating Android 9 or greater, it’s also possible to search for an Adaptive Brightness choice that’ll robotically regulate the brightness degree for you based mostly in your present atmosphere.
Second, set your “Display timeout” setting (additionally within the Show part of your system settings) to as low of a worth as you may tolerate. The much less time your display stays on once you aren’t utilizing it, the much less pointless battery energy your telephone will burn by means of.
And third, in case you’ve bought Android 10 or greater, look in that very same space of your system settings for the Darkish Theme choice. Darker colours are likely to devour much less energy than the brilliant hues current in most interfaces by default, so switching to the Darkish Theme both on a regular basis and even simply on a sunset-to-sunrise schedule ought to prolong your telephone’s battery a good bit.
Android downside #3: An excessive amount of bloatware
Until you are utilizing Google’s Pixel telephones, your Android machine possible got here loaded with a number of junk you don’t need — starting from superfluous manufacturer-provided providers (hello, Samsung!) to carrier-added crapola (to make use of the extremely technical time period). However worry not, for many of that may on the very least be hidden out of sight, if not eradicated totally.
The only approach to try this is to look within the Apps part of your system settings to search out the whole listing of put in functions. Whenever you see an app that you don’t need, faucet its title after which search for both the Uninstall button — or, if that is not current, the Disable command. It’s possible you’ll not be capable of do away with completely every thing that approach (paging Bixby…), however you can filter a good quantity of muddle.
Android downside #4: A house display mess
From built-in search bars you do not use to mad information streams you’d slightly not see, Android telephones’ residence screens are sometimes something however optimum out of the field. However you do not have to dwell with what your device-maker provides you. Android has an enormous array of third-party launchers — alternate environments that fully exchange your telephone’s inventory residence display setup and app drawer association. And there is one thing out there for virtually each desire and elegance of working.

Third-party launchers such because the Microsoft Launcher and Niagara Launcher, seen right here, can clear up your property display and make it custom-suited to your work fashion.
Look by means of my Android launcher recommendations to search out what’s best for you — then take a look at these Android productivity tips for benefiting from your spiffy new setup.
Android downside #5: A slow-running telephone
Similar to us mortals, smartphones are liable to slowing down over time as their digital wits change into worn. Not like our mushy mammal brains, although, your telephone’s response time can really be improved.
A few of the issues we simply went over, in truth, ought to make a noticeable distinction: cleansing up your storage, uninstalling unused apps (each ones that got here pre-installed in your telephone and ones you put in your self however not use), and making an attempt out a {custom} launcher for a extra optimum residence display atmosphere.
Past that, a number of the similar steps I describe in my Android data-saving guide can deliver a significant increase to your general machine velocity — issues like eliminating pointless background exercise, compressing your cellular internet expertise, and shifting to light-weight variations of apps. (See that article for a step-by-step breakdown in every of these areas.)
And eventually, a tucked-away Android system setting could take advantage of perceptible influence of all. You will first should activate Android’s developer settings in your telephone to search out it:
- Open the About Telephone part of your system settings and search for the road labeled “Construct quantity.” (On Samsung telephones, you will should faucet a line labeled “Software program info” earlier than you will see the “Construct quantity” line.)
- Faucet that line seven occasions.
- Enter your PIN, sample, or password when prompted.
As soon as that is completed, return to your principal system settings menu. On some telephones, you will see a brand new Developer Choices part proper in that principal menu; on others, akin to Google’s Pixel gadgets, you will should enter the System part after which faucet “Superior” to search out it. Nevertheless you get to it, faucet that part after which scroll down till you see the Drawing header.
There, you will discover three animation-related choices: “Window animation scale,” “Transition animation scale,” and “Animator period scale.” Faucet every of these objects and alter its setting from the default “Animation scale 1x” to “Animation off.” And do not mess with the rest in that Developer Choices space whilst you’re there; it accommodates some advanced stuff that is not meant for normal telephone homeowners and will mess up your telephone if used incorrectly.

Android’s animation scale settings, hidden away within the system’s Developer Choices, could make any telephone really feel immediately sooner.
Head again to your property display and take a look at transferring round your telephone — opening your app drawer, swiping down the notification panel, going out and in of apps, and so forth. Every part ought to really feel considerably snappier than it did earlier than.
Android downside #6: An excessive amount of rotation
Our telephones are designed to work in each a portrait and a panorama orientation — however generally, the sensors get a little bit oversensitive and find yourself flipping between views extra usually than you’d need.
As of Android 9, there’s a straightforward reply: On a Pixel telephone or any machine whose producer hasn’t meddled with Android too a lot, march into the Show part of your system settings, faucet “Superior,” after which flip the toggle subsequent to “Auto-rotate display” into the off place. From there on out, anytime you rotate your machine, it will not robotically change the display’s orientation and can as an alternative place a small icon within the nook of the display. You possibly can then faucet that icon to vary the rotation or ignore it to depart it as-is.
In the event you’re utilizing a Samsung telephone, the characteristic curiously is not in your system settings, however yow will discover a toggle for it within the Fast Settings space that comes up once you swipe down twice from the highest of your telephone. Search for the icon labeled “Auto rotate” and faucet it as soon as to disable it (which is able to change its title to “Portrait,” considerably confusingly — however that’ll do the trick).
Android downside #7: Tiny textual content
Cease squinting, would ya? If the phrases in your telephone are too rattling small, head into the Accessibility part of your system settings and check out two choices: “Font dimension,” which is able to improve textual content all all through your telephone, and “Show dimension,” which is able to improve the scale of every thing in your display.
Android downside #8: Annoying notifications
Whether or not it is a very aggressive app or, ahem, a very aggressive texter, cease notification nuisances at their supply by urgent and holding your finger to the subsequent undesirable alert that pops up. That’ll pull up a management panel of types that allows you to flip off the related sort of notification totally — or simply silence it in order that it nonetheless reveals up however would not actively demand your consideration.

Much less annoying notifications are at all times only a long-press and a faucet away.
Android downside #9: The contacts conundrum
It is 2020, for cryin’ out loud. Your contacts should not be accessible solely in your telephone — and also you should not have to leap by means of hoops to “switch” them from one machine to a different.
In the event you’re utilizing a telephone made by anybody aside from Google, go into its Contacts app and ensure it is set to sync your information along with your Google account — not with the producer’s personal proprietary syncing service. That is particularly pertinent for Samsung homeowners, as the corporate tends to sync contacts with its personal self-contained service by default. That is high-quality in case you solely wish to entry that information from that one telephone and in case you solely plan to buy telephones made by Samsung sooner or later, however in some other situation, that setup shouldn’t be going to serve you nicely.
In Samsung’s Contacts app, faucet the three-line menu icon within the upper-left nook, then faucet “Handle contacts” adopted by “Default storage location.” Then, choose your Google account as an alternative of your Samsung account within the menu that comes up.
From that time ahead, your contacts shall be synced with Google Contacts — which suggests they will at all times be out there inside the Google Contacts website, from any laptop the place you are signed in, and so they’ll be instantly out there on any telephone the place you put in the Google Contacts Android app.
Android downside #10: Name-ending challenges
Ever end up scrambling to finish a name — however then your display will not come again on quick sufficient? Or perhaps the display comes on, however the command to hold up is not proper there and prepared? An Android accessibility option could make your life infinitely simpler by empowering you to press your telephone’s bodily energy button anytime you are able to say goodbye. No must hunt round for the appropriate icon and even look down at your telephone in any respect — only one button press alongside the machine’s edge, and the individual on the opposite finish shall be gone (thank goodness!).
Simply search for the “Energy button ends name” choice in that Accessibility part of your system settings, flip it on, and prepare to get off a name extra simply than ever.

In the event you dig round sufficient in Android’s settings, yow will discover a change that’ll make it a lot simpler to finish a name.
Android downside #11: A frozen telephone
Some of the irritating Android issues of all is having a telephone that is both caught on some course of and never responding or caught in a powered-off state and refusing to activate. However regardless of how dire issues could appear, there’s nearly actually at all times an answer.
The only one is a tough reboot: Relying in your machine, you will wish to press and maintain both the ability button by itself for 30 seconds to a minute — or press and maintain the ability button and volume-down button collectively for that very same period of time (or till you are feeling a vibration and see one thing present up on the display). In the event you see a strange-looking menu that claims “Begin” and has an image of an Android robotic, don’t be concerned: Simply press the ability button once more, and your telephone ought to boot up usually.
If nothing occurs with both of these processes, attempt leaving your telephone plugged in for a stable few hours, simply to ensure the battery is not depleted. Then attempt once more.
If issues nonetheless aren’t developing — and in case you aren’t seeing even the usual battery indicator graphic seem on the show once you plug the telephone in — nicely, my pal, it is time to make your solution to our last Android concern.
Android downside #12: A non-charging telephone
Final however not least is the issue to finish all Android issues: an Android telephone that merely will not cost (and thus additionally will not energy up, as soon as its battery has been run all the way in which down). I have been there. And whereas it is actually potential that you possibly can be going through some form of hardware-related defect, it is also fairly possible that that is one thing you may repair in a jiff.
So do that: Take one thing like a toothpick or the top of a paper clip and very fastidiously and very gently dig round a little bit within the telephone’s charging port to filter any lint or particles that is constructed up in there. It sounds loopy, I do know, however generally, sufficient gunk will get collected in that space that the ability cable is not capable of set up a great connection and cost the machine (or cost it constantly, with out the connection coming out and in and making it troublesome for a lot charging to occur).
As soon as you’ve got cleared out a great quantity of gunk, plug the telephone in once more and see if one thing occurs. If the battery was completely lifeless, you might need to depart it plugged in for some time earlier than you see any outcomes. However there is a respectable likelihood this can work — after which, in a matter of minutes, you will be again in enterprise.
Generally, the best repair is probably the most satisfying considered one of all.
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