A (165)

contacts and dialer, enabling a fast

new way to make phone calls. After

all, waiting around as you thumb

through your contacts is pretty

frustrating, isn’t it?

Secret

feature hack

Staying on the topic of your Android

dialer, there are various secret codes

that you can use to tweak your

phone, all of which can be entered

via the dialer.

These codes originate with the old

analogue phones; engineers would

memorise a list of special numbers

theycoulduseforfixinglinefaults

andthesecodeswerelaterused by

phoneboxhackerstogetfreecalls,

in a process known as ‘phreaking’.

Codes are usually manufacturer

specific, although some exist across

devices. For instance, you can check

your device IMEI by entering *#06#,

which is useful if you’re planning to

unlock your SIM.

Meanwhile, entering

*#*#4636#*#* (for HTC and

Samsung) will display a hidden

information menu for checking signal

strength, forcing data connection

and even running a ping test.

Search the web for your device,

and find the codes that apply.

Instagram

accounts

Many people have multiple Twitter

and Instagram accounts. For the

former, multiple account handling is

anativefeature,butthisisnotthe

case for Instagram.

A workaround exists, however,

usinganappforAndroid2.2andlater

called Instwogram. You might, for

instance, have a personal Instagram

account and one for your blog, or

evenaseparateaccountthatyou

may run for your employer. Rather

than carrying around two phones,

this app is the perfect single-handset

solution and you can find it by

Which devices are best for

the hacking scene?

Tips&Tricks

Access hidden tools on your phone to

troubleshoot connectivity issues

q hacks

Android KitKat users probably

know about Immersive Mode, an

option to display some apps in

fullscreen view. It hides the status

and navigation bars in all apps

when not in use, root-free!

Implement

a fullscreen

app mode

GMDImmersiveisfreeon

Google Play and after installing it,

you will see a notifi cation telling you

that the keyboard may not activate

as per usual. For most apps this

shouldn’t be a problem.

(^1) To set up GMD Immersive,
open General to decide whether to
Start On Boot or Disable in
Lockwood. You can test the forced
Immersive Mode by tapping the
buttons across the top of the app.
(^2) The Trigger menu decides
Immersive Mode’s behaviour. A
£1.58 PRO upgrade can establish
per application settings, enabling
particular apps to be viewed in
Immersive Mode.
3
Moto 360
Rooted?Yes
Active Development:
QQQHigh
There are lots of
alternate watchfaces
and apps available for
hacked Moto 360’s.
Galaxy Note
Rooted? Yes
Active Developme
QQQMedium
While this handset
redundant as a
mainstream device
low price makes it
for fi rst time hacke
practise on.
Nexus 9
Rooted? Yes
Active Developmen
QQQHigh
Google’s brand-new
device has already
been rooted, with
hackers eager to
exploit the 64-bit
architecture.
Install GMD Immersive Test in fullscreen Trigger upgrade
A new dialer
for Android
Stock Android dialers are quite
capable, but if you’re looking to
refresh the way in which you
integrate with your contacts, make
phone calls and quickly send
messages via SMS and social
networks, you might consider
switching to a different dialer.
A strong alternative is Dialer+, a
replacement dialer that requires the
Contacts+ app – both are available in
theGooglePlaystore.
When used together, these apps
offerastylishnewintegrationof
Save time making a call with a new dialer
app like Dialer+
Amazon
Fire HD 6
Rooted? No
Active Develop
QQQLow
Amazon’s lates
has yet to see a
signifi cant
development o
XDA forum.
Hacker Zøne
status update