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forevenmoretips&tricks^47

already expansive list of Power off,

Reboot and Screenshot.

To expand on the available options

on a non-rooted, stock Android

release then just open

Settings>Buttons>Power menu and

activate these options you would like

to see added to the power menu.

This is only the beginning of your

ower (menu) trip. By flashing a

recovery, you should see additional

options (when you tap Reboot, the

options to reboot into Recovery and

Bootloader are displayed). Installing a

custom ROM might see some further

alternatives, such as toggling mobile

data or activating a built-in screen

record tool.

An increased selection of options in

the Power menu can save time and

make your Android device easier to use.

Android use

at night

Using your Android device in the

dark can prove uncomfortable,

especially if you’re picking up your

phone to answer a call in the dead

of night. A bright display can

certainly wake you up, but it might

also hurt your eyes.

Various tools are available to

assist here, but begin by ensuring

that your Android display is set to the

automaticoptionin

Settings>Display>Brightness.

Next, you might consider a tool

such as the free Screen Filter in

Google Play, which adds an

adjustable software screen filter to

your display. It’s particularly useful

for playing video games and reading

eBooks in low-light environments

When you use it on AMOLED

displays, it will save battery life too.

Finally,NightModeisaPlay

Storeappspecificallydesignedfor

using an Android device at night.

With the ability to set a minimum

brightness and disable button

backlights, this is the ultimate tool

for configuring Android for use in

the darkness without giving

yourself a headache.

searching for “instwogram” at
xda-developers.com
You will need to have Unknown
Sources enabled in
Settings>Security as the app isn’t
available in Google Play.
Installing version 5.1.4 is advised
at present for the full set of photo
and video features (later versions
work but without video, so if this isn’t
required you can use these versions).
Once installed you will need to run
the app, which is a clone of the
genuine Instagram, and add your
account credentials. You will then
have the ability to snap and share
photos with either of the two
Instagram accounts.

Edit your

power menu

Shutting down your phone used to
be a case of pressing the power
button and waiting. In the
smartphone age, a bunch of
alternatives can be added to the

Upload photos and video to a second

Instagram account with Instwogram

OS

Short for ‘operating system’. Often the

Android ROM will be referred to as the

OS–thisjustmeansthesystemfiles

on the Android device that make up

your user experience, similar to

Windows,MacOSXorUbuntuona

desktop computer.

ROM

Standsfor‘read-onlymemory’.Inthe

contextofAndroid,theROMrefersto

thefilesthatmakeuptheoperating

system installed on your device.

Gaining root privileges allows for

replacement of the standard ROM

withacustomone.

Root

‘Rooting’ your phone gives apps access

to parts of the OS that are normally

hidden from consumers. This enables

youtorunmorepowerfulsoftwareand

install custom ROMs on your phone.

ROM Manager

An app available from the Android

Market that enables you to install

a whole new version of your OS with

a single click. It requires a rooted

phonetouseandisidealforthose

new on the scene.

Titanium Backup

ThisappfromtheMarketenablesyou

to back up everything on your phone

–apps,data,settingsandall.Itmeans

thatyoucanrestoreyourphonetohow

it was, even after you’ve updated or

changed the ROM.

Unrevoked

Available fromwww.unrevoked.com,

this is a one-click tool that can be

used for rooting many popular

HTC smartphones.

ADB

Stands for ‘Android Debug Bridge’. ADB

is mainly used for software

development, but it also has some

uses for hacking your phone. It can be

used to push files onto the system

folder, for instance.

Nandroid

You might come across the phrase

‘perform a Nandroid backup’. This

meansusingacustomrecoverytool

tomakeaback-upimageofeverything

currentlyonyourphone:OS,apps,

data, etc. It’s very useful should you

wishtorestoreyourphonetoits

previous state later.

Radio

‘Radio’ refers to the software on your

Android device that deals with making

phone calls and data connections.

Updating your radio version can bring

better battery life and signal strength

to your device. Some ROMs require the

latest radio.

Flash

The storage in your device comprises

flashmemory,atypeofsolid-state

storage. The terms ‘flash’ or ‘flashing’

mean installing new software onto your

device’s storage.

Getuptospeedonallthe

terms you need to know

when hacking your phone

Get the Lollipop look Three apps to giveyourAndroidaMaterialDesignmakeover

ai.Android

L-Lollipop

keyboard

Price: Free

From: Play store

Need root? No

This Lollipop-looking

theme will need the

free ai-type keyboard

theming app, but you

will be able to sport

Material Design before

your update arrives!

LTheme

Price:Free

From:Play store

Need root?No

Using a stock ROM? If

you really can’t wait

for Lollipop, consider

this Material Design

theme for your home

screen and native

apps – it requires the

free Themer Launcher

app (also free).

Chrome Beta

Price: Free

From: Play store

Need root? No

Enjoy the future of

Android browsing,

today! Chrome Beta

has Lollipop’s Material

Design slick aesthetic,

and using this for just a

few minutes will help

you adjust to the new

look for Android.

Jargon

Buster

Add new menu items to the power menu to

save time when its pressed

Don’t hurt your eyes or get a headache using

Android in the dark