These 6 faster ways have actually changed how I utilize my Android phone

Science

Released Oct 8, 2026, 5:00 PM EDT

Brandon has actually been associated with tech journalism considering that the year 2000 and became part of the OG group of XDA and Pocketnow. He’s presently a personnel author for MakeUseOf, covering mobile and customer tech. Brandon likes to assist individuals make the most of their innovation.

He lives beyond Philadelphia, PA, with his spouse and 3 kids. When he’s not composing, Brandon plays drums and delights in listening to music.

He’s a graduate of the Villanova School of Business where he got a bachelors degree in financing.

I’m lazy. I desire my phone to do what I desire with as little effort as possible, and specifically with not needing to dig around in settings or in my app tray. From the quickest method possible to turn your phone into a 5G hotspot to quickly taking screenshots without needing to push several buttons, I discovered a lot of faster ways that conserve a great deal of time which prevents opening specific apps and settings and they’ve used Android a lot better. Here are 6 such faster ways.

Turn your phone into a 5G hotspot

From your notice shade

Utilizing your Android as a 5G hotspot is a need at a time when nearly no laptop computers have integrated 5G. And with many people having unrestricted information strategies nowadays, you can make the most of the 5G modem you have in your pocket by utilizing your phone as a hotspot.

Establishing a hotspot is simple enough, however needs you to go into settings to set it up.

Rather, you can include a faster way to your phone’s hotspot performance by

including a fast tile for it. To do this, open your notificaion shade and broaden it to expose the fast tiles, then simply push the edit (pencil)button beside your fast tiles. Look under Connectivity, and push the plus button where you see the Hotspot icon. Now you have a faster method to the hotspot.

The next faster way is the fastest method to switch on your flashlight.

With lockscreen faster ways

Your lockscreen has 2 faster ways you can tailor, and while you can select from 10 various faster ways, without a doubt my favorite is> the flashlight due to the fact that it’s a genuine tool I utilize daily. When it’s established as a lockscreen faster way, you can quickly switch on the light by tapping and hanging on the icon after very first getting up your lockscreen by raising your phone or tapping your screen.

To set this up, go to Settings> Show & Touch> Lock screen> ShortcutsFrom here you can select

your left and ideal faster way.

On Samsung Galaxy, the course is a bit various. Go to Settings> Wallpaper and design> tap the lockscreen sneak peek on the left> tap among the faster ways to alter them. Samsung really lets you choose from 12 tools however likewise release any app right from the lockscreen.

Next we’ll cover the faster way that lets you open your video camera quickly.

The power button introduces the video camera or wallet

Even when the screen is off

This is a faster way I utilize sometimes each day so that I can introduce my electronic camera immediately from

any screen, and even if the screen is off (to conserve time, often I even release the cam while it’s still in my pocket ).

Not just that, however did you understand you can likewise establish a double-press of the power button to open Google Wallet? If you utilize Google Wallet to save your cards and passes, this may be a much better choice.

To turn this on, go to Settings> System> Gestures> Double press power button> Switch on and select Cam or Wallet

On a Samsung, this choice is discovered in Settings> Advanced Features> Side button > Double press

Leap right to your fast tiles

Usage 2 fingers to swipe rather of one

I invest a great deal of time in Android’s fast tiles in the alert shade. You can even utilize it as an app launcher. The issue is that opening your fast tiles panel frequently needs 2 actions, unless you understand the faster way. By default, you need to swipe down on your alert shade to open it, then a 2nd time to open the fast tiles.

Rather, simply utilize 2 fingers to swipe below the top of the screen, and it’ll open your fast tiles immediately.

On a Samsung Galaxy, this two-finger gesture does not work. Rather, to go right to your fast tiles, utilize one finger to drag down from the upper right of your screen.

Tap your phone to take a screenshot

Simply established Quick Tap

I’m shocked by how typically I take screenshots on my phone, whether to conserve something for later (which Pixel Screenshots is excellent for) or simply to reveal somebody something.> By default, taking a screenshot needs 2 hands to push a mix of the power and volume down button.

I utilize a faster way with the back tap gesture developed into Android so that with> a company double tap of the back of the phone, I can take a screenshot rapidly and one-handed.

To set this up, go to Settings> System> Gestures> Quick Tap to begin actions> Take screenshotsFrom this menu, you can pick numerous other faster ways that can set off when you tap the back of your phone two times, like raising Gemini,

opening your alert shade or perhaps toggling the flashlight. Getting “the tap” Needs some practice– you’ll desire to focus your tap around the logo design on the

back of your phone.

To do Quick Tap on Samsung Galaxy (which Samsung recalls Tap), you need to set up a Good Lock module as this performance is not integrated in. Open Good Lock and download RegiStar. When you do that, go to Back-Tap action, turn it on, then define what you wish to occur with a double or triple tap.

Ask Gemini anything

Long press the power button

You never ever require to open the Gemini app to ask it a concern. There’s a faster way developed right into the power button that lets you press and hold the button to raise Gemini, even from a screen-off state.

To establish this faster way, go to Settings> System> Gestures> Press & hold power button> Digital assistant

On Samsung Galaxy, the course to this setting is Settings> Advanced includes> Side button> Long press

Do not do things the long method in Android

Faster ways conserve you time

It takes a little bit of habit-tweaking to require yourself to utilize these faster ways, once muscle memory begins, you’ll be releasing apps simply from buttons and gestures faster than you would otherwise, with much less time invested opening apps to do the important things you do every day.

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