Hands-On Android (Video)

Everyone has their list of favorite apps. Jason Howell took a look at his app drawer and pulled out some of the apps that he makes sure are installed on every device he tests. Host: Jason Howell Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-android

Typing on smartphones has never been a fun experience. Jason Howell knows that pain well. That's why he's collected some of his favorite type saving tips that make Google's Gboard app even easier to use. Quick capitalization. Remove a stored auto-correct word. Glide Typing. Delete with a gesture. Space bar cursor control. Text editing shortcut. Better EMOJI suggestions. Personal Dictionary shortcuts. Themes cause why not? Host: Jason Howell Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-android Sponsor: LastPass.com/twit

With the recent announcement that Google Photos is changing in 2021 to limit free uploads indefinitely, many smartphone users are now examining alternative options for their memories. Jason Howell walks through the process of downloading all of those photos and videos from Google and moving them to a Plex server that you control. Using Google Takeout to download photos and videos. Moving and unzipping the media to an external drive. Preparing Plex to look at the media library. Setting Plex to automatically upload new media. Host: Jason Howell Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-android

Android has come a long way in its pursuit of bringing meaningful accessibility features to those who truly need them. Jason Howell shows off how some of those features are actually useful for everyone and not just a subset of users. Live Captions. Select to Speak. Magnification. Interaction Controls. Flashlight for events. Host: Jason Howell Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-android

Takeout your Google Play Music library and move It to Plexamp. With the death of Google Play Music, many people are looking for the best alternative for their cloud music storage. Jason Howell isn't satisfied with the YouTube Music approach so he will walk through the steps required to use Google Takeout to pull down his uploaded music and import it into Plex for use with Plexamp. What is Plexamp? Exporting the Google Play Music library from Google Takeout. Organizing the media dump into a structured format using Apple Music. Importing that media into Plex. Using Plexamp to access that music. Host: Jason Howell Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-android Sponsor: LastPass.com/twit

Take that old device and give it a job using Action Blocks. If you have a smart home and an old Android phone or tablet gathering dust, put it to use as a home automation control center! Jason Howell walks through how to use Action Blocks to do just that. Preparing the tablet or phone for Action Blocks. Crafting the right Assistant commands. Using custom images for one-touch widgets. Testing the layout and setup. Action Blocks - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.accessibility.maui.actionblocks Host: Jason Howell Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-android

A popular feature of Pixel phones has been Active Edge, a shortcut for Google Assistant that is triggered when the frame of the phone is squeezed firmly. The new Pixel 5 doesn't support that feature anymore, but Jason Howell shows how using an app called SideSqueeze+ can bring back that functionality thanks to the onboard Barometer. What is Active Edge? Installing SideSqueeze+. Allowing special actions using ADB. Calibrating the app to work properly. Screen Press and Plus section for Galaxy devices. Using the Analyzer section. Disabling the persistent notification. SideSqueeze+ - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pocketdevelopers.sidesqueeze Host: Jason Howell Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-android Sponsor: MySudo.com/twit

Galaxy customization continues on an even deeper level. Samsung Good Lock is customization to deep that there's too much to fit into a single episode. Jason Howell dives into the Family portion of the app to discuss a number of other wholistic ways that Samsung devices can be customized. Keys Cafe for keyboard colors and animation. Pentastic for S Pen users. Wonderland with animated wallpaper actions. Themepark is whole device theming. Nice Catch monitors app actions behind the scenes. One Handed Operation+ makes single handed use easier. Edge Lighting+ makes notification a bit splashier. Edge Touch creates no-touch zones on the edges of curved displays. Sound Assistant takes sound control to the next level. Samsung's Good Lock - https://galaxystore.samsung.com/detail/com.samsung.android.goodlock Host: Jason Howell Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-android Sponsor: LastPass.com/twit

Deep modular customization of Samsung's Galaxy phones. Samsung is known for offering expansive customization options to its Galaxy smartphones, but Good Lock takes it to a different level. Jason Howell walks through the first half of this impressive suite of tools that take device tweaking to a new extreme. What is Samsung Good Lock? Quickstar for quick settings. Clockface for controlling lock screen clocks. Multistar for multi-window functionality. Navstar for redesigning the navigation bar. Homeup for customizing and backing up the home screen. Notistar for an expanded notification manager. Samsung's Good Lock - https://galaxystore.samsung.com/detail/com.samsung.android.goodlock Host: Jason Howell Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-android

Almost any Android TV device can be upgraded too! Google released the new Chromecast with Google TV at its Fall hardware event last week and its the first device to be running the newly revamped Google TV interface that replaces Android TV. However, Googe hasn't pushed Google TV out to any other devices and its uncertain when that might happen. Jason Howell shows how to install the new interface on his Nvidia Shield TV from 2017 and the process should work on most Android TV boxes right now. Meet the new Chromecast with Google TV. Google TV versus Android TV. How to prepare the Nvidia Shield TV. Installing Platform Tools for USB debugging. Finding the Google Home Launcher. Installing the launcher on the Shield TV. Using Terminal to prioritize the new launcher. A look at the new Google TV experience. How to revert back to the way it was. Google TV Home APK's - https://www.apkmirror.com/apk/google-inc/google-tv-home-android-tv/ Installing Android's Platform Tools - http://twit.tv/hoa/10 Command lines used within the Mac Terminal: ./adb push (Google Home Launcher filename) /sdcard/ ./adb shell pm uninstall --user 0 com.google.android.tvlauncher ​./adb shell cmd package install-existing com.google.android.tvlauncher Host: Jason Howell Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-android Sponsor: MySudo.com/twit

Five cool things to check out on the foldable phone. Samsung's latest foldable phone, the Galaxy Z Fold2, has a lot of impressive features that are only possible because of its unique design. Jason Howell shows off a few of the phone's key features, as well as some that are off by default. Multitasking with up to four different apps. Continue apps on cover screen. Using Flex Mode with supported apps. Camera preview on the cover. Auto framing while shooting video. Fingerprint sensor to always on. Purchase the Samsung ZFold 2 here: https://amzn.to/2Gh3A8b Host: Jason Howell Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-android Sponsor: LastPass.com/twit

There are plenty of ways that Android protects your data and online security, but how can Android help you out in the real world? Jason Howell takes a look at a number of features within Android that reach outside of the device to protect users from disasters, threats, and illness. Emergency info on the lock screen. Adding contact information to the lock screen. Emergency Broadcast Notifications. Sharing location with emergency services. Earthquake alerts. Personal Safety app for Pixel devices. Car crash detection. Safety Check. Emergency Sharing. Exposure Notifications and COVID-19. Host: Jason Howell Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-android

Of all the new features rolling out with Android 11, one of the most interesting changes comes in the form of a revised and feature rich power menu. Jason Howell shows what the power button is capable of out of the box as well as how to add your own automations to the Device Control section with the use of Tasker. Power Menu walkthrough. Personal safety settings. Google Pay integration. Device control. Tasker beta download. Hue Essentials Tasker integration. Programming Tasker for the Power Menu. Testing Tasker automation. Host: Jason Howell Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-android

The official release of Android 11 is here, and with it, Google is giving users plenty of control over their device, their smart home, their privacy, and their communication with contacts. Jason Howell summarizes the key features of this new release, and shares his view on these new features after living with them throughout the beta period for months. Conversations. Bubbles. Screen Recorder. Voice Access. Device controls. Media controls. One-Time Permissions. Background location access. Permissions auto-reset. Mainline. Host: Jason Howell Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-android Sponsor: MySudo.com/twit

The Google Pixel 4a is a solid mid-range device with a proven camera that takes high quality shots easily. The Samsung Note 20 Ultra is about as premium as devices get with a stoked array of lenses and the ability to shoot like a DSLR. Jason Howell escapes the confines of his home to hit the town with both devices to see how each camera system compares to the other. Main cameras: Landscapes, Color, Complexity, High Contrast. Zoom/Telephoto: Default zoom, zoom for closeups, Maximum zoom level. Wide angle: Landscape, people. Front facing camera: Selfie, portrait mode. Video: Fast moving water, device beauty shots. Host: Jason Howell Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-android Sponsor: expressvpn.com/hoa

The new Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra is as premium as smartphones get and the thing that differentiates it most from its competition is the S Pen. Jason Howell shows off some of the latest features of the S Pen in this premium device, what makes it useful, and what makes it fun to use. Jotting a memo with the screen off. Using Samsung Notes for straightening notes. Converting scribbles into text. Live audio recording while note-taking. The power of the stroke eraser. Air Actions for OS control. Air Actions for app control. Using Screenwrite to annotate screenshots. Scroll Capture for screenshots of scrolling web pages. Using Smart Select to create animated GIFs on the fly. Magnify the screen with this accessibility feature. Easily translate words or sentences with the S Pen. AR Doodle, Live Messages, and PENUP for creativity. Host: Jason Howell Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-android

Installing apps outside of the Google Play Store. The Google Play Store is good enough for most people when it comes to finding and installing apps and games on Android. However, there are plenty of legitimate reasons to want to install apps manually while bypassing the Play Store altogether. Jason Howell walks through the good and the bad of sideloading APK files, as well as showing just how easy it really is. Why Fortnite is a good example of why sideloading is desirable. What is sideloading? What are APK files? What can go wrong? Who can I trust? How to install APK files. What is APK Mirror? What are App Bundles? Closing the security hole. Host: Jason Howell Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-android

Effective reminders for distance learning and everything else. Sometimes, reminders need to be more than a gentle nudge. Google seems to have read Jason Howell's mind because shortly after last week's episode on Reminders, they announced a new feature called Family Bell that takes reminders on Assistant devices to the next level. What is Family Bell? How to set up Family Bell. Customizing the included templates. Interacting with the Google Home. Room for improvement. ​Google's Family Bell - https://bit.ly/2DMzQid Host: Jason Howell Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-android

In Jason Howell's household, the beginning of distance learning has created a toxic stew of calendar craziness. As such, here are a few different considerations when tackling reminders on Android to be absolutely certain you don't miss something important. Assistant reminders via Google Home. Assistant reminders via Android. Setting alarms with labels. Reminders inside of Google Keep. Reminders inside of Google Calendar. Troubleshooting reminder notifications. Host: Jason Howell Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-android Sponsor: expressvpn.com/hoa

Developers have many reasons for preventing Android users from taking screenshots or screen recordings of in-app content. Usually its for security but sometimes its to protect copyrighted material. Jason Howell walks through some examples of how this is enforced, and a few ways to work around those limitations. What kinds of apps prevent screenshots. Why they do that! Screenshot shortcut on most devices. Assistant's Screen Context feature. What is Digital Right Management? The open-source app scrcpy. Using a computer to take a screenshot in an app that prevents it. The analog hole. scrcpy - github.com/Genymobile/scrcpy Homebrew for Mac - https://brew.sh Host: Jason Howell Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-android

Google's cloud backup system is nice and easy, but it's not as comprehensive as the kind of backup that is possible with a rooted device. Jason Howell explains what it means when a phone is rooted, and the kind of deep backup that is possible on such a device. What is root? Why root backup over traditional backup? Downloading and installing Titanium Backup. Setup of Titanium Backup. Backing up app data to the device. Transferring that backup to the cloud. Retrieving the backup to the new device. Restoring the backup data. Host: Jason Howell Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-android Sponsor: manscaped.com/twit

Before you go to wipe that phone and start fresh, you will want to be sure that Google is backing up all of the important pieces of your phone. Jason Howell walks through Google's automated approach to cloud backup as well as fills in some of the missing pieces. Backing up to Google Drive. What is included in Google's automated backup? How to be sure you back up MMS messages. A look at SMS Backup and Restore. Using Google Photos for photo and video backup. Checking apps for their own backup functionality. Restoring a backup safely. Expanding storage on Google Drive. Google One Drive - https://one.google.com/about Host: Jason Howell Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-android

Google has tried local P2P file sharing before, and it never really took off. Now, Google is conducting a limited beta test of an OS-level solution called Nearby Sharing. Jason Howell has access to the beta feature and walks through what it is and how to use it. How Apple handles local file sharing with AirDrop. Google's first effort, Beam, never took off. Which devices can use Nearby Sharing. How to opt into the Play Services beta. How to transfer a picture or video using Nearby Sharing. A bug is present that should be addressed. Host: Jason Howell Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-android

A fan of the show wonders how to use the MicroSD card in his LG Stylo 5 as internal storage to alleviate shortage issues. Jason Howell explains Adoptable Storage and shows a number of ways he frees up device disk space when running low. What is Adoptable Storage? The benefits and disadvantages of Adoptable Storage. Using Google Photos to quickly reclaim drive space. Using Storage Settings effectively, Difference between cache and app storage. Automating the process with Smart Storage. Using Files by Google to manage storage on device. Host: Jason Howell Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-android Sponsor: expressvpn.com/hoa

Stadia, Google's game console in the cloud, is currently running on devices of all kinds but as of yet is not officially supported on Android TV devices. While we wait for Google to make those devices compatible, Jason Howell has a way to get it running right now. It's a little hacky but it totally works. What is Stadia? When might it come to Android TV? What do you need? How to connect a mouse to Android TV. How to connect a bluetooth gamepad to Android TV. Using FX File Explorer. Searching APKmirror.com for APKs. How to install an APK on Android TV. Running the Stadia app on Android TV. Host: Jason Howell Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-android Sponsor: itpro.tv/twit promo code TWIT30

Google finally pushed out the Android 11 Beta 1 release which means it feels this version of the new OS is ready for a wider range of users. It's still buggy and probably not reliable enough for everyday users, but Jason Howell installed it on his daily driver to show off a few of the key features. Which phones are compatible? How to install the new beta. Google Pay issues. Video camera issues. Conversations and bubbles. Screen Recorder integration. Screen shots interface. Smart home controls in the power menu. Suggested app icons in the dock. Media controls in the Quick Settings. Recents gets a facelift. Host: Jason Howell Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-android

Turn a device into a desktop computer. Phones are becoming powerful enough to serve as desktop computing environments, given the right combination of hardware and software. Jason Howell examines the experimental Desktop Mode hidden inside Android 10 to see if its usable in its current form, as well as coupling it with Taskbar for Android that aims to make it just a bit more useful. Unlocking Developer Options menu. Hardware required. Desktop Mode, as barebones as it is. How to set up Taskbar for Android. Using ADB to open up display density settings. Walking through what Taskbar does on a display. Host: Jason Howell Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-android Sponsor: expressvpn.com/hoa

Lock down your smartphone. Our phones carry the content of our lives. As smartphone users, it's important to understand how the security features work so that all of that information isn't accessible by someone who confiscates the device, particularly in this time of protest. Jason Howell shares a number of ways that Android devices can be locked down in advance. Consider using a secondary phone. Turn on full-disk encryption. Run a VPN to protect outbound data. Replace biometric authentication with a strong PIN. Automatically lock the phone when it goes to sleep. Ensure that a power button press instantly locks the device. Hide notification data from the lock screen. Enable Lockdown features if offered. Set up two-factor authentication. Password protect your SIM card. Check out the Electronic Frontier Foundation for more resources: https://ssd.eff.org/en/module/attending-protest Host: Jason Howell Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-android Sponsor: LastPass.com/twit

Assistant was designed to make the smartphone easier to use through voice commands that reach into nearly every aspect of the device. But now, it's capabilities are so wide that it's easy to miss valuable functionality. Jason Howell walks through a few features and commands that make Assistant even more flexible. How to use Google Home to setup Assistant Routines. Google's new Action Blocks app for creating Assistant shortcuts on the homescreen. Certain devices can activate Ambient Mode, turning the device into a smart display. Assistant can turn almost any webpage into a podcast. Manage how long Assistant holds onto your voice and search data. Host: Jason Howell Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-android Sponsor: itpro.tv/twit promo code TWIT30

It's easy to take the Chrome browser for Android for granted when we use it so frequently. Jason Howell shows off some features that are hiding in plain sight followed by a hidden settings menu that houses some of the more experimental features of the popular web browser. Easy switching between tabs. Embedded Google search. Cut down on data usage with Lite mode. Turn any webpage into an app with homescreen shortcuts. Introduction to the hidden Flags settings. Shift UI elements around with Chrome Duet. Add an option to preview a link on a webpage. Speed up file downloads with Parallel Downloading. Customize the Tab layout. Host: Jason Howell Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-android Sponsor: expressvpn.com/hoa

Apps fill the gaps until Android 11. Android 11 is still months away, but we already know about many features of the upcoming release. Jason Howell shows how some of those new features can be brought to your device right now thanks to the hard-working Android developers on the Play Store. Screen recorder integrated into Quick Settings. A running history of notifications. Automatic dark theme switching based on sunrise and sunset. Host: Jason Howell Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-android Sponsor: manscaped.com code HOA

OxygenOS has some awesome features. OnePlus's Android skin, OxygenOS, is close enough to stock to make Android purists happy while also including some incredibly handy features for power users. Jason Howell shows off some of his favorite tips and tricks on the OnePlus 8 Pro and explains why OxygenOS is one of his favorite Android-based operating systems. High resolution and high refresh rate. Hide the front-facing camera. Ambient display and horizon light. Password protect certain apps. Hide apps in their own space. Have multiple versions of a single app in parallel. Force dark mode on unsupported apps. Tweak the fingerprint sensor animation. Use the fingerprint sensor as a quick launch. Optimize battery charging for long term health. Charge other wireless charging devices with the OnePlus 8. Confuse yourself with the inclusion of the Color Filter Camera. Screen Recorder that actually records internal audio. Reading mode in Quick Settings. See Jason's review of the OnePlus 8 & 8 Pro at twit.tv/hot/87 Host: Jason Howell Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-android Sponsor: LastPass.com/twit

Hidden settings with geeky powers. Android is hiding a handy settings menu from view by default. It's intended for developers, but Jason Howell will show you how to unlock the menu and go over a few things that users of Android can benefit from within Developer Options. USB Debugging. Force 90Hz refresh rate. Show touches on the display. Default setting when device is plugged into a computer. Toggle Automatic System Updates. Deactivate ALL sensors on the device. Keep mobile data active at all times. Host: Jason Howell Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-android Sponsor: hover.com/twit

Removing Uninstallable Apps From the Phone Sometimes, smartphones have apps installed that simply have no business being on the device, yet there's no way to remove the app. Jason Howell shows a few ways to take that uninstallable app off of the device with the help of ADB developer tools. Uninstall vs. Disable Downloading ADB binaries How to use Terminal How to remove and then reinstall apps using ADB Host: Jason Howell Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-android Sponsor: itpro.tv/twit promo code TWIT30

Second Screen a Device With Duet If you have an old tablet lying around gathering dust, perhaps you might benefit from turning it into a second display for your computer. Jason Howell demonstrates how to use Duet to do just that with his MacBook Pro and a Huawei Android tablet. How to install Duet. Syncing the app between devices. Adjusting resolution and frame rate. Turning a Chromebook into a second display. Host: Jason Howell Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-android Sponsor: expressvpn.com/hoa

Jason Howell shows off a number of ways to find free music, movies, e-books, audiobooks, comics, and games on Android with nothing more than a library card. Libby Overdrive RBdigital Kanopy Hoopla LibriVox Audible Stories Sesame Street Internet Archive's National Emergency Library Host: Jason Howell Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-android Sponsor: expressvpn.com/hoa

Samsung includes a number of bells and whistles with their Galaxy series of phones. Setting one up from scratch involves a number of tweaks to refine the experience and get the most from it out of the box. Jason shows how he chose to set up the new Galaxy S20 Ultra. Gestures vs. Button navigation. Homescreen and app tray density. Light vs Dark mode. Power button vs Bixby button. Volume rocker tweaks. Live caption. 120Hz display refresh Smart Stay. Secure lock. Host: Jason Howell Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-android Sponsor: LastPass.com/twit

The second developer preview was released on schedule and there are a number of tweaks to some of the new features of the previous version. More polish and new settings in the screen recorder A completely redesigned wallpaper picker A new lockscreen clock design section Notification History in settings Hide silent notifications from status bar Pixel 4 face scan to require eyes to be open Host: Jason Howell Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-android Sponsor: hover.com/twit

Some games for Android support hardware gamepads, like the ones that ship with the most current consoles on the market. Jason walks through how to get those controllers set up to play those games. Xbox One wireless controller PlayStation Dual Shock 4 controller Nintendo Switch Pro controller Games that support hardware controllers Host: Jason Howell Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-android

Misplacing your device is no walk in the park. Thankfully, both Google and Samsung offer robust ways to track your lost device and even remotely manage it in the event that it's in the wrong hands. Jason Howell compares both services to see which is more helpful in a pinch. Google's Find My Phone app Samsung's Find My Device web app Tracking the device on a map Securing the device Triggering a remote wipe of the drive Backing up data Host: Jason Howell Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-android

Having control over the sensitive data on your smartphone means understanding the sometimes complicated Permissions architecture of the Android OS. Jason walks through the settings to show how permissions can be crafted in a way that minimizes unnecessary data sharing to apps and services. Permission Manager Risks of changing permissions Special app access settings Location permissions Host: Jason Howell Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-android

Google jumped the gun and released the very first version of Android 11 Developer Preview 1 a month earlier than previous versions. Jason shows off the relatively small list of platform upgrades on his Pixel 3a. Screen Recorder System-wide Dark Theme changes Pin apps in the share sheet New Permission time frames Bluetooth and Airplane mode Integrated chat bubbles Mute phone while video recording Refresh rate overlay Host: Jason Howell Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-android