The capabilities of smartphones are seemingly infinite — and but peoples’ use of their gadgets usually stays restricted to areas they already learn about. A smartphone can achieve this way more than simply surf the net, make video calls, play music, stream video, and ship texts.
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One large drawback is that there at the moment are so many options packed right into a smartphone that discovering them, remembering them, and utilizing them is a real problem. A few of these hidden smartphone options can assist enhance your productiveness and make on a regular basis duties simpler. If there’s one thing you want to get accomplished, there is a fairly good probability your smartphone can assist you do it.
To carry your smartphone use to the subsequent stage, we have rounded up some smartphone options that you just may not learn about, however that are certain to make on a regular basis duties simpler.
1. Scan paperwork
When you’ve got ever needed to signal a bodily doc after which submit it digitally afterwards, you understand how a lot of a trouble it may be to print out, scan, after which electronic mail the doc. The excellent news is that you just not have to show to your clunky scanner. With each iPhones and Android gadgets, you need to use the smartphone to scan a doc and export it.
Additionally: scan and fax out of your iPhone
On iPhones, all you need to do is open your Notes app, click on the digicam icon, after which hit the “scan paperwork” button, and also you’re set. On an Android machine, the method is much more seamless. All you need to do is open your digicam app, hover it over the doc, and faucet “scan doc” for Pixel telephones, or the yellow “T” icon for Samsung gadgets.
2. Begin your automotive
Earlier than you get your hopes up, your capacity to make use of your telephone as a key or car-starter will rely fully on the mannequin, make, and 12 months of your automotive.
Fortunately, quite a lot of automobiles have any such performance. Two the explanation why you would possibly wish to reap the benefits of this function embrace the flexibility to remotely begin your automotive from the consolation of your individual house or setting the automotive temperature simply the way in which you prefer it earlier than you get in.
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If you happen to’re on this function, search for your automotive on the net and see if there’s an app that may assist. For instance, Ford has an app referred to as FordPass, which permits Ford automotive homeowners to unlock and lock automobiles, remotely begin the automotive, and even schedule distant begins from the app. Android gadgets have a function referred to as digital key on choose smartphones, which works in tandem together with your automotive producer’s app or the producer’s electronic mail to make your telephone a digital key.
3. Allow you to change channels
There are few issues extra irritating than on the point of watch a present, sitting on the sofa, settling down together with your blanket and snacks, after which realizing you may’t discover the distant. As soon as this realization hits, you need to dig to search out the distant, solely to search out out that the batteries are flat. To spare you this bother, many TVs are able to syncing to your smartphone to show your machine right into a distant.
When you’ve got an iPhone, you need to use it to manage suitable TVs together with Roku or Fire TVs, or an Apple TV 4K. It is as straightforward as being logged on to the identical community because the TV, going to the screen-share choice, after which hitting the distant icon. If you wish to use your iPhone as a distant management, we’ve a helpful how-to.
Android smartphones have the identical functionality with Android TVs. All you need to do is open the Google TV app, faucet the distant icon on the underside proper, after which scan gadgets and select your machine to finish pairing, according to Android. As well as, Android has TV distant apps for Roku and Fire TVs, and even third-party distant apps for Apple TV.
4. Measure stuff
Haven’t got a tape measure? No drawback. You may take measurements of something you want to in your telephone utilizing your smartphone’s digicam and AR know-how. All you need to do is drop a degree at the start of the thing you are measuring and pin one other level on the finish to get the precise measurement.
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iPhones include the Apple Measure app preloaded, however for those who’re an Android consumer, do not fret. You may merely use Measure Up, Google’s software that permits you to do what the Apple Measure app does, however in your telephone’s browser as an alternative of by way of an app.
5. Take pictures for you
Have you ever ever needed to take an image, however had nobody to take it for you? The surroundings is gorgeous and your outfit is ideal, however you may’t spot anybody round — so your picture alternative is ruined. Positive there’s your telephone’s timer, however that may be close to ineffective as a result of you need to set all the pieces up for only one picture to be taken. Fortunately, Lens Buddy is an app made to resolve that drawback.
Additionally: Shaky pictures? You are holding your telephone fallacious. Do that
With Lens Buddy, you may absolutely customise the timer, together with the velocity and intervals of the photographs, so you may get the right shot. As a substitute of getting to arrange a ten second timer to your telephone solely to snap one picture, you may set a timer that takes many pictures over a personalized interval (ex: each three seconds) for so long as you would like. With Lens Buddy, you’ve got quite a lot of choices to choose from from one session as an alternative of only one. The app is simply accessible on iOS. Nevertheless, there are camera-timer options within the Google Play Retailer, resembling Selfer, which does the identical factor.
6. Monitor your coronary heart charge
Regardless of the plethora of smartwatches and health trackers in the marketplace, it’s attainable to observe your coronary heart charge with simply your smartphone. Coronary heart-rate monitoring apps use your again digicam and flash to find out how a lot blood is pumping by your pores and skin, and get your coronary heart charge by a apply referred to as photoplethysmography. To get your outcomes inside seconds, all you need to do is place your finger over the digicam and flash.
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These cell heart-rate monitoring apps don’t come together with your telephone as normal, however may be downloaded in your smartphone’s app retailer. To determine which one to obtain, I like to recommend going to the app retailer and downloading a free app with probably the most constructive evaluations. There are various perks to often monitoring your coronary heart charge, together with being extra in-tune with you physique. I personally used one in every of these apps to observe my irregular coronary heart charge and, finally, bought my coronary heart situation recognized.
7. Maintain your medical insurance coverage card
If you happen to personal a smartphone, you’re doubtless accustomed to the idea of a digital pockets. With a digital pockets, you may add playing cards, boarding passes, tickets, and extra to your smartphone for simple entry when paying or getting into sure occasions.
Additionally: add your driver’s license to Apple Pockets
However do you know which you could additionally add your medical insurance card? I like this function as a result of my pesky medical insurance card at all times will get caught to different playing cards in my pockets simply if you want it.
Additionally: add your transit card to Apple Pockets
In your comfort, many insurance coverage suppliers, together with Cigna and Aetna, enable for cell entry to your insurance coverage card. All you need to do is obtain the app to your insurance coverage supplier and check in. There, each iPhone and Android customers will discover your cell medical insurance card, which you’ll be able to then current at any healthcare supplier. In case you are an iPhone consumer, you get the added perk of including it to your Apple Pockets.
Bonus function
Simply as a reminder for these of you who may need forgotten: in addition to working as a compass, flashlight, TV distant, and 1000’s of different features which you could obtain as apps, your smartphone may also… make calls. Sure, actually!
