Tips for making Android faster

1. Home Renovation (customized
launcher)
When you swipe to open your Android
device and look at your home screen, are
you happy with what you see? Are there
things you wish you could change about the
look and feel? One of Android’s main selling
points is customization, but if the device’s
style isn’t suiting you, you may think it is
pretty limited.
What you may not realize, though, is that
the Android home-screen, lock screen, and
app drawer can all be replaced easily. The
Google Play Store offers a wide-range of
alternatives to custom fit your taste and
needs.
Nova Launcher , one of the most popular
options for tweaking the Android
experience, gives you control over virtually
every detail. But if you are looking for
simplicity and style, you might try
Chameleon Launcher , MIHome, or the
soon-to-be-released Aviate app.
2. Quick-Draw (smart widgets)
Widgets are a unique feature for Android.
These helpful tools deliver information,
updates, and app-specific data right to your
home-screen in a stylish, interactive display.
This way, you can get what you need
quickly, without launching a separate app.
Many apps that you download from the
Google Play Store come with widgets built in
to them. But if you wish you had a widget
that doesn’t seem to exist, you can also
make it for yourself! User-friendly tools
such as UCCW (ultimate custom widget) will
allow you to design almost anything you can
dream up with just a few steps. You don’t
even have to know code!
Some savvy graphic designers even make
money selling their own pre-made widgets
for the UCCW app. Anyone with good design
sensibilities and a publishing account on the
Google Play Store can do the same. If this
interests you, all you really need is some
inspiration and some basic design skills,
which you can easily learn in this graphic
design course .
3. Presto Change-O (quick
navigation)
Early versions of Android were task-
management challenged. If you wanted to
switch apps, you had to press the home key
and navigate all the way through from
there. There was no way to switch between
apps you already had open.
This has become much easier in Android 4.0
(Ice Cream Sandwich) and later versions.
There is now an app switching key built in
to most devices. But if you really want to
pick up speed, you can do even better.
Independent android developers have
devised some very clever approaches to
quick navigation on your device. Sidebar ,
Homeflip, Glovebox , and SwipePad all offer
unique options for setting up quick
navigation that you wouldn’t think was
possible on your device. Each of the apps is
unique and worth a try. Give them all a
spin to find out what works best for you.
4. The Hidden Hand (task
automation)
Are there things you want your phone to do
automatically? For instance, when you plug
in your headphones, do you wish your
favorite music app would come up? Do you
forget to turn wi-fi on when you get home
and wish your device would remember to
do it for you?
These are just two examples of many
automations you can accomplish using
Tasker. A long-time favorite of tech
enthusiasts and productivity champs
everywhere, the Tasker app lets you make
mini-programs that carry out tasks you
would otherwise need to do manually.
Limited only by the user’s comfort and skill
level, Tasker’s ability to “get it done for
you” is truly remarkable.
Once you install the app, you can easily find
templates online to start making simple
tasks. But if you really find yourself drawn
to creating intricate tasks, you may want to
learn some programming fundamentals . As
an aside: apart from allowing you to save
time by building Android automations, the
skills you will learn in a basic programming
course will help you approach real-life
problems methodically and logically. It has
immense general applicability.
5. The Do-It-Yourself (easy app-
making)
A great thing about Android is that it is
relatively easy to create and publish your
own apps on the platform. If you have a
great idea for an app and no clue how to
make it, here is some good news: some
code-free software will let you get it done
today! For free! And if you want a jump-
start, there is even a course to get you up
and running on Android in no time.
If you find you enjoy working with Android,
and you do learn a little code, you open up
many more possibilities to turn your ideas
into apps. There is always something to
learn, even for advanced programmers, but
getting started may be much easier than
you think. You can get there in very little
time with the help of a comprehensive
online course in Android programming.
Hopefully, these Android tricks will get you
on the path to discovering the potential of
Android and possibly even building on it.
Google and third party developers are
always unveiling new ideas and
technologies, sometimes with the grandeur
of a modern magic trick and sometimes
with the simple promise of a few minutes
saved. Either way, it is an exciting and
promising world, and it is right there at the
end of your stylus.