One of the many new ICS features is the way Google lets apps
automatically add shortcuts to themselves on your Home screen when
they've finished installing. It's useful, but if you're a control freak
and wish to remain 100% in charge of your Home layout, head to the
Google Play app's settings tab and untick the Auto-add Shortcuts toggle.
Ice Cream Sandwich: 20 top tips to try outGoogle's
latest version of its Android software takes it up to version 4.0 and
higher, which is commonly known as the Ice Cream Sandwich update of the
mobile OS.
The big selling point is that it unifies the
experience across all hardware, so users of phones running ICS see
largely the same interface, albeit with some layout changes for the
bigger screened devices.
Of course, there's still the issue of manufacturer skins to take into account. While Android 4.0
offers a basic and seriously updated feature set, some tools and
features may be missing or accessed through different means when using
the same OS on phones made by different companies.
So Samsung's Android 4.0 update, which we're seeing arrive on its Galaxy S II right now, looks and works differently to the Android 4.0 you'll shortly see arriving on HTC's exciting new One Series of phones.
Which
makes compiling a list of tips that work on all versions of the OS out
there rather hard. But enough of our moaning. Here are a few useful
shortcuts to getting the most out of your Ice Cream Sandwich serving,
whenever the metaphorical waitress decides to bring it to your
metaphorical table.
1. Add quick controls to the browser
One
of the options buried beneath the Labs section of Android 4.0's web
browser is the Quick Controls option. This adds a pop-out menu to the
browser, which pulls in a little semi-circular collection of shortcuts
to the main browser features, removing the URL bar and giving you more
screen to play with. Also, holding down the Back button is the Android
standard way of bringing up the bookmarks and history tool, too. But
that's been around for years.
2. Long-press to uninstall
Long-pressing
on an app within the app drawer lets you drag it to a Home screen, but
it also pops up a couple of menus along the top of the screen. App
Info gives you the boring technical stuff about how much memory it's
taking up, or you can fling it off the other way to uninstall it.
3. Flying Android screensaver
One
odd undocumented little secret within Android 4.0 is this strange
little collection of flying Androids, which you can... look at. Look at
for as long as you like. To activate it, head into the phone's About
screen and hammer away at the Android Version tab and it'll all happen.
4. Save your eyes with inverted rendering
Inverted
rendering is a posh way of saying it makes the pages black and turns
the text white, so it looks like you're reading the internet from 1997.
It also supposedly saves battery, plus is easier on the eyes if you're
reading in the dark. It's under the browser's settings tab, within the
accessibility area - and there's a contrast slider, too.
5. Set a custom rejection text message
When
your Twitter action is rudely interrupted by someone actually
telephoning you, there's a polite way to give the caller the boot.
Android 4.0 lets users ping a rejection text message to callers - and
you're able to customise this too. Just answer a call and ping the lock
screen notification up to access to custom rejection messaging area.
6. Stop app icons automatically appearing
One
of the many new ICS features is the way Google lets apps automatically
add shortcuts to themselves on your Home screen when they've finished
installing. It's useful, but if you're a control freak and wish to
remain 100% in charge of your Home layout, head to the Google Play app's
settings tab and untick the Auto-add Shortcuts toggle.
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