Category: Android Tips

Categories
Android Tips

Copy Files To and From Android Phones, Tablets To PC Using WiFi Network [AirDroid]

Apple keeps a close watch on its iOS ecosystem and its iDevices. The company makes sure that its users don’t face any problem while using its devices and keeps usability as a high priority on its list. iTunes is a part of this and is used by the Cupertino based giant as app that allows users to easily manage their iDevices using any Windows or Mac based computer. Using iTunes, Apple owners can backup, sync or transfer photos from their iPad, iPhone or the iPod Touch in just a few clicks.

Unlike Apple, there is no iTunes like syncing app for Android devices. While there are a tons of alternative apps from third party developers, they don’t work that well, lack features or are a bit clunky to use. Thankfully, there is one Android app — AirDroid – that allows users to wirelessly manage their phone from their PC and do much more. The app does not require users to install any application on their PC and works via a web browser.

Manage Your Android Device Wirelessly From Your PC Or Laptop

First of all, make sure that you have a Wi-Fi network and that your PC or laptop is connected to it. Then, head over to the Google Play Store and download AirDroid.

Once the app is installed on your phone, connect your Android device to the same Wi-Fi network that your PC/Laptop is connected to. Fire up AirDroid then, and read the welcome message or skip through them by pressing the ‘Start’ button.

AirDroid will now display an IP address along with a password. Open your preferred browser on the laptop or PC and key in the IP address (usually 192.168.x.x:xxxx). You will be greeted with an AirDroid screen asking for a password. Enter the password that the AirDroid app is showing on your Android device.

You will be then greeted with a screen similar to this -:

As you can see from the screenshot above, AirDroid allows you to manage your messages, files, apps, photos, music, phone settings and much more. Users can directly send messages right from their browser window, transfer photos or files to and fro from their Android device by using either the ‘Photos’ option or the ‘Files’ option. You can even play music that is on your phone to your PC or laptop by going to the ‘Music’ section and then pressing the Play button near the song name.

To transfer files to and fro from your Android device to your PC, click on the ‘Files’ icon in AirDroid.

If you want to transfer files from your Android device to your PC, click on the folder or file that you want to transfer and press the Download button at the top right.

For transferring files from your PC to your Android device, click on the Upload option and then drag and drop the file that you want to transfer.

Conclusion

Even though AirDroid allows users to literally do anything and everything with their device right from their web browser, it does lack an option to back up your contacts, messages or app data or even your device as a whole. This is because there is no way to backup an Android device via an application without root access, and is more of a limitation of the OS rather than that of AirDroid.

Even then, AirDroid is a one of its kind app in the Play Store that seamlessly allows you to sync content to and fro from your Android device without the need of any app on your PC.

Categories
Android Tips

Make Android Phones, Tablets Faster By Disabling Apps From Starting On Boot-Up

With oodles of processing power and RAM on modern smartphones, users rarely need to worry about apps or games hogging resources. While apps running in the background hogging resources is not much of an issue on iOS running devices due to the nature of their multi-tasking, it is quite an issue on Android devices. Users can free up considerable amount of resources by simply disabling some unneeded apps and services from starting on boot-up.

How To Disable Startup Apps in Android Phones, Tablets

Note: Before you proceed to the steps below, make sure that you have a rooted Android device.

Head over to the Play Store and install the app Autorun Manager.

Start the app, and provide it with root access when the SuperUser or SuperSu prompt comes up. After providing root access to the app, select the ‘Basic mode’ in the app. If the app shows that ‘No Busybox’ is found, head over to the Play Store and install Busybox Installer.

The app will now display a list of process or apps that automatically start when your phone boots up. There will be a lot of unneeded apps and games here. Simply disable them by tapping them once.

Screenshot_2012-10-31-23-47-13

Some apps will have ”!!self restarter!!" written besides them. Disabling these apps from starting up at every boot won’t make much sense since they are coded to always run in the background. Under app settings you can prevent apps to restart automatically. 

Screenshot_2012-10-31-23-47-24

Under basic mode, you will see the list of all he installed apps which are intended to start at boot.

Screenshot_2012-10-31-23-47-45

Even if Autorun Manager kills them(self restarter) on boot up, they will automatically start again. Do not disable some system or anti-theft tracking apps like the Alarm Clock or Lookout. Doing so will hamper how these apps work and your all important morning alarm may not go off, making you miss that meeting!

Conclusion

By using the above method, users should be able to free up considerable amount of resources on their Android devices. Keep in mind that the above tip will be much more effective on previous generation Android devices with low-amount of RAM.

Categories
Android Tips

Block Adult, Porn Apps To Show In Android Play Store On Phones and Tablets

 

One bad thing about android platform is that some adult or porn apps make their way to play store quite easily as compared iOS on apple devices where there is strict moderation process which block most of the apps even if there is some thing very wrong about it.

Anyways coming back to the topic, seeing adult apps and some high maturity apps can be really shocking in case your child is using your android tablet or phone, as it may happen to a user while they browse through top free apps on play store, they may see some adult apps or high maturity apps in the list of apps.

Screenshot_2012-10-28-06-48-41 

Prevent Adult or High Maturity Apps To Show In Play Store

In case if some thing similar is happening to you, then you can avoid these instances by configuring play store settings on your android phone or tablet so that these apps does not show up automatically when you browse the android app store.

For this you will need to open Play Store settings, we have done this tutorial on Nexus 7 tablet running Jelly bean 4.1.2 so it could be quite different on your android device. You can access the play store settings by clicking the three dots on the top right or bottom right of the screen on some android devices.

Screenshot_2012-10-28-06-48-41 - Copy

Once you are under Play Store settings, you see the section which says Content Filtering – tap on it to access further options.

Screenshot_2012-10-28-06-44-59

Under content filtering you just need to uncheck the Show All Apps and then High Maturity Apps so that these objectionable apps don’t appear on android phone or tablet when you browse the play store apps.

Screenshot_2012-10-28-07-24-48

Bonus Tip:

In case you want to know an app rating you want to remove, you check the description of the android app to find out the rating of the app and then configure the settings as per that to block that app from showing up in play store.

Screenshot_2012-10-28-07-31-01

Conclusion

This way you can hide the high maturity or adult or objectionable apps on your android phones or tablet. If you have a related tip to share or something else about any other thing or in case the above procedure does not work for you then please let us know through our comments section at the end of the page, also let us know if this tip is helpful for you.

Categories
Android Tips

Freeze Nexus 7 Tablet Display In Portrait Mode or Landscape Mode

Its been a week since, I am using Nexus 7 android tablet, its really nice, light weight tablet which comes in a great form factor display. Recently I updated it to android 4.1.2 which has added a new feature of rotation of icons when hold the tablet in landscape mode or back to portrait mode when you hold it vertically.

Screenshot_2012-10-21-13-11-11

As a user this feature was quite useful some times but it was also annoying at some times, so I started finding out how can one disable this feature. I got to know that one can freeze the display on Nexus 7 both in portrait mode and in landscape by taping the little toggle which shows up the notifications drawer panel.

Toggle Rotation on Nexus 7 Tablet

Just drag the notification toggle and then tap the little tablet icon on the top of the notification panel to freeze the display in the orientation you are holding it either vertical or horizontal.

Screenshot_2012-10-21-13-23-54

This is how you can stop nexus 7 tablet from rotation in both portrait mode and landscape mode.

Screenshot_2012-10-21-13-11-22

Additional Tip:

You can also install Rotation Locker from Google Play – it’s free. After you do, you can launch the app and tap Landscape to force the home screen and all other apps into landscape mode.