On smartphones and tablets on Android based There is a so-called background mode, in which data is transferred between applications installed on the device and the server. In the background, applications can receive updates or, for example, receive notifications from those applications. The simplest example— the same messengers: when a message arrives, you receive a notification on your smartphone. Of course, if the device is connected to the Internet.

Not everyone is connected background mode— in some places it is disabled by the user, in others it is disabled by default. But this is not a problem, turning it on is as easy as shelling pears. Let's show an example on stock Android and Samsung smartphone with proprietary TouchWiz firmware. Let's start in order.

Android firmware

Go to “Settings”.

Select “Data transfer”.

Click on the “Settings” button in the specified section. This can be a button below the screen, or a button on the screen in the form of three dots. In our case, the first option is used. A small menu will appear in front of you; in it, uncheck the “Background data limit” item.

No checkmark means that background data transfer is enabled.

By the way, if the background mode is limited, you will see a corresponding notification under the curtain. Click on it and the background mode will be automatically turned on.

TouchWiz firmware (Samsung)

Go to "Settings".

Select the "Data Usage" section.

In this section, click on the “Settings” button so that a small window appears, as in the image below. Uncheck “Limit background activity.”

The checkbox is unchecked, which means that data transfer in the background is working.

Or you can simply click on the corresponding notification under the curtain to remove the background limit.

In four years, Android has transformed from a small but ambitious project into perhaps the most complex and feature-packed mobile OS of our time. Android supports a huge number of technologies and functions, many of which are hidden from the user or hidden in places you wouldn't even think to look at. This article is a collection of tips and tricks that can be applied to any Android device without the need to root.

01. DISABLE THE AUTOMATIC CREATION OF ICONS ON THE DESKTOP

I think I’m not the only one who is annoyed by the way the market behaves when installing an application. For some reason he thinks that for any more or less software or the next game I definitely need an icon on the desktop, and he successfully creates it. And I have to delete it. And then another one. And so every time.

Fortunately, this behavior is easy to disable - just open Google settings Play (in the left panel) and uncheck the “Add icons” option. There you can also disable the forced password request every 30 minutes when purchasing applications, as well as the hated auto-update of applications.

02. DISABLE GOOGLE SEARCH AND OTHER USELESS SOFTWARE

The standard firmware of Android smartphones includes a huge amount of useless software, ranging from a bunch Google applications(do you know that Google requires manufacturing companies to include almost all the software it develops in the firmware of their devices?) and ending with all sorts of junk from the smartphone manufacturer. All of this (or at least most) can be disabled.

Go to “Settings → Applications → All”, tap on the desired software and click “Disable” (of course, you will be warned how “dangerous” this is). By the way, when disconnecting Google search Google Now will also disappear, as well as the search bar from the desktop (after a reboot), instead of which there will be an empty area.

03. RESET TO SAFE MODE

Few people know, but Android, like many other operating systems, has a so-called Safe mode. This is a mode in which the operating system boots with disabled third party applications. Malware that is not very skillfully written (one that is not registered in the system partition) then falls off, like any software that interferes with the normal operation of the system. Safe mode can be used to bypass screen blockers, applications that cause the smartphone to freeze, or, alternatively, to identify who is actually eating up the battery - the next firmware or software update.

The mode is turned on in a rather simple, but not at all obvious way: by holding down the power button and then holding your finger on the “Turn off power” item. After rebooting, the culprit of the problem can be removed through “Settings → Applications”.

04. GET RID OF INSTRUCTIVE NOTIFICATIONS

“The construction of the castle is finished!” - how did you get these notifications? Everyone who is not too lazy is trying to notify me about all possible and impossible events: “Vasya Dzhubga replied to you on Twitter,” “You have 100,500 new messages,” “You won surgery to enlarge your right leg.” You swipe away one notification, and three new ones appear in its place.

How to get rid of all this slag: hold your finger on the notification for a long time and uncheck the “Stop” button. This is the recipe for KitKat. In Lollipop, everything is a little different, but the essence is the same: hold down, then the i button, in the window that opens, put a checkmark on “Block”. There you can also force the notification to be a priority so that it is always at the very top.

05. DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE SERVICE MENU

Another not at all obvious function is the service menu. It can be opened by dialing *#*#4636#*#*. Basically there are different Technical information like IMEI numbers, signal strength, current location, or network type. But there is also a very useful function for some situations to force the smartphone to switch to desired type networks (2G, 3G, LTE).

In conditions of poor 3G/LTE signal levels, the device tends to reset to 2G in order to save battery power and ensure subscriber availability. This behavior can be disabled. Open the service menu and in the “Set up preferred network type” item, select WCDMA only or LTE only. In the same way, you can switch your smartphone to 2G - GSM only. It will help if you need to save battery power and the Internet is rarely used. By the way, you can also disable the radio module there altogether (until the next reboot, of course).

Smartphones based on Chinese MTK chips have their own and much more sophisticated service menu. His number is *#*#3646633#*#*. There is various system information and a huge number of tests, among which you can find several useful settings, such as adjusting the call volume or, for example, changing GPS/AGPS settings. The menu itself is terribly illogical and contains so much varied information that I don’t even dare to describe it, but simply send the reader to three letters - XDA.

06. USE A STANDARD BROWSER

I don't know why users don't like the built-in one so much Android browser. In my opinion, he is wonderful. Lightweight, fast, based on the Chromium engine, can synchronize with Google account(that is, it immediately includes all bookmarks and passwords from Chrome), but most importantly, it has a very convenient and almost ingenious navigation method. This is the so-called radial menu, which can be activated in the settings (only in Android 4.0–4.4).

07. MANAGE YOUR CONTACTS FROM YOUR COMPUTER

Google has web services not only for remotely installing software, blocking and searching for a smartphone, but also for managing contacts. All people's contacts ever saved and synchronized when connecting a new smartphone can always be found on the page google.com/contacts. They can be viewed, edited, added and deleted. Moreover, oddly enough, it is essentially part of Gmail.

08. MONITOR YOUR PROCESSOR LOAD

Android has a built-in function to show the current CPU load and active this moment processes on top of the screen. In theory, it is intended for application and firmware developers and is hidden from ordinary users, but no one is stopping us from activating it. But first you will have to reach the “For Developers” settings section, which by default does not exist at all.

Go to settings, then “About phone”, find the line “Build number” and tap on it seven times in a row. The message “You have become a developer!” should appear on the screen. This means that the “For Developers” item is now open, and we go to it. We rewind almost to the very bottom of the screen and in the “Monitoring” section we find the “Show CPU load” switch.

Turn it on and see a list in the upper right part of the screen. The first line is the so-called loadavg, which shows the number of processes that had to run or wait their turn to run in the last minute, five and ten minutes. To put it very roughly: if these values, divided by the number of processor cores, are above one, this means 100% processor load in the last minute, five or ten minutes, respectively. Below is a list of the most power-hungry processes (essentially, an analogue of the top command from Linux).

09. USE ADB TO BACKUP SOFTWARE ON YOUR COMPUTER

We have already written more than once about a wonderful tool called ADB, which can significantly simplify managing a device from a computer for a person who is familiar with the console (here we are mainly talking about Linux, of course). In addition to the ability to install software, transfer files to a smartphone, view logs and other useful things, ADB has recently made it possible to backup all smartphone settings and applications.

To use this functionality, install the universal ADB driver (goo.gl/AzZrjR), then download ADB itself (goo.gl/3P7klM), install the driver, then expand the archive with ADB, connect the smartphone to the computer with a USB cable, launch command line and execute the command

A message will appear on the smartphone screen asking you to specify the encryption password for the backup - you can safely press “Next”. The application backup process will begin, which will affect both the APK packages themselves (the -apk flag in the command) and their settings. All applications from the memory card will also be included in the backup. You can restore a backup using the following command:

$ adb restore backup . ab

10. DISABLE BACKGROUND DATA TRANSFER IN APPLICATIONS

Working in the background, applications can actively use the Internet for a variety of purposes, from updating their content to leaking information about your location. In addition, such activity in any case leads to increased battery consumption.

Android has the ability to selectively restrict applications from transferring data in the background, but it is located in a place where most users would hardly ever look. To prevent any application from using the Internet in the background, you need to go to settings, then “Data transfer”, scroll down the screen to the list of applications actively using the network (for some it will be a surprise that it is there at all) and tap on the desired software. At the bottom there will be an option to “Limit background activity”. It is worth keeping in mind that the option will disable data transfer only via mobile network, so data will continue to flow over Wi-Fi.

11. USE THE SEARCH BAR

Often, owners of Android smartphones neglect search bar at the top of the main screen. This is really logical, given the ability to search by typing a query into address bar any mobile browser.

Meanwhile, the desktop search bar does much more than just redirect your request to google.com. It allows you to search contacts, applications, calendar events, bookmarks and web browser history in automatic mode. For normal smartphone use, it may not be as useful, but when connecting an external keyboard, it is an indispensable tool. Just click and enter the name of the application, contact or anything else, and it immediately appears on the screen.

12. USE SMART LOCK

Smart Lock is one of those features that you don’t think about, but once you try it, you can’t live without it. This is one of the most notable new products Android Lollipop and one of the most useful functions added to Android in Lately. The idea of ​​Smart Lock is extremely simple - it disables the PIN code or other lock screen protection if there is a specific Bluetooth device or map location nearby.

By default, Smart Lock is “sort of” disabled. That is, it does not light up anywhere, but after pairing with a new Bluetooth device (of any type), it will definitely offer to add it to its white list. After this you will forget about her again. But only until you enable lock screen protection in the “Security” section of the settings. Now it will work as it should.

The Smart Lock settings themselves are in the same section, and, in addition to adding new Bluetooth devices, you can specify “safe places” there, along with a list of options based on Google Now “observations.” By the way, if you disable it, as described in the first tip, then this functionality will also be lost.

13. SAVE ENERGY RIGHT

Another notable innovation from Lollipop is its power saving mode. It migrated to standard Android from the firmware of smartphone manufacturers, who previously sold it independently. Now the function is in pure Android- you use your smartphone to the fullest, and when you reach 15% of the battery charge, the system suggests turning on the power saving mode, which turns off background data transfer, reduces the brightness to a minimum, turns off some sensors and reduces the screen rendering FPS to a couple of tens of frames per second. For clarity, the status bar and on-screen buttons at the bottom of the screen turn red - so you don’t forget.

To save battery life on a smartphone with an AMOLED screen, you can set black wallpapers and use apps with black backgrounds.

The energy saving mode is customizable. Go to “Settings → Battery → menu → Power saving mode.” Here you can specify a condition automatic switching on mode (though the choice is meager: 5%, 15% or never) and, most importantly, turn on the mode right now. Very convenient if you have a long trip ahead without the possibility of recharging.

14. MONITOR TRAFFIC

Most likely, smartphone manufacturers, as usual, will shovel the standard Android 5.0 interface and change everything (hello Samsung - the biggest fan of breaking interfaces), but in the standard Lollipop curtain, or rather, in the “second curtain” with
flasks quick settings There is one highlight. The data transfer button in the center does not switch data transfer at all, but expands into an interface that allows you not only to view the current traffic consumption, but also to disable data transfer using the switch on top.

15. SHARE NOT YOUR PHONE, BUT THE APPLICATION

Especially for those who like to give their phone to other people, Lollipop has a Screen pinning feature that allows you to lock your smartphone on one application without the ability to close it or switch to another. Like many other useful features, it is completely invisible and hidden quite deep in the settings. To activate, go to “Settings → Security”, scroll almost to the very end and turn on the “Block in application” option.

Now, if you click the View running applications (Browse) button, an pushbutton will appear at the bottom of the current application's thumbnail. Once you tap the icon, the screen will be locked on the selected app and you will need to hold the Back and Overview buttons simultaneously to go back. In this case, you will have to enter a PIN code if it is set for the lock screen.

XX. USE ACITIVITY LAUNCHER

Any graphic Android application includes one or more so-called “activities”. Each of them is an application window (screen), for example the main screen or the settings screen, maybe even a file selection window. By default, you can open directly (from the desktop) only those activities that the application developer marks as main; the rest are accessible only through the application itself and only if the developer himself allows this.

However, having the right tool at hand, you can reach any other activity of any application and even create a shortcut for it on the desktop. Activity Launcher does just that. Just install the application, select “All actions” in the menu at the top and find the software you need. All of her activities will appear on the screen, and any of them can be opened with a simple tap or placed on the desktop by holding your finger for a long time.

An example of useful “internal” activities is the Chrome bookmarks window (Chrome →Bookmark), access to the hidden AppOps mechanism in Android< 4.4.2 (Настройки → AppOps), запуск поиска в TuneIn Radio (tunein.ui.activities.TuneInSearchActivity). Очень много активностей имеет в себе ES Проводник, включая редактор, music player, image viewer and much more. Any of them can be launched directly from the desktop. In the same way, you can open any section of the settings and gain access to some OS functions that are difficult to reach. This is completely legal functionality and does not require root.

Android has big set hotkeys for connected keyboards. You can use Arrow, Tab, and Enter to navigate the desktop and various menus. In addition, the following key combinations are available:

Esc - “Back” button;
Win + Esc - Home button;
Ctrl + Esc - “Menu” button;
Alt + Tab - switch between applications;
Ctrl + Space - switch layout;
Ctrl + P - open settings;
Ctrl + M - control installed applications;
Ctrl + W - change wallpaper;
Win + E - write a letter;
Win + P - music player;
Win + A - calculator;
Win + S - write SMS;
Win + L - calendar;
Win + C - contacts;
Win + B - browser;
Win + M - google maps;
Win + Space - search;

To find out your MAC and IP address, go to “Settings → Wi-Fi → menu → Advanced
new functions". MAC and IP will be at the very bottom.

Lollipop has a built-in Flappy Bird style game. Go to “Settings → About phone”,
tap several times on the item “ Android version“, then hold your finger on the “lollipop” that appears. Let's play.

Google Now supports a large number of Russian-language voice commands. All of them can be divided into two groups: voice search and the voice commands themselves. Voice search allows you to perform an intelligent search on Google, when the system displays a specific answer on the screen instead of a list of links, and voice commands allow you to perform certain actions, for example, send an SMS or set an alarm. The list of commands is shown in the Google Now Voice Commands image. Voice search includes more than a dozen various types questions:
Weather. What will the weather be like tomorrow morning?
Addresses. Where is the nearest pharmacy?
Flight information. When does Aeroflot flight number 2336 depart?
Time. What time is it in London?
Events. When is sunset today?
Computing. What is the square root of 2209?
Translation. How do you say "cucumber" in Spanish?
Sport. When does Spartak play?
Finance. What is the S&P 500 index today?
Data. What is the height of the tallest building in the world?
Exchange Rates. Convert 2600 rupees to US dollars.
Images. Show photos of the Golden Gate Bridge.
Interestingly, Google Now understands a large number of much less obvious questions in English. As an example we can give:
Should I wear a jacket today?
How much tip for 420 rubles?
Where is my parcel?

This, of course, is not all that could be talked about, but it will not be possible to lengthen the article, and many of the other possibilities are already known. Don't forget about these tricks, and your smartphone will become
a little more convenient. at January 26, 2017.

Every owner of an Android mobile device has probably heard about the existence of a background mode at least once. To be fair, it is worth noting that modern gadgets have firmly entered the lives of ordinary people, allowing them not only to constantly be in touch, but also to use the device as a navigator or e-book, take photos.

At the same time, such multifunctionality leads to the fact that the device runs out of battery power very quickly. This problem is especially sensitive for those users who are passionate about Internet surfing. To know how to properly minimize the consequences of such activity software you need to pay attention to situations when using the background mode is necessary, and when it is possible, and even necessary, to “freeze” these processes.

You need to understand that background functioning on a modern mobile device is a special process. Even during the rest period with the Internet browser turned off or any running applications, An Android device not only receives, but also transmits packets of various information information. Moreover, any program downloaded to Android through settings. To do this, just disable the option that is responsible for information exchange.

However, managing background information exchange cannot be approached in an amateurish manner. In some cases, rash actions with system applications will lead to an imbalance in the system or even the failure of the gadget itself, but in the case of the Google Play application, you can completely stop the service on your device.

The point is that it is correct work Play The market is only possible when the background data exchange mode is enabled. Only then is it possible for applications to download the files they need and display important notifications even when they are not functioning.

So, what should you do if the following notification appears when you log into Google Play:

Steps for Android devices 4.4 and lower:

Go to the main “Settings”:

Select the section " Wireless network", open "Data transfer":

Now, by clicking the context menu icon (three lines) located in the upper right corner of the device (or in the lower left corner), in the window that opens, put a checkbox in the “Auto-sync data” and “Background data” fields (on some models “Auto-sync data” + “ Enable synchronization?" + "OK"):

*Note: For some devices, the path will look like this: “Settings”, then “Battery and Data Manager”, then “Shipping”, and then “Background Mode”.

The path on Android 5.0 and higher devices will be slightly different: in the “Settings” field in the “Connections” section (maybe “Wireless networks”) you need to select “Data transfer”, then click the menu icon at the top right (Store three-dots menu), and To enable background data transfer mode, select “Allow background transfer”. If instead the line “Limit background. mode”, then you don’t need to do anything.

Applications are moving to the cloud. Streaming services like Netflix and Spotify are huge. And almost every one of us is addicted to social networks.

There is only one thing that is always unsatisfactory - the current tariff plan.

WITH unlimited tariffs, most smartphone users are stuck with a plethora of options to choose from, which sometimes makes data usage more sad than joyful. Anyone who has crossed the threshold of unlimited knows this feeling.

But if you're on Android, you have a little more wiggle room thanks to data-limiting options. With the right configuration, you'll find yourself using up data at a much slower rate - so much so that you might be able to upgrade to a cheaper plan.

Tame power hungry apps

Whether you actively use them or not, apps love to eat up your download data. They check for updates, show ads, and update user content in the background. Good intentions are laudable, but in most cases, these things drain data reserves. It's time to tame these apps.

Update apps over Wi-Fi only
Enter the store Google Play and tap "Menu>Settings>Automatic app updates". Here, make sure that "Automatic app updates over Wi-Fi only" is selected. You also have the option to disable it altogether. automatic update applications, but this is less preferable since you will have to remember to manual update applications.

Data settings in the application
To give you a better experience, many apps ping the server in the background to check for updates to their content. For example, Google creates backups photos and videos as you take them, and another app can be set to update your bank details.

These conveniences are important, but they come at a cost, so it's best to go into your apps' settings and turn off data consumption options that aren't absolutely necessary.

Background data limit
Even applications that you don't allow to fine-tune your data settings can download data in the background. In Ice Cream Sandwich and later versions of Android, one way to find out which apps are hogging your data usage is to go to Settings > Data Usage and scroll down to see a list of apps with accompanying data usage statistics.

Then click on view app data in use and look at the two numbers next to the pie chart. "Foreground" refers to the data used when you are actively using applications, while "Background" is based on the data used when the application is running in the background.

If you notice that an app is using too much background data, scroll down and check the "Limit background data" checkbox. Just note that this setting overrides any conflicting behavior of applications (for example, applications that might update bank account information every few hours).

Prefetching and Caching

Since data capping has become a necessity for most smartphone owners, developers have begun introducing options that make apps less data-intensive. Take a look at these options - they could potentially save you from a lot of problems.

Preloading streaming app content
As we become more discerning about reducing our cellular data usage, more apps are offering caching (or preloading), allowing you to download content over Wi-Fi and view it at a later time. Spotify, for example, allows users to download playlists. YouTube also uploads subscriptions and videos to your Watch Later list.

Most apps that offer preloading are the ones that need it the most. So use them. Go to the settings menu of any application (especially streaming media applications) to see if this option is available. Additionally, you may find that the application allows you to reduce the quality of the stream while using cellular communications to receive data.

Download files only over Wi-Fi
If you don't want to give up downloading songs, movies, or large files when using a cellular connection, then it may make sense to download files while there is a nearby Wi-Fi network.

Caching maps before travel
WITH new feature Offline Google Maps now allows you to cache maps. The download process will take some time and require storage space, but once the map is downloaded, you'll be able to view and navigate it without using a data connection. .

Check your sync settings

With automated synchronization, Google ensures that your account is updated with every change. Unfortunately, for data services (and time battery life) this means that your phone will constantly ping servers to check for new content loading. There are several ways to limit this.

Fine tuning synchronization parameters
When creating your phone configuration, you probably selected account synchronization. By default, everything is set to sync, including things like photos, Play Store, Google and other applications. You don't necessarily need all these syncing elements - especially heavy data like photos.

To configure synchronization settings, go to "Settings> Accounts> Google" and select an account. Here, uncheck the boxes next to items that are not important during synchronization. Repeat the same for all accounts.

After this, you can manually sync Accounts by visiting their respective apps.

Temporarily disable synchronization
Are you going far away? Are you sitting at your desk? Prevent your phone from syncing data by turning it off, either from the notification panel or by going to Settings > Statistics > Menu > uncheck "Automatic data synchronization".

Reducing browser data load

If web browsing is the main reason for traffic consumption - this is not news. Some websites are still not optimized for mobile devices, while others spend traffic on advertising.

The simple answer to these woes is data compression. It allows web pages to first compress data in the cloud before sending it to your phone, significantly reducing download file size.

There are, however, some disadvantages. First, even if your data is encrypted and anonymous, the browser still needs to process your actions during compression. Not everyone is happy about this.

Secondly, sometimes compression means sacrificing quality, with web pages slightly modified.

However, there is an option for those on the expensive side tariff plan(or on a slow connection). Opera, a much-loved browser, is one such application that offers data compression. Simply go into the settings menu to enable compression. After some use, Opera will tell you how much data you've saved.

In addition, Onavo Count offers similar solutions, but by incorporating widgets, allowing you to monitor your data usage in real time at any time.

Compressing Activity Information
As an absolute last resort, Onavo Extend offers an application that actively compresses almost all incoming data. For example, simplifying messages Email, web pages are compressed on the server side and photos are highly optimized.

Keep this application in your application drawer if you ever need to save data traffic.

The phrase “background mode” appears quite often, including on resources one way or another related to modern smartphones. But not everyone knows what this phrase means. Well, we will answer this question.

Background mode is a mode where applications and some processes run without user interaction. For example, it could be some kind of messenger. Yes, you don’t see the application working, but only until a message arrives from your friend. If everything is clear with this example, then the situation is much more interesting with some built-in applications that are completely unnecessary for the user, but at the same time waste the resources of the touch device. Unfortunately, such applications are not removed; they can only be stopped or disabled.

Applications in the background can independently connect to the server when the Internet is connected - mobile or Wi-Fi. So, for example, you can receive a notification about a firmware update for your smartphone.

The disadvantage of individual applications that run in the background is increased energy consumption, as a result of which the device’s battery drains faster. But, fortunately, this does not happen very often.

You need to understand that some applications cannot work without a background mode, for example, these are the same messengers or antiviruses. And that's okay.

You can almost always turn off an app running in the background. Open settings.

Select the "Applications" section.

Find the right application on the list.

Stop it or turn it off as needed.

Confirm the action.

In the future, the application must be launched manually.