1. Bottom UI Flag on Chrome Beta
We begin with a tip, not an app. However, this could be one of the most useful as it’s for your internet browser. Google’s Chrome Beta app on Android has a nifty little flag which brings the entire interface to the bottom. Therefore, you won’t have to struggle for pressing the new tab icon next time. For enabling it, fire up or download Chrome beta, head over to this link and under chrome home, select enabled. Do note that this feature is still under development and you may encounter bugs occasionally.
2. Fingerprint Quick Actions
Find yourself struggling with balancing that massive device while trying to bring down notifications? You can use the resting fingerprint reader. How? There’s a fair chance that your phone comes with an inbuilt feature, so looks for that in the settings first. If not, download “Fingerprint Quick Actions”. It’s a free Android app that lets you assign various actions such as pulling down the notification shade to the biometric scanner. You can configure gestures like double tapping or fast swipe.
3. One-Hand Mode
Another neat feature some OEMs have thankfully started including in their massive handhelds is a one-hand mode. Phones from companies such as Asus, Xiaomi, Samsung all usually pack a setting which shrinks down the screen to a size that doesn’t force you to extend your fingers. There’s no third-party app available for this function. However, if you’ve a rooted phone, install this Xposed module for getting one-hand mode.
4. EasyTouch
Easytouch is an assistive tool for Android phones that groups together a series of useful actions in a hovering button, something which you can on iPhones by default. Easytouch is entirely customizable, hence, you can add your favourite buttons, navigation buttons, shortcuts for gestures like double-tap, and more. It’s definitely a must-have if you have a phone with an ungodly dimension.
5. Swipe Launcher / Omni Swipe
Another utility which can be useful if you switch between apps a lot is Swipe Launcher. The app lets you fire up a menu of your favourite apps, quick settings, recents by simply swiping from a defined corner. Swipe Launcher is quite straightforward, however, if you’re looking something more customizable, check out Omni Swipe.
6. All in One Gestures
Next up on our list is a free Android app that allows assigning various actions to gestures on the screen. Through “All in One Gestures”, you’ll be able to define functions to swipes on the edges, status bar, and hardware keys. I usually set the left edge to the back action, so I don’t have to repeatedly move my finger all the way to the bottom. One other setting you must establish is the location of these swipe trigger points, move them to a position you find the most appropriate and comfortable. The list of actions is too comprehensive and comprises all the common operations such as home, back, screenshot, volume, and others.
7. One Hand Mode on Keyboards
If you keep yourself scuffling with the phone while typing, enable the one hand mode which will shift the entire keyboard to either side. The feature is available on most keyboards out there including GBoard and Swiftkey. For enabling it on Gboard, fire up the app, head into Preferences and turn on one-handed mode. On Swiftkey, turn the hamburger menu icon on the keyboard, tap settings, and change the layout to compact. So, those were some of the tips and apps I find handy while using a phablet. Let us know in the comments section if we missed any good one.
