6 Settings To Make Your Android Phone Anticipate Your Needs

Don’t do for yourself what Android can do for you.

- Ben Patterson

THERE’S NO DENYING that our smartphones have made our lives so much easier, putting our contacts and schedules, our driving directions, the whole internet, right at our fingertips. But if you’re using an Android phone you might be leaving even more convenience on the table.

There are a bunch of super-smart settings in Nougat and Google Now that’ll make your Android device feel like it’s 10 steps ahead of you.

Your Android phone can be proactively telling you how long it’ll take to get to work in the morning, and nudging you when your favorite team is about to take the field. Your device can keep itself unlocked whenever it’s on you, and those snapshots you just took can automatically be arranged into beautiful collages. Battery running low? Android can know to dial down background activity to keep your phone alive. And if you love the idea of asking Google questions without ever touching your phone, you can train your phone to do that, too.

1. Turn on Smart Lock

One of the smartest recent Android features is aimed at one of the most vexing smartphone annoyances: having to unlock your handset each time you use it. Isn’t there an easier way to let your locked phone know that you’re, well, you?

That’s the idea behind Smart Lock. Once activated (just tap Settings > Security > Smart Lock to get started), you can set Smart Lock to unlock your phone whenever you’re at home, when it scans your face with its camera, when it hears your voice, or whenever it’s near your Bluetooth watch or a Bluetooth car stereo. There’s even a setting that’ll keep your phone unlocked as long as you’re holding it or while it’s sitting in your pocket.