30 out-of-sight Android shortcuts

And some vintage geek goodness you won't want to miss  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ [Android Intelligence](#) [Android Intelligence](#) Look, I won't beat around the bush: My brain is approximately 97% mush these days. But — correct me if I'm wrong — I don't think I'm the only one who constantly finds myself forgetting about fascinating features soon after I find 'em. With as many buried treasures as these modern mobile doodads of ours possess, half the battle really is just remembering to keep using interesting stuff you encounter. And this week, I've got one heck of a reminder for you and me both. It's a series of completely out-of-sight shortcuts that'll save you time and help you fly around your phone like a true geek-hero. All you've gotta do is keep it front-of-mind moving forward. And by the time you're done with this issue, you'll be set for success. --------------------------------------------------------------- ⛔ A quick programming note: There'll be no new Android Intelligence newsletter next Wednesday, as I'll be taking a few days off around the U.S. 4th of July holiday. Hope you have a very happy 4th — whether it's a holiday or just a random day in July to you! [JR Raphael, Author] JR Today's read: ⌚ 3 Things to Know: 1 minute 30 seconds ⌚ 3 Things to Try: 1 minute ⌚ Just for Funsies: 10 seconds ​ [] [3 Things to Know This Week] 1. Some exciting new devices are on the horizon ➜ THE SHORT VERSION: As June comes to a close, Google, Samsung, and Motorola are gearing up to bring their latest and greatest Android goodies into our lives. 🔎 KNOW MORE: Whew! What ever happened to the summer months being a quiet time for big tech launches?! - Samsung's set the date for July 10th to take the wraps off its next generation of Galaxy gizmos, while Google's pushing its Pixel hardware launch up earlier than ever with an August 13th event and Motorola's rolling out its newest Razr offerings on July 24th. - Notably, all three companies are focusing on AI and how buzzworthy new generative-AI elements will be integrated into these devices — despite it still being extremely unclear how useful or broadly desirable any of that stuff actually is. - Google's August event is the most surprising, since the company typically holds its hardware event in October. But remember: Apple's annual iPhone event is usually in September, and AI is expected to be high on the map there this year as well. If one were searching for an explanation, that sure seems like a likely one — wouldn't ya say? 📌 READ MORE: See the full scope of what's coming from [Samsung](=), [Google](), and [Motorola](=) — and... 🗳️ CAST YOUR VOTE: [Which upcoming device are you most excited about?](​ --------------------------------------------------------------- 2. Android's craziest phone concept could be poised for a comeback ➜ THE SHORT VERSION: Well, here's an interesting twist: An ambitious and impossibly cool concept Google cooked up more than a decade ago may be coming back to the forefront — with an unexpected asterisk. 🔎 KNOW MORE: A newly surfaced patent from Apple reveals development on an iPhone with a swappable back panel that'd let anyone add in elements like better speakers, an extra battery, or specialty sensors onto a device. - This is almost exactly the same idea that Google was working on as early as 2010 as part of a program known as Project Ara. - All the way through 2016, Google created prototypes for a modular Android device that'd have easily swappable components so you could add in features and upgrade your phone's internals. - Google did Its Google Thang™ and abandoned the idea — which feels more than a little facepalm-worthy now. But we've seen this same scenario play out before, and if Apple "invents" the same concept all these years later, it's a safe bet to say Google would follow suit and bring something similar to Android soon after. 📌 READ MORE: Peek over [the Apple patent]() for yourself, then revisit [this supremely in-depth look at Project Ara](=) to see how much incredible stuff Google did before giving up. --------------------------------------------------------------- 3. A Windows-like 'Recall' feature is coming to Android ➜ THE SHORT VERSION: An Android device-maker has announced it's working on a new option that'll let your phone capture everything you do and then create an AI-generated overview of your activity. 🔎 KNOW MORE: The system is under active development by Motorola and expected to roll out to compatible devices "in the coming months." - On the surface, at least, the feature sounds awfully similar to Microsoft's controversial Windows 11 Recall system — which relies on AI to let you search through anything you've done on your PC. - The main difference is that Moto's version seems to be off by default and active only in limited windows, when you explicitly enable the option. - Android itself saves temporary screenshots every time you switch apps in order to show thumbnail previews in the system Overview area, so it's not a stretch to imagine a feature similar to this coming to Android itself — more broadly — at some point in the future. 📌 READ MORE: See [what Motorola's got cookin'](=), and see whatcha think. SPONSORED MESSAGE When you need caffeine, you drink espresso… ☕️ But when you need the most important tech news in just 5 minutes, you [read Techpresso](=). [Homer Simpson sipping an espresso](=)​ The baristas of tech and AI, Techpresso culls through 60+ media sources daily to deliver you the top headlines from the last 24 hours. Why Techpresso is the only tech email you’ll ever need (aside from this one, of course!): ☕ Unlike espresso, it’s totally free 🖊️ Written in short, hard-hitting bullet points for easy digestion 📰 Read by 100,000+ professionals from Google, OpenAI, Nvidia, and more ➜ [Get your daily tech news roundup and subscribe to Techpresso FREE with 1-click.]() [SUBSCRIBE WITH ONE CLICK ➜]() ​ [] [3 Things to Try This Week] 1. Fly around your phone with out-of-sight app shortcuts Did you know you can jump directly to your downloads or screenshots from your home screen? Or hop straight into starting a specific navigation or even a stopwatch — all with a single tap and without opening up or poking around in any app? I did. But then I forgot at some point along the way and got out of the habit of doing it. ➜ And that's the problem: Android has a sprawling and supremely helpful system of step-saving app shortcuts — but they're out of sight and out of mind. And it's up to you to both find and then remember to use 'em. ⌚ Once you know where to look, though, it'll take you all of two seconds to do. 📌 Check out [my guide to 30 Android app shortcuts worth surfacing](=), and get ready to fly around your phone like never before. --------------------------------------------------------------- 2. Expand your app shortcuts with custom additions Android's standard app shortcuts system is a smart way to slash steps and eliminate wasted seconds from your day. But you don't have to stop there. ➜ With the right power-user add-on, you can inject even more intelligence into Android’s app shortcuts system and make your phone faster, easier, and more efficient to use — in a way that’s completely customized to your preferred style of getting stuff accomplished. ⌚ This one's for the more ambitious, advanced Android device-owners among us. You'll need about five minutes to get it going. 📌 I've got everything you need to know in [this succulent new guide](). --------------------------------------------------------------- 3. Bring some vintage geek goodness into your life Here's a fun 'n' easy way to add some extra delight into your days: ➜ The creator of a pack of retro screensavers that shipped on Linux computers in the early 90s has bundled up all that vintage geeky goodness into a collection of Android live wallpapers — as surfaced by my friend and fellow scribe Jared Newman in his excellent [Advisorator newsletter](. There's the classic Pac-Man background, for instance: [A screenshot showing a live wallpaper with a Pac-Man game] ​ And my personal favorite — the bouncing cows: [A screenshot showing a live wallpaper with bouncing cows] ​ ⌚ It'll take you all of 10 seconds to get the entire collection on your device and explore it for yourself. It's completely free, too, with no catches. 📌 Just [snag the XScreenSaver app]() from the Play Store — and let me know which of the wallpapers you end up using! ​ SPONSORED MESSAGE [Old cartoon of computer hacker]( Shield your devices Need to protect yourself against sneaky viruses and malware? Surfshark has you covered with [Antivirus](, part of their Surfshark One bundle for all-over protection. [TRY IT FOR FREE]( ​ [] [And Just for Funsies...] We've talked before about Google's [Chrome Dino game](=) — the silly little pastime that pops up when you try to open a web page in Chrome without an active data connection. But did you know that the Android Play Store has its own offline Easter egg as well? Turn off your phone's internet for a minute (via either the Internet toggle or the Wi-Fi and Mobile Data toggles in your Quick Settings), then open up the Play Store. And — well, well. What do we have here, awaiting us? [A screenshot from the Play Store: "Play while you wait: Hot Air Balloon"] ​ Happy playing — and don't forget to turn your internet back on when you're done! See ya in two weeks Remember: No new newsletter next Friday, during the U.S. 4th of July holiday weekend. We'll pick back up with our standard shenanigans the following week — on July 12th — and we oughta have plenty of good stuff to catch up on by then. I'll miss you dearly in the meantime, but with a little luck and a lot of bottled-up emotions, my heart will go on. (I hope.) I'll see ya soon. --------------------------------------------------------------- 📊 Last week's poll results: In our previous poll, I asked how often you download apps from outside of the Play Store. A staggering 57% of you said never, while 24% said rarely and 13% said once in a while. Only 6% of you said you do so regularly. 🤚 Wait! Before you go: What'd you think of this issue? [Thumbs Up](=) [Thumbs Down]( Hit the thumbs-up or thumbs-down to cast your vote and let me know. Want less email? [Update your reading preferences](=) to opt out of any individual publications or unsubscribe entirely. New here and not yet subscribed? Take two seconds to [sign up for our newsletters](): Android Intelligence, Windows Intelligence, or Cool Tools (or all three!). Hungry for even more? [Learn about becoming an Intelligence Insider](=) to gain access to our one-of-a-kind community, power-packed advanced resources, on-demand help desk, and tons of free apps and services. Independent journalism relies on you. 🤝 An [Intelligence Insider membership](=) is the best way to support my work and keep this newsletter sustainable. Not ready for a membership? You can also support my work by making a [direct one-time contribution](=) (or contribute via [PayPal]( or [Venmo](=)) to ensure I'm able to keep writing for you long into the future!