10 Hidden Android Features You Should Be Using

Discover powerful Android features you probably didn’t know about.

Introduction

Android has evolved tremendously since its inception, with each version bringing new capabilities, refinements, and under-the-hood improvements. While many users are familiar with the basics, Android’s true power lies in its lesser-known features that can significantly enhance productivity, privacy, and overall user experience.

As Android 16 rolls out across devices in 2025, the operating system continues to pack an impressive array of functionality that many users never discover. Whether you’re using a flagship Samsung, a Google Pixel, or any other Android device, these hidden gems can transform how you interact with your smartphone.

In this guide, we’ll explore ten powerful Android features that remain surprisingly underutilized. From advanced customization options to time-saving shortcuts, these tools can help you get more out of your device while impressing your friends with your Android expertise.

1. App Pairs and Split Screen Evolution

While split-screen multitasking has been around for years, Android’s latest implementation takes it to new heights with App Pairs. This feature allows you to save specific combinations of apps that you frequently use together.

How to use it:

  1. Open the first app you want in your pair
  2. Swipe up and hold to access recent apps
  3. Tap the app icon at the top of the app preview
  4. Select “App pair” from the dropdown menu
  5. Choose your second app
  6. Name your pair and save it

Once saved, you can access your App Pairs from the home screen or app drawer. This is particularly useful for combinations like YouTube and note-taking apps, email and calendar, or a browser and messaging app.

Pro tip: On Samsung devices, you can create even more complex arrangements using the Edge Panel feature, allowing for quick access to your favorite app combinations.

2. Advanced Voice Command Customization

Google Assistant has grown increasingly powerful, but few users take advantage of its customizable voice command capabilities. Custom voice commands allow you to create personalized phrases that trigger specific actions or routines.

How to set it up:

  1. Open the Google app and tap your profile picture
  2. Go to “Settings” > “Google Assistant” > “Routines”
  3. Select “New routine”
  4. Tap “Add starter” to create your custom voice command
  5. Add the actions you want the routine to perform
  6. Save your custom routine

For example, you might create a “Game time” command that activates Do Not Disturb, maximizes brightness, connects to your gaming headphones, and launches your favorite game—all with a single phrase.

What’s new in 2025: The latest Android update now supports contextual commands that can adapt based on your location, time of day, or even your tone of voice, making voice interactions more natural than ever.

3. Advanced Battery Usage Insights

Android’s battery tools have become increasingly sophisticated, yet many users never venture beyond the basic battery percentage indicator. The Advanced Battery Usage feature provides detailed insights into exactly how your apps are consuming power.

How to access it:

  1. Go to “Settings” > “Battery” > “Battery Usage”
  2. Tap the three-dot menu and select “Show full device usage”
  3. Toggle on “Show battery usage by system apps”
  4. Select “Advanced” to see a breakdown by system components

This view reveals power-hungry processes that might be running in the background. You can identify which system components, sensors, or radios are drawing power unexpectedly.

Game changer: The newest Android implementation now includes AI-powered recommendations that learn from your usage patterns and suggest personalized optimizations that could extend your battery life by up to 30% without sacrificing functionality.

4. Conversation Mode for Notifications

Notification management is critical for productivity, and Android’s Conversation Mode transforms how you handle communication-based notifications. This feature prioritizes real human interactions above other alerts.

How to optimize it:

  1. When you receive a notification from a messaging app, long-press it
  2. Select “Priority” or “Make conversation priority”
  3. Optionally, create a conversation shortcut on your home screen

Once prioritized, these conversations can appear in a dedicated section of your notification shade and even break through Do Not Disturb settings when configured to do so.

What most people miss: You can customize conversation notifications differently for each contact, ensuring your boss’s messages are prominent while relegating less urgent conversations to the background.

5. One-Handed Mode and Reachability Features

As phones continue to grow larger, one-handed operation becomes increasingly challenging. Android’s One-Handed Mode makes it easier to reach items at the top of your screen without stretching your thumb to uncomfortable lengths.

How to enable it:

  1. Go to “Settings” > “Display” > “One-handed mode”
  2. Toggle it on and select your preferred activation method
  3. Choose between “Gesture” (swipe down on the navigation bar) or “Button” options

Once activated, the screen content shrinks down to approximately 60% of its normal size and shifts toward the bottom corner, bringing everything within thumb’s reach.

2025 enhancement: The latest implementation now includes “Smart Shrink,” which intelligently resizes only the parts of the interface you’re trying to reach rather than the entire screen, providing a more refined experience.

6. Private Compute Core and On-Device AI

Privacy concerns continue to grow, and Android’s Private Compute Core addresses these by performing sensitive AI tasks directly on your device rather than in the cloud.

Features powered by Private Compute Core:

  • Live Caption (real-time transcription)
  • Smart Reply suggestions in notifications
  • Now Playing (on-device music recognition)
  • Live Translate
  • Smart Compose in various text fields

How to check and manage it:

  1. Go to “Settings” > “Privacy” > “Private Compute Core”
  2. Review which features are active and using on-device processing
  3. Clear data or toggle individual features as needed

What’s revolutionary: In 2025, Android has expanded this technology to include advanced photo editing, voice recognition, and even predictive health insights—all processed locally without your sensitive data ever leaving your device.

7. Digital Wellbeing Spaces

Android’s Digital Wellbeing tools have evolved beyond simple app timers to include “Spaces”—customizable profiles that adjust your phone’s behavior based on your current activity or time of day.

How to set up a Space:

  1. Go to “Settings” > “Digital Wellbeing & parental controls” > “Spaces”
  2. Tap “Create a Space”
  3. Choose a template (Work, Personal, Sleep, Exercise, etc.) or create a custom one
  4. Define which apps are accessible in this Space
  5. Set notification preferences, screen color modes, and wallpapers
  6. Configure automatic activation times or triggers

For example, your “Work Space” might only show productivity apps and block social media, while your “Evening Space” could activate Night Light, mute work emails, and make entertainment apps more prominent.

Hidden power move: Spaces can be location-aware, automatically switching when you arrive at work, home, or the gym. They can also integrate with your calendar to activate during scheduled meetings or events.

Android’s search capabilities have expanded dramatically, yet many users still hunt manually through their devices for content. The Universal Search feature allows you to find virtually anything on your phone or in supported apps from a single search bar.

How to make the most of it:

  1. Swipe down on your home screen to access the search bar
  2. Type your query to search across:
    • Apps and app content
    • Contacts and messages
    • Files and documents
    • Photos (including objects and people within them)
    • Settings
    • Web results

Power user tip: You can use search operators like “photo:” to find images, “app:” to find applications, or “message:” to search through conversations. For example, “message:dinner reservation” will find that restaurant confirmation your friend sent last week.

2025 enhancement: The latest version now supports natural language queries like “that document Sarah sent me last Tuesday” or “the photo of the red car I took in Chicago,” leveraging on-device AI to understand context.

9. Advanced Sound and Vibration Customization

Android’s sound customization goes far beyond simple volume controls, offering sophisticated audio tuning that most users never discover.

Hidden audio features:

  1. Adaptive Sound: Go to “Settings” > “Sound & vibration” > “Adaptive Sound” to enable automated sound optimization based on your environment
  2. Audio Balance: Under “Accessibility” > “Hearing enhancements,” you can fine-tune the left/right balance
  3. Custom Vibration Patterns: Create unique vibration sequences for different contacts or apps
  4. Sound Amplifier: This accessibility feature works like a personal sound equalizer for the world around you

Just added in 2025: The “Sound Profiles” feature now uses machine learning to automatically adjust your audio settings based on detected contexts—switching to higher bass when playing music, optimized voice frequencies during calls, or enhanced clarity for podcasts.

10. Nearby Share Ultra and Cross-Device Clipboard

Nearby Share has evolved into a comprehensive file-sharing ecosystem that rivals Apple’s AirDrop, with 2025’s “Ultra” update adding significant new capabilities.

Advanced features you should be using:

  1. Group Sharing: Share files with multiple nearby devices simultaneously
  2. Cross-Device Clipboard: Copy on your phone and paste on your Android tablet or Chromebook
  3. Background Sharing: Send large files even when your screens are locked
  4. App Sharing: Directly share installed apps with nearby users (without transferring sensitive app data)
  5. Wi-Fi Credential Sharing: Quickly share Wi-Fi passwords with guests

How to enable enhanced features:

  1. Go to “Settings” > “Google” > “Devices & sharing” > “Nearby Share”
  2. Tap your profile picture to access advanced settings
  3. Enable “Ultra mode” for maximum functionality
  4. Configure device visibility and sharing permissions

Most overlooked aspect: Nearby Share Ultra works with Windows PCs that have the Phone Link app installed, creating a seamless ecosystem between your Android devices and computers.

Bonus: Screenshot Intelligence

While technically an eleventh feature, this one’s too good not to mention. Android’s screenshot tools have gained powerful AI capabilities that can transform how you capture and use screen content.

Smart screenshot features:

  1. Text Extraction: Automatically pull text from any screenshot for easy copying
  2. Link Detection: Identify and make clickable any URLs in your screenshots
  3. Smart Actions: Get contextual suggestions based on content (add events to calendar, dial phone numbers, open addresses in maps)
  4. Screen Recording with Smart Trimming: The recorder now automatically identifies and suggests removing dead space or sensitive information

How to access advanced screenshot tools:

  1. Take a screenshot using your device’s method (typically Power + Volume Down)
  2. Tap the preview that appears or find it in your notification shade
  3. Select “Analyze” or use the intelligent suggestion chips that appear

2025 innovation: The latest implementation can now understand the context of your screenshots, automatically organizing them by category (receipts, travel documents, recipes, etc.) and making them searchable by content.

Conclusion

While Android’s interface has become increasingly intuitive, many of its most powerful features remain hidden beneath the surface. By exploring these advanced capabilities, you can transform your device from a simple communication tool into a highly personalized productivity powerhouse.

As Android continues to evolve, the gap between casual users and power users grows wider. Those who take the time to discover and master these hidden features gain significant advantages in efficiency, security, and overall device satisfaction.

Which of these features surprised you the most? Are there other hidden Android capabilities you’ve discovered that deserve recognition? Let us know in the comments below!

FAQ

Q: Will these features work on any Android phone? A: Most features are available on devices running Android 14 and above, though some manufacturer-specific interfaces may implement them differently or place them in different menu locations.

Q: Do these features drain battery life? A: While some features like advanced AI capabilities might use slightly more power, many are designed with efficiency in mind. The Advanced Battery Insights feature can help you monitor any impact.

Q: Can I use these features on Android tablets as well? A: Yes! All these features work on Android tablets, often with tablet-optimized interfaces that take advantage of the larger screen.

Q: How do I stay updated on new Android features? A: Check your system updates regularly, and consider enrolling in your manufacturer’s beta program. Google also publishes feature drops and updates on the Android website and social media channels.

Q: Are there privacy implications to enabling these advanced features? A: Android has designed many of these features with privacy in mind, using on-device processing for sensitive tasks. The Private Compute Core section allows you to review and control how these features operate.