Something is wrong with your Android phone

Explainer

Clear Cache vs Clear Data

One frees space and costs nothing. The other logs you out and can delete your authenticator codes. Support articles use them interchangeably.

Procedure

Finding Hidden Apps on Android

Apps can be installed without appearing in the launcher. How to enumerate what is really there, and which permission matters most.

Procedure

Formatting Storage on Android

Formatting a card, adopting it as internal storage and wiping the phone are three different operations. The middle one traps people.

Reference

Gboard Features Most People Never Turn On

The keyboard you use for hours a day has a clipboard manager, one-handed mode, cursor control and offline translation. Most of it is off by default.

Reference

Play Store Settings Worth Changing

A handful of defaults control app updates, purchase authentication and what gets installed automatically. Most are worth changing.

Procedure

Managing Android Files From a Computer

USB file transfer, wireless tools, cloud sync and ADB each suit a different job. The USB route has one setting that trips almost everyone.

Procedure

Two Accounts of One App on a Phone

Both platforms support this to different degrees. The built-in methods, the third-party ones, and why the latter carry real risk.

Reference

Phone Features for Hearing, Built In and Free

Sound amplification, live captions, hearing-aid connectivity and audio balance are already on the phone. Most people who would benefit do not know they exist.

Checklist

Set Up a Phone to Be Recoverable

Everything that makes a lost phone findable has to be configured beforehand. Ten minutes now, and the checklist is short.

Procedure

Typing in More Than One Language on a Phone

Multilingual input is well supported and badly explained. How switching, autocorrect and dictation actually behave when two languages are in play.

Reference

Controlling a Phone Hands-Free

Voice control, switch access and gesture control are built in and free. What each one is for, and how far they actually go.

Checklist

Phone Settings Worth Changing on Day One

A short list of defaults that are set for the manufacturer's convenience rather than yours, covering privacy, battery, storage and the lock screen.

Fix

Why Phone Storage Fills Up

The space is almost never where the warning implies. A diagnostic order that finds the real consumer instead of deleting at random.

Fix

Finding What Is Draining the Battery

The battery screen names apps but never causes. How to read it properly, and the few settings behind most avoidable drain.