Stop Thief Keep your phone and data safe from burglars

With mobile phone theft at an all time high, security is a subject that nobody can ignore. Common sense measures like not leaving your phone or tablet unattended will go a long way, but that’s just a start. We’ll look at Android features, third party apps and products that will make your devices harder to steal or, if the worst does happen, improve your chances of getting it back. The risk of theft doesn’t end with the loss of your device. Increasingly, the data on your phone is more valuable than the handset itself. Your photos have sentimental value, but if a thief gets hold of your emails or any spreadsheets relating to fi nance, the consequences are worrying. So we’ll also look at ensuring your personal data doesn’t fall into the wrong hands

Samsung Pay Moving beyond the credit card

The battle of the mobile payment system has been kicked up a notch as Samsung Pay gets rolled out for the first time. Samsung CEO, JK Shin, has said that users should be able to use their mobiles to pay for goods at nearly every merchant location where you can swipe a credit or debit card. This is because it uses the same technology that most cards do The major development for Samsung Pay is that it also supports store cards and membership cards, so you needn't carry a load of cards around with you as anything that can be swiped should work when loaded onto the phone. This is the first time a payment system will support anything other than the standard credit and debit cards. So Samsung have scored a major coup here in the great battle between it, Android Pay and Apple Pay

How do I know if a house has good signal before I buy it ?

Good signal is atough thingto quantify. You can get greatcall signal in an area, but no 36 whatsoeye|L, while someone on Vodafone can be enjoying superfast 4G speeds and someone else on EE netxt tothem canteven load Twitter. This is because mobile sigialtrayelsinwavesthat arethen disn.ipted byhouses and hills,or absorbed in brickwork. Mobile phone carriers operate on different wayelengdis, sothose using a can'ier that n.ins a low wavelength will gt better signal indoors than someone with a ligh wavelength. Howevehtnnse on a ligher wavelength will get stronger,faster signalon tl"|E occasions that it reaches the phone. |fyou‘re won'ied that an area you’re going in might not get good signalespecially ifyou use your phone forwork, you can clack itout at ofoom.org.ul

How do I improve my launcher ?

My launcher is so heavy it takes aga to load up. How can I speed it up?

Teuchter Loon via Facebook We're afraid there's not a lot you can doto reducethe size ofyourlauncheras it comes in its own package. |“,rou".*e got a rootec phone anc v.-ant to celere some launch apps,then that could save you some time and spaoe. Butthe best solution will almost certainlybe downloading an alternative launcher and running that instead. We imagine you're currently running something like TouchWizor Sense. which do take a fairwhile to boot up. Sooneofa numberof alternative launchers from the Google Play store should be enough to dothe business. our favorite launcheris almost oertainlyNova Launcher. This is a su|:-erlightweight and basic launcher that should oomfortably load guicker than whateverstandardlamcher you‘re ri.nnirg atthe moment. The apex Launcheris another excellent option that will enable you to have upto nine homescreens. it's also a smooth operator. |t’s a shame thatyou can‘t really customise the stock launchers. beyond addirg andremoving widgets, but it is luckythatthere are ple nty of altem atives out there for you to choose from

Sound the alarm Set off a siren if someonepicks up your device

We’re used to car alarms that sound if a vehicle is tampered with and the very same is available for Android devices. This way you can protect your phone when you’re out and about, without having to watch it like a hawk at all times.

Get Anti Theft Alarm
Install Anti Theft Alarm and make sure you pick the one from Mmaps mobile as there are several with the same name. Without any setting up, you’re ready to activate one or both of two alarm conditions.

The motion alarm 
To use the motion alarm, select the motion icon and touch ‘Activate alarm’. A countdown starts so put your phone on a solid surface before it expires. Touch Stop Alarm before picking it up, otherwise the alarm will sound.

The charger alarm 
The charger alarm sounds if the phone is unplugged from its charger. Select the charge icon and touch ‘Activate alarm’. When it’s unplugged, the alarm sounds unless you’ve disabled it first. If it sounds, touch the button to turn it off.

Make it more secure 
Often a burglar will not hang around to try and turn off an alarm, but he might run off with your phone. Make it more secure using a PIN or pattern to silence the alarm. Touch ‘No protection’ and then select Pin or Pattern from the menu.

Top tips to keep your Android safe

1. Don’t advertise to a thief 
It doesn’t take long to take a phone out of your pocket if a call or text comes in, so don’t keep it always in your hand in full view to a potential thief when you’re walking down the street.

2. Pick more than one 
Here we look at several ways of protecting your phone and data, but you don’t have to pick just one. Use several methods to foil a burglar, certainly include at least one to protect your hardware and another for your data.

3. Take a picture of your thief 
Although Android has a built-in Device Manager to track down a stolen phone, third party apps like Prey do much more. With this app, for example, you can grab a photo of whoever is using your missing phone.

4. Report it stolen 
If your phone is on a contract, report it stolen as soon as you notice it’s missing, otherwise a burglar could rack up a huge bill in calls for which you’d be liable. Keep a contact number for your network at hand for this purpose.

5. Insurance 
Make sure your phone is insured. Check up whether your devices are covered on your household policy when they’re out of the house and, if not, consider a policy specifi cally for mobile devices.

Hardware anti theft solutions

Apps are great, but accessories can help keep your phone physical secure

Mark Gear Invisibly
Smart Water (smartwater.com) mark gear witih an inivible liquid, detectable in UV light. Each batch is unique so the police can fi nd who the stolen objects belong to.

Lock It Down
Laptops have slots for security cables to fasten them to immovable objects. Phones and tablets don’t have slots, but Maclocks sell add-ons.

A Proximity Alarm
The Kensington Proximo Key Fob (kensington. com) contacts your phone via Bluetooth. If your phone is separated, an alarm sounds. Only works with Samsung Galaxy phones.

S pen Stylus upgraded

The S Pen stylus is Galaxy Note range's unique selling point and it has just got even better. Now in its fifth generation, the S Pen has been made lighter but feels more solid The most t ‘ii exciting move, however, is that you 3 ' can now draw and write on the Note 5 with your S Pen without even having to turn on the screen. This development will let users take quick notes without having to faff around with buttons. lt still saves the notes in exactly the same way as before, but itjust speeds up the entire process, which could prove very useful when jotting down a phone number or address. Arr Command has also been improved as hovering over the screen brings up icons for everything you can do on the phone with your S Pen, no matter what screen you are on at the time The stylus hasjust got a whole lot smarter

samsung Connect to your computer

Samsung has improved the synergy between your phone, tablet and PC with SideSync 3 0. You can now hook your S6 Edge+ or Note 5 up to your PC or tablet and seamlessly operate ~ the two of them , together. SideSync allows you to use your laptops mouse and keyboard on your phone so you can type messages without even touching your handset lt also lets you drag and drop files from the phone to the computer as easily as copying and pasting, which will remove the need to email or Dropbox large files. Samsung has improved the synergy between your phone, tablet and PC with SideSync 3 0. You can now hook your S6 Edge+ or Note 5 up to your PC or tablet and seamlessly operate ~ the two of them , together. SideSync allows you to use your laptops mouse and keyboard on your phone so you can type messages without even touching your handset lt also lets you drag and drop files from the phone to the computer as easily as copying and pasting, which will remove the need to email or Dropbox large files. You'll need to download the app onto whichever devices you plan to use SideSync on and then you'll be able to perform a range of tasks on the bigger screen. To be able to use SideSync, you will need a minimum of Android kitKat 4.4 on your phone, Windows XP on your laptop, SOOMB of hard drive space and at least TGB RAM on your laptop or tablet. SideSync is set to really help professionals who need to switch between their computers and mobile devices regularly and don't want the hassle of manually transferring file

Here’s what else you can do

While a security patch is the only way to fi x the Stagefright bug, there are a fewother defensive measures that you can take

Disable auto-fetching
While you can’t stop your phone from receiving MMS messages, you can stop your ' phone from automatically downloading video and giving hackers easy access to your data. In GoogIe’s stock Messenger app, go to Settings > Advanced and toggle Auto-retrieve to Off. In Hangouts, go to Settings > SMS and untick Auto retrieve MMS from the list of options

installing CyanogenMod 
If you’re phone is not due to be patched for a long time, orthe manufacturer hasn’t ‘ announced any update I plans at all, one = alternative to consider is installing CyanogenMod. This popular ROM has already fixed the Stagefright bug, but just make sure you‘re running CMl2.0 or 12.1 nightlies. However, to install CyanogenMod you will need to root your Android.

Install antivirus apps 
While Lookout make a point of saying they can’t patch the Stagefright bug, the mobile security and theft protection service do recommend antivirus software. This way, services such as Lookout will alert you when they detectany malware sent via MMS. Lookout is free to download and includes a two-week free trial, but costs £19.99 a month after that.

Get zlPS Protection 
Zimperium, the company that discovered the Stagefright flaws, were quick to patch their a cyber-protection software, called ZIPS Protection. Unfortunately, their suite of security tools is only available for businesses, rather than individual users, but if you own a company that relies on Android products and you’re worried about being targeted, this is worth considering.

The single largest software update the world has ever seen

Google, Samsung and LG have patched Stagefright and committed monthly security updates — but many more Androids are left exposed

The Zimperium security analyst that discovered Stagefright, Joshua Drake, revealed the flaw to the public in mid-July. But not before giving Google several months to write a security patch. This is normal practice in the computer security industry, so as to protect users and not to tip-off hackers. However, industry members also have a social responsibility to disclose vulnerabilities if they think the threat is great enough and the software vendor isn‘t doing enough to fix it. Fortunately, this wasn't the case. Speaking to NPR on 27 July, Drake said of when he contacted Google in April: “Within 48 hours I had an email [from Google] telling me that they had accepted all of the patches I sent them, which was great." So why did the tech giant have to wait until August to make the patch available? Of course, there was some internal beta testing to ensure the bug was completely fixed, but the larger problem was getting the patch through manufacturers and phone carriers, this was complicated and difficult. However, Google managed to surprise everyone who remembered the slow rollout of Android Lollipop. A patch wasn't just announced for Nexus devices, but Adrian Ludwig, Android's lead engineer for security, confirmed Samsung, Motorola, HTC, LG and Sony would push out patches too. “My guess is that this is the single largest software update the world has ever seen," said Adrian Ludwig, making the announcement at the Black Hat hacking conference. “Hundreds of millions of devices are going to be updated in the next few days. It's incredible." ln addition, Google, Samsung and LG have committed to monthly security updates to ensure vulnerabilities in Android are fixed faster. “Since software is constantly exploited in new ways, developing a fast response process to deliver security patches to our devices is critical to keep them protected," said Donglin Koh, EVP of Samsung Electronics, Mobile R&D Office. “We believe that this new process will vastly improve the security of our devices and will aim to provide the best mobile experience possible for our users." Nexus devices will continue to receive major updates for at least two years and security patches for the longer of three years from initial availability or 18 months from last sale of the device via the Google Store. At the time of writing, Samsung and LG were yet to give additional details about how and when the monthly updates will begin and for how long they will last. While the Nexus patch was made available the same day, updates to Android's most popular phones, including the Samsung Galaxy S6, HTC One M9, and LG G4, were rolled out throughout August at unprecedented speed. However, while lower-end manufacturer Alcatel OneT0uch have said they will patch their brandenew Idol 3 and Motorola have committed to patching even it's budget Moto E handset, the rest of the patches announced at time of writing only applied to flagship devices. There has been no commitment to swift patching for older models, which Zimperium claims are at even greater risk to being exploited via Stagefright.

How to install the patch
While it‘s referred to as a ‘security patch,’ your phone we-n‘t interpret it any differently from an ordinary system update. To install it, go to Settings and select System > About phone. In the new menu screen, tap System updates and then tap Check for update. Alternatively, if you would prefer to sideload the update to your Nexus yourself, rather than wait for the over-theair update, the build name is UlIlY48l.

How can I move apps on to the SD card ?

l need to clear some space and heard you can move apps to the SD card, but how do you do that ?

SD cards are vital to the smooth running of most Android phones because it's so easy to run out of storage space. You are able to move your apps to your SD card vvithjusta fevv clicks. Head into your Settings, then tap on Apps. Find the apps you vvantto move over, games vvill probably be the best option, and tap on the app name. Once you're in the app details screen, you should see the option to move the app to the SD card. Tap on that and it vvill shift the app and all the accompanying data across.

How do I manage my battery life ?

Should I wait until my battery is nearly zero before recharging it ?

AH, U19 GIG DBIIQFY conundmm. For a longtime peoplethought it was best to let their battery wind clown as close to zero as possible before charging it back up. This is mainly because it was belieyedthat a battery 'remembers' where it started getting charged from and takes that as its new zero per cent. Howeyer, it's now generallyaccepted thatyou should tryand keepyour phone regularly topped upthroughoutfl-ie day. keeping it between 50 and BL‘ per cent as much as possible. Around once a month you should drain it right down to calibrate the battery. but in generalyou want to keep it as far awayfromthe red line as possible. Regular mini charges will not only keep it from u sing up the limited supply of charge cycles, but it will also prevent it from getting too hotwhen charging from Dto “IUD. Heat also spoils battery life, so avoid that at all costs. Also, it means you're unlikelyto runoutofjuioe forwhenyou really need it!

How safe is rooting ?

I'm slightly nervous about rooting my phone. What are the dangers?

There are a few dangers involved with rooting. However, it's only dangerous if something goes wrong. lfyou follow the steps carefully and have all the correct software, it's an incredibly useful process. The biggest problem is that if you do the slightest thing wrong, your phone will become bricked, which is the Android community's word for rendering a phone so useless it's essentially a brick. The other thing to note is it will certainly invalidate your warranty, so you have no line of defence should things then go wrong. It's perfectly lega l, but the manufacturer won't shell out for a replacement.

Five ways to avoid storage issues

Get an SD card 
The easiest way to up your storage capacity is to buy an SD card. These can add dozens of gigabytes of storage to your mobile and can be boughtfairly cheaply online. This should suit all but the most ardent power user.

Purge your pics
Every now and again, have a little delete-spree. You probably take loads of photos without realising it, especially now Burst mode is on lots of phones, so see which ones can be deleted. Remeber that videos will also gobble up your storage capacity.

Universal export 
If you don’t want to delete your data, the best option may be to export it, either to Dropbox or to your laptop’s hard drive. This will clear a lot of space on your phone and this way you won’t lose any of your important files.

Head in the cloud 
lf you do quite a lot ofwork on your phone or tablet, it may be wise to save all ofyour files straight to the cloud or to a Google Drive account. This will save space on your mobile as well as then being available on any other synced device at your convenience.

Clear data
Every time you use an app, some data is cached. This is generally useful as it means that it will load up more quickly next time you open it, but each piece ofcached data will eat away at your phone’s storage. Delete cached data and you should free up some space.

What does a factory reset do to my phone ?

I keep seeing the phrase ‘factory reset’ when repairing a phone, but what does that mean?

Essentially a factory reset will wipe all the data from a phone and return it to the same state it was in when it left the factory, hence the name. ‘r’ou'iE usually perform this action if your mobile is malfunctioning or you are selling it on. In the first scenario, the factory wipe wilt be enough because it will remove all the apps you've downloaded and any data that may be causing an issue. Bear in mind though, that this should be a iast resortas you wril lose absolutely everything, including contacts and messages. In the second scenario, however, your aim will be to get rid of all your data so other peopie can't access your varrous accounts and phone numbers. Linfortunateiy, a factory wipe isn'tguite enough as hackers can stili get to your data. When performing a factory reset, the phone merely designates data to be available for overwriting, rather than actually deleted. This means that hackers can extract your important data from the hard drive. So you'll need to encrypt your mobile before wiping it as this makes it incredibly hard for someone to extract any kind of meaning from your data even if they have accessto it.

ls there a way to sort multiple contacts in Android ?

I've got loads of people in my contacts list twice or even three times. Can I quickly delete the duplicates without trawli rig through them all

Contacts can be easily duplicated on your phone, leading to an unnecessarily bulky contacts list. Whenever you sync your phone with you’ Gmail and social media accounts, those contacts get added to your list, whether they're alreadythere or not. Also, when you switch phones or SIM cards, contacts that are saved on your phone appear alongside those saved on your SIM card and vice versa. This results in that bloated contacts list that takes ages to scroll through. Vlos: Android phones will offer you the option to streamline your contacts list in Settings. This will be a manual action, but you should be able to specd through your list quickly as deleting the duplicated contacts is as easy as checking a box. However, should you wantto delete your copied contacts without scrolling through hundreds of e'ttries, there are a number of apps that will find them and delete them on your behalf. Onc othcr way to get rid of duplicated contacts is to unli nk your Google account from your contacts list. You'll still be able to use all of your normal Google services, but your contacts list will purely be for phone numbers, not for email addresses and the other data that syncing with Google provides.

Why Is My Camera App so slow

My camera is so slow to launch. ls there any way to speed it up?

A slow camera app is an enormously irritating thing, especially ifyou're rushing to capture the moment. A launcher that has a quick-start for the camera in one corner would help, as would a phone that lets you snap a quick picture with the power button, such as the Samsung Galaxy S6. H owever, if you don't want to get a new phone, there are a couple of options. There are a number of lightweight camera apps that don't have bells and whistles attached, but can launch in a flash, such as Fast Camera or High-Speed Camera. These will boot up at pace so you can take that perfect shot. The c-therthing you can doto speed up your camera launch time is to have it already open and all of your other apps closed. As already mentioned in this feature, apps build up a cache so which enables you to launch thern rn ore quickly. Keeping the app open speedsthis up yet further. Closing other apps will reducethe demand on the processor, freeing up RAM that can then be put towards opening the carnera app as quickly as possible.

Can I delete system apps Android

“I hate half of my storage being taken up by apps I don’t use. How can I delete the bloatware?

A big problem for many Android users, especially those that own phones from the budget end of the market, is bloatware. These preloaded apps can be a constant source of frustration because they take up valuable storage space while sitting unused in your app drawer. What makesthings worse, is that there is no easy way to delete them. The only real way to get rid of these unnecesslary pre'installed apps is to first root your phone. Yl"is will enaole you to get deep into the developer settings of your cleyitre where you can then customise your handset to your l'l

Why can't I delete apps?

I keep trying to delete apps olf my Samsung Galaxy S3, butihey wont go. Why not?

There cm be a number of reasons whyan appyoiire tryingto get rid of refuses to go. The most oommonreasonwillbe that itis a pre installed appthatyotr phone won't letyou get rid of. The solution hothis can be found on the previous page. However, anythird party app that you've downloaded can be deleted. so it mightjust be a question of how you're deleting the app. ifyoure tappingthe app, holding and dragging ittoRemove,this is onlygoingto deletethe widget on tl‘|E screen. |t'sthe same situation When tryinghopress and hold straight from the app drawer. Fiernove is simply not going to do the business here. What you need to do is press the menu button, select Uninstaii fifid then press the minus sign in the corner otthe app ioon. ityou are n.inning Lollipop, however, you can just press and hold from the app stare. Meanwhile the upcoming Android 6.0 update is Set to let you uninstall apps from the homescreen.

What can I do to speed up my sluggish phone ?

Defrag your phone 
One major problem when using your smartphone is the fact that data can get placed in a variety of places, which makes it tricky for your phone to readdata as it has to take it fromlots of different areas. Download a defragging app.

Perform the defrag 
Load up the app and you should see two options appear: one for internal defragging and one for external defragging,whichwill sort out the storage on your SDcard. Tapon eachone in turn toget your data inorder.

Use root 
If you are a power user and have rooted your phone, there is also the option to use root in your defrag. This will allow the app to delve down further into your phone and order even more of it for a faster user experience.

Can I change my keyboard android ?

“I really don’t like the keyboard on my HTC One (M8). How do I change it?”

Download keyboard app 
The stock Android and Sarnsung keyboards can be pretty rubbish, but luckily there are plenty of alternatives on the market. Head tothe Google Play store and download a keyboard, such as SwiftKey Keyboard + Ernoji or Google Handwriting Input.

Use your keyboard 
Type away on your new keyboard to test it out. If you aren't happy with that particular keyboard, pull down on your quick settings rnenu. Tap on Choose input method and then select

Set up the keyboard 
Follow the instructions on the app to set up your new keyboard. There will be several steps, but it will lead you through and it's only a matter of ticking boxes. Once you've activated it, head into your messages and check it's active.

Use the settings
 If you aren't using the keyboard, that option wont be available. Instead, head into the Settings viathe quick settings menu and tap Language 8. Input. You should see all of your keyboard options listed, select your chosen keyboard from there.

How do you use chromecast

I'm thinking of buying a Chromecast, but how difficult is it to set up?

Google's Chromecast enables you to stream content from the web or your phone to your TV, giving you the flexibility of on-demand with a big screen. It only costs £30 so it's much cheaper than buying a smart TV purely for watching Netflix and HBO Go. It's very easy to set up as well, so even if you're not technically minded, this should be straightforward. Plug the device into the back of your TV and switch the TV on. If it doesn't automatically acknowledge it, head into the TV's settings to select HDMI input. The next step is to download the Chromecast app via the Google Play store. When you activate the app, it will try and find your Chromecast. When it does, just follow the instructions on the screen to configure it to your phone. Enter your home's Wi-Fi details and you should now be synced up and ready to go. Launch a supported video streaming app on your phone, select your video and hit the Chromecast icon. Press play and you'll be able to watch online content on your TV without the expense of buying a smart TV. It shouldn't take more than five minutesto set up.

How can I restart my phone quickly ?

I hate having to confi rm that I'm sure I want to restart my phone. Is there a way to bypass this at all ?

As we’re sure you can appreciate, the ‘Are you sure?’ button is there to avoid accidentally restarting your device when you’ve pressed the wrong button and then having to wait for it to boot up again. However, we understand that it can be frustrating to have to always tap a second time to confirm. you have able to bypass this, but you will need to have root access. if your phone is rooted and compatible, download Oneclick Restart from the play store. Grant it access to your phone and add the widget to your home screen. the instead of long-pressing power, selecting restrart and confirming, you can just open the app and it will instantly restart, saving you precious seconds. make sure you have everything saved though because it works instantly and there are no second chances

How do I send large files ?

“I often need to send pictures or fi les form my phone, but I always end up hitting the max-fi le limit. How can I send these more easily? ”

Phones and tablets are fast becoming essential workstations and entertainment centres. Otfice apps allow you to create presentations on your tablet while higher- resolution cameras let you shoot excellent quality photos and videos. However, both of these come at a price because the increased file size m akes it tricky to send folders, such as your holiday snaps, via email as most have quite a low file limit. Your best bet will beto download some kind of cloud storage app, such| as Dropbox. The main purpose of Dropbox is a file back-up system so if your phone is stolen, you won't lose all your photos and documents. It also lets you packagethem up and send them to a contact via email without getting close to the file limit by zipping them all up. This is enormously useful because you can send dozens of huge files to anyone and they can then download and unzip them at their convenience. For hassle-free storage of files that you can send in bulk, we would really recommend the Dropbox app or a similar file-storing app because it will take a lot of work out of sending big files.

What can I do to prevent battery loss

Locate the culprit
Often there will be one app in particular that is gobbling up all of your battery life. Head to Settings> Battery to view a breakdown of battery usage. Once you fi nd the offending app, close it or consider uninstalling it.

Blame the OS
If you can’t fi nd any issue with any particular app, it could even be the OS itself that’s causing the problem. Boot your phone in safe mode to avoid loading any third party apps. If you still experience the drain, then it’s your OS’s fault.

Lose the animations
Your swirling, swaying live wallpaper may look delightful, but all those moving pixels are gnawing constantly away at your battery. If you’re concerned about battery life, the best thing we can recommend for your homescreen is a dark coloured, stationary background

Keep it mid-range
Most people think that you should run your battery down to zero and then charge it fully, but this actually uses up charge cycles and ultimately drains your battery. Top up your phone throughout the day, trying to keep it between 50 and 80 per cent.

Keep it cool
Another reason for battery drain is your phone overheating. This shrinks the battery and reduces its capacity. Take the cover off while it’s charging or if you’re playing an intensive game. This should keep your phone cool and your battery happy.

How do I get Lollipop?

My phone still doesn’t have Lollipop. How do I get it ?

Ian Dare via Facebook We're glad someone still wants Lollipop! lt really is a good OS, but the rollout has been a bit of a shambles. Hrstly, you'll need to lnake sure your phone can get Lollipop as some older devices won't support it. Then, you just have to hold tight and wait for your carrier to pu sh through the u pdate. Otherwise, if your phone is rooted, you can download the Lollipop APK from the XDA Developers site.

Where has the volume control panel gone ?

Ever since I upgraded my Sony Xperia Z2 to Lollipop, I can’t pull down the notifi cation bar to change volume settings. Can I get it back ? 
Oh, the volume settings disappearance That was not a popular decision by Google and they know it. You’ll be pleased to know that a version of it will return in Android Marshmallow, but that’s no good to you now, especially as it's unlikely that the Xperia Z2 will get Marshmallow in 2015. Luckily, there’s an will do the job for you. Download it from Google Play, open it up and you will have the option to mute and adjust volume up or down in your Notification bar just as in the good old days

Can I changethe white Lollipop Ul ?

I hate L0llipop’s white Ul. ls there any way to change this?

The app drawer in Lollipop changed from dark to bright white because the launcher got bundled in with Google Search, which of course has a wh rte background. This uses more power and many users complain it's too bright at night. In the forthcoming Android M update, you will have a choice of light and dark themes, but until then your best bet is to download an alternative launcher.

How can I recover my battery life ?

The battery drain on my Samsung Galaxy S4 is terrible. Is there a way to stop it ?
This is an issue that has been reported by so many people since Android 5.0 rolled out. Not even Android 5.1 sorted it out, although we have been promised great things with Android M this autumn. Themain issue with Lollipop was system bugs, as is inevitable with newOS launches. However, apps that aren’t optimised for the new OS will also prove to be a massive drain, so try updating all your apps to the latest version. Check out our further tips to help save battery life down the side of this page, wait for Android Marshmallow’s arrival!

Why does my phone get so hot ?

Hot phones are caused by your processor having to work overtime to keep up with the tasks you've set it. This mostly occurs if you're playing a gam e that involves a lot of quickly moving graphics or if you're running several apps at once. This will result in your battery life dropping so if you can feel it getting hot, stop your game or close a few apps. Taking off the cover will help too.

Why does Lollipop keep crashing ?

Lollipop keeps crashing on my LG G3. Why is this?

Your apps are almost certainly crashing because they aren't optimised for Lollipop yet. This is leading tothem struggling to work with the new OS and just giving up. If you can revert to KitKat then that might be an option, or you may have to wait until the Android 5.1 or Android M update makes its way to your LG device. You can always stop using the apps that are causing you frequent problems.

Why does NFC sometimes stop ?

NFC works via a chip in the phone communicating with a chip in the receiving device, such as a speaker or payment terminal, to transfer data. It doesn’t usemuch power at all and works wirelessly so, when it works, it’s a great feature. However, lots of people report problems with NFC and that is generally due to the battery or phone case. If your phone says it supports NFC, but it has never worked, it could be because the chip is embedded in the back cover and that has been replaced at some point. This is the situation for phones such as the Samsung Galaxy Note 2. If it only works intermittently, are you swapping your batteries around? The Samsung Galaxy S3, for example, has the NFC chip in the battery, so if could lose NFC capability. The case could prove to be an issue if it ismade of a conductive material, such as metal. A standard plastic case shouldn’t affect the transmission at all. Check where the NFC chip in your phone is stored and make sure you aren’t occasionally removing it from the phone and losing the NFC capability.

How do I discover if my phone supports wireless charging?

Wireless charging has only really become widely supported in the last couple of years, so only the newer phones really have the capability. Most ofthe Samsung Galaxy ranges are supported, as are the Nexus 4,5 and 6. The LG G3 and G4 can both be charged by using induction coils, as can the Sony Xperia Z3. You can find a comprehensive list of all the phones that support Qi wireless charging at Qinside.biz.

How can I get rid of a virus?

“If I download an app with a virus, is there any way of deleting it?”

Although there is that frightening statistic that 97 per cent of mobile malware is on Android,the majority ofthat comes from dodgy third-party app stores. Google Play is actually remarkably safe with only one in a thousand apps having any kind of virus attached. However, if you do discover that you've got something malicious on your mobile, there are a feiw easy things you can doto remove the app and therefore the virus. Boot your phone in too Safe Mode to stop any downloaded app running. This can usually be achieved by pressing and holding Power Off. Oncein Safe Mode, locate any apps that may bethe cause ofthe virus. it may be one that you don't remember downloading or have downloaded recently. Uninstall the app and, in rnost cases, that should delete the virus as well. Always be suspicious about apps that you arent sure about

50 common Android smartphone and tablet problems solved

It doesn’t matter if you’re a rooting-wizard or you’ve just picked up your fi rst Android phone, problems with technology are pretty inevitable. It could be a phone-wrecking error or a simple battery life frustration, but somewhere, you will probably need to turn for help. Luckily, we have heard your cry for help and decided to do something about it. We’ve reached out to our readers, Facebook fans and Twitter followers to discover their bugs and gripes with their devices, and they have replied in their droves, with problems ranging from SD card woes to camera launch times. We’ve picked 50 of the most common problems that you’ve sent to us and created this handy guide that should ease your Android-related troubles. We’ve put together tutorials, tips and app lists that should make your Android-life that little bit smoother. Whether you need help with RAM management, Lollipop fi xes or loss of memory, the next seven pages should hopefully have you covered. If not, make sure you get in touch with us on Twitter (@lgrobot), Facebook (facebook.com/ littlegreenrobot) or email qa@littlegreenrobot. co.uk and we’ll do our very best to help you out. In the meantime, get stuck into this comprehensive list of the problems that most Android users have faced and hopefully it will sort out your current problems, and safeguard you against any future issues you may have

if my phone gets wet, is it ruined ?

Your phone won't be ruined forever if it gets wet, but you need to act pretty quickly to save it. The first step, is to whip out the battery, SIM card and SD card to make sure they don't suffer too much water damage. Dry your phone by burying it in uncooked rice or silica gel packets to absorb all the moisture. If you've done this, then there is a chance your phone might just survive.

How can I unlockmy phone ?

Phones that have been sold as part of a contract will often be locked to a particular network so that you're unable to switch to a new carrier at the end of your deal. However, most carriers will sell you an unlock code if you ask them. Tell them your phone's brand, model number and its IMEI code. This can be found by typing *#06# into your phone's dialler. Once you have your code, pop in your new SIM and type the code in when requested.

Why have Google Play services stopped ?

“Whenever I try and useGoogle Play store, it tellsmeGooglyPlayservices hasstopped.Canyouexplainwhy?”

lf the Google Play store is refusing to work, then that's a major problem as this is your gateway to app downloads and other services, such as your Google Play Music and Google Play Books. This has probably occurred soon after updates, possibly without you knowing if you've activated automatic updates. The best way to deal with this issue is to go into your phone's Settings, find Apps, find Google Play store or Google Play services and uninstall the updates. This will revert the settings to how they were before when it was working. This will give Google chance to work outthe bugs, then update next time they rollout patches. Hopefully, Google Play services will then be back to normal.

Galery of Music Must haves in Android

Vevo
This is the app to go to for offi cial HD music videos and live perfromances from your favourite bands and solo stars. Vevo has a huge catalogue, it is completely free and you can create your own playlists very easily or let the app choose the next tune for you

Musixmatch
If youwant to sing along to your favourite song, but are a little unsure on some of the lyrics,Musixmatch is great for you. The app runs alongside your other music playing apps, recognising the song that is playing and then displaying the lyrics on screen. Guess the Song This is a pretty fun game that doesn’t need a whole lot of explanation. There is a huge range of categories. However, it will really test the breadth of your musical knowledge as further categories are unlocked later on in the game.

Drum Solo HD
One of our favouritemusic making apps is Drum Solo HD. You’re set up with a full drumkit so you can Ringo away, with just your fingertips, to your heart’s content. There’s a range of backing beats to help keep your rhythm.

Equalizer Music Player Booster
If you’re searching for the perfect sound, try this free download. You can amplify the bass, adjust the highs and lows of any song you listen to, aswell as explore lots of other audio settings.

DJ Studio 5
If you fancy yourself as a bit of a DJ but don’t want to shell out for a set of decks, then DJ Studio 5 is the app for you. Play two track at once and mix them together. Using touch controls, you can even scratch them for that authentic club night experience.

Paul Travers, Vuzix president and CEO, explains how M100 smart glasses have become the business world’s go-to headset

In a post-Google Glass world, do smart glasses still have a place?
I think they are going to replace the phone in the end. For instance, smartphones can help you get from point A to point B, but it’s still a little clumsy. Imagine if you could ask your glasses how to get to the restaurant and it is just painted directions on the street in front of you. The street could light up in orange in the direction that you need to go, just like the first down yard line in an American football game. Another example, with our current glasses is that you can read a menu in a Japanese restaurant and the characters will be translated into English. These are things that will happen through a pair of glasses that you cannot do any other way.

But you don’t believe smart glasses are suitable for everyday users yet?
Vuzix is convinced that until smart glasses can look like a pair of Oakley sunglasses, with that high-fashion look, it is just not going to be that successful in the consumer space. You can’t look like you’ve just stepped off the Starship Enterprise, the technology has got to disappear

However, you have sold M100s to big businesses around the world. What do they use them for? There are all kinds of companies that every time you turn around are doing another really cool thing with it. HP just came out with what they call Visual Remote Guidance. If you’ve got a problem, with anything from a jet engine to large-scale printers and someone doesn’t know how to fix it, tech support can help them do the repairs by watching the video streaming out of the headset. HP can even circle a particular thing in the person’s field of vision and say ‘push that button’ or whatever it might be.

Who is the new Prosumer model aimed at? People who do remote video need a hands free way to record videos, guys that ride bikes that you know need GPS information or want to track what they are doing along the way. It’s for people who are doing kind of ‘out there’ stuff. It’s not necessarily for the average guy

Do you own a pair of M100s yourself and what do you use them for? They are one of my toys that I helped build, so I do own a pair. I work at a desk, so I don’t need to use them all that often, but I like to use them to record things, when I go hiking in the woods with my wife, for instance.

Move over Google Glass

Vuzix has an eye on the future of smart glasses with the brand new M100

When the Google Glass Explorer progr shut down in January, commentators to say smart glasses were over before even began. However, while Google Gl demise was making headlines, Vuzix w selling their own M100 smart glasses t Fortune 100 companies, including big Hewlett-Packard. Vuzix has also launch Prosumer edition, which is available fo pre-order through Amazon now. This Android-powered wearable include head-up display that projects an image int corner of your eye. As well as working with apps, it has a HD camera built in for taking pictures and recording videos. Though it c connect with your phone and other device Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, it can store up to 32G microSD card. Impressively, it can do all of and the battery will still last eight hours.

10 Thing you need about Android Marshmallow

We called it!
The next version of Android has been officially confirmed as Android Marshmallow and the final beta version is available from the Android Studio now. Pat yourself on the back because this is the very name 40 per cent of you voted for in our reader poll in issue 53. Commiserations to those of you that were holding out for Android Milkshake or even Android Macaroon. Goog le have also confirmed it will be version number 6.0, rather Ithan Android 5.5 as some had expected.

You can now perso your permissions
The biggest improvement we can see in Marshmallow is control over app permissions. Youll no longer have to grant blanket permissions to apps, instead you will be able to pick and choose what data and sensors apps can access. For instance, messaging apps will only be able to access your microphone if you say and only when you use speech -to -text dictation. This should make people a lot more comfortable when downloading apps using Marshmallow as it keeps your confidential information secure.

Have a quick doze
A headline feature of Android 6.0 is Doze Mode, which will put your device into a deep sleep whenever it is left on standby, prolonging your battery life. The device knows when its not being used and shuts down all functions, only waking up when it registers that it's in use or a high priority notification comes through. Tests have shown that Doze can double the battery life of a Nexus 5 which could save you from having to recharge your phone or tablet on a daily basis. You can 

identify bloated apps that use up memory
Quite often your Android runs out of storage space and you haven’t got any idea which app is responsible for taking up a huge chunk of your memory. However, Marshmallow has introduced a feature where you can dive into the Memory menu of Settings and see exactly which app is using up most of your memory. You can then uninstall it to give you much more room to download the latest memorysapping apps and repeat the process all over again! New Fingerprint Fitures
Android Marshmallow lets you do so many more things with your fingerprint than just unlock your phone. You can also use the fingerprint scanner on your mobile, should it already have one, to sign into the Google Play store and make purchases. This will remove the need to constantly retype passwords in time -and -time again. There are many more applications for the fingerprint scanner, but downloading apps safely and quickly is probably the most useful one of the bunch. Multitask in 

Multi Windows
Samsung users will be well used to Multi -window Mode, having had it on their Galaxy phones for a number of iterations now, but Android Marshmallow will bring the service to all Android handsets. Users will be able to view up to four windows on the same screen, so that you can watch a YouTube video while messaging your mates, or playing a game. With so many manufacturers creating 5.5- or 6 -inch phablets, this could now become a very worthwhile addition to Android devices. Savety First
Should your phone crash while using Android Marshmallow, you won’t lose all your app data. Even if you haven’t manually backed up your apps, you will retain some data as your phone will automatically back up 25MB of information per app. Essential information will be uploaded on a regular basis to your Google Drive account, where you can there recover it once your phone is up and running again. The days of losing everything after a crash are over, thanks to the new Android Marshmallow.

Google NowonTap
Google Now on Tap has been exciting us ever since we saw what it was capable of at Google I/O. Your personal assistant has been made much smarter and more intuitive. With the Android 6.0 upgra Google Now is go to morph into a service that can g you useful answer you want, even before you ask the question! For instance, when it senses your reading an email inviting you to see a movie, it will instantly offer nearby showing times

Pay Your Way
Android Pay is still being prepared for the mass market, lagging behind Apple Pay and Samsung Pay, despite being discussed at Google I/O several months ago. However, we are looking forward to using the fingerprint scanner in order to authorise payments anywhere you could normally swipe a card to pay for goods. Android Marshmallow will be the first Android version that we will be able to use Android Pay on, when it finally rolls out to the general public.

Its not quite Ready
It's not quite ready As we mentioned earlier, only the final preview version is available now, so you're still going to have to download an API< if you want to enjoy the full features that Android Marshmallow offers before the consumer version gets an official rolbut. However, the OTA update is expected to arrive some time in the autumn, so fortunately you haven't got long to watt. But if you want to help Google iron out some more Marshmallow bugs, then get to the Android Studio right away.