7 Hidden Android Features You Are Not Using (2018)

Hy Guys you are welcome to another series of Technology, in this post, I am going to discuss the 7 hidden android features that you are not using and you should definitely try. This secret android feature will make your Android experience even better so let’s get started. If this is your first time for visiting this blog don’t forget to subscribe to this blog for more useful stuff

1.==> Screen pinning

This is one of the latest features of android it happens when your friend asked for your phone to make calls and after making the call there is a tendency he may decide to browse your private data such as messages, email and private folders that’s very annoying that’s when screen pining comes to play an important role.

Must Read: 10 Amazing Tips to Speed Up Your Android Phone

Screen pinning prevents anyone from switching apps and forces them to stay on a particular screen that you pin. To enable screen pinning on your android device, Just Go to Settings>>Security & Lock Screen >> Scroll to the button of the page you will see Screen Pining then Click on it. Simply change the setting to “On” and also make sure that the ‘ask for a pin before unpinning’ is also on.  

 

Now when you go back to the home page open the application you wish to pin minimized it and check out the minimized pages select the app you want to pin and there you will probably see the ping icon, just click on the pin icon and you will see the screen is pinned. Now no other button will work until it’s unpinning so, to unpin the application click on any of your button you will see a message that provides you with the simplest way on how to unpinned it because the unpinning method differs inversion. Some you need to click and hold the minimized button and the back button while others you need to press and home button + the volume down button at a time.    

2.==> Multiple User account

If someone asked you to let them check your mobile phone either to make call or to play games you may be worried about your personal data but you didn’t know that you can easily enable a gest mode and you can let them work with your phone such as play games, install apps or even make a call whatever they want without worry about your personal data the guest mode will serve as a profile where the mobile phone will look like a new phone without any single data. To enable guest mode just swipe to quick settings and click on the profile icon and you will see “at guest” and also “add user” if you wish to create a user for an individual you can click on the add user icon or you can click on the added guest and the guest mode will be activated both works the same.

Must Read: Your smartphone three navigation buttons not working? Here is a simple trick on how to navigate without them

Now To get back to your original profile again go to the profile icon and click on your original account icon note: if you have a password on your smartphone you must insert it before it changes to the normal profile. It’s a cool feature and it also helps you to protect your privacy. 

3.==> Adaptable Storage

If you have an android phone that has 8GB or 16GB of memory you must be having a hard time installing a lot of application and games even if you have an SD card must of the applications can’t be installed on the external SD card but now from the latest version of lollipop 5.0 you can easily format your SD card as internal storage.

Must Read: How To Download Paid Android Apps in Google Play Store For Free

To do that simply Go to Settings>>Storage>>SD card and click on the option icon >>Storage Settings >> Format as internal, but make sure you back up your SD card data because all of your SD card data will be formatted just click on ‘Erase & Format’ it will ask you to move the old data of course to the new storage you can choose “move now” or “Move Later” and click on ‘Next’ Click “Move” and the process will continue it will be done and you will have available space on your internal storage because the external storage will now serve as the default storage.

4.==> Split Screen Multitasking

If you wish to multitask like me then you are going to love this feature, this cool Android feature that allows you to use two application at a single time. To enable split-screen multitasking just click and hold the gear icon and this will turn on the “System UI Turner” then go to System UI Turner >> others and click on enable screen split swipe up gesture and also in the latest Android version you don’t need to enable this option to get the multitasking feature, just go to any application and drag it on another. You can also click on the split multi-tasking icon which is available in some of the Android version to use the multitasking feature.

Must Read: Major Reasons Why Your Phone Slows Down Over Time and how to fix it

Some many applications like Instagram Don’t support Split screen Multi-Tasking to force such applications to open in multitasking Go to Settings>>About Phone now tap the ‘build number’ seven (7) to Eight (8) times to enable ‘developer options’. Now Go to Developers option and head down to the button of the screen you will find “Force activities to be resizable” just click on it and next time when you try to open Instagram as a multi-window it will work totally fine.

5.==> Smart Lock

Smart lock will keep your device unlocked when it detects that its with you or at a safe place like your home to enable smart lock Just Go to Settings>>Security>> Lock Screen and head down to smart lock it will ask you for your pin if your smartphone has password if you don’t set any password protection on your device you need to enable the password protection then smart lock will be accessible.  

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There are five options provided you can select the trusted face, body detection to keep your device unlock when its with you and more options when you select your preferred option at the top just click on the enable button and hit on continue and it will enable the feature It’s a quite amazing and hiding android feature.

6.==> Hidden File manager

There are smartphones that don’t come with file manager as an application, Do you really know that android have hidden file manager feature, this allows you to see the categories of your files from the file manager to enable this feature simple Go to Settings>> Storage>> then ‘Files’ in other phones it may be label as “explore” depending on your android version and phone just click on files or explore and you will be taking to the file manager, there you will see the categories of your files such as applications, music, photos, and videos.

7.==> Screensaver

Do you know that android have a screen saver that most people don’t know about, it’s an awesome feature that enables you to check out time and notifications when your phone is sleeping? To enable screen, saver on android Go to Settings>> Display>> Screen Saver just click on the screen saver and there you will see many options such as the clock, colors, news & weather and also photos when you click on start now your screen saver will start automatically.

These are the 7 Android hidden features that you should definitely try if you really find this post very helpfully show your appreciation in the comment section below and don’t forget to share with your lovely ones. Thanks, and have a nice day!  

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How to make SD card as default storage in your Android Device Version 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9

Storage is very necessary and the best important aspect in any device, the feature allows you to store information and also important files for easy retrieval. The Android operating system is one of the best and most popular operating system nowadays that is used by billions of people around the world. An Android operating system has a different version and also it comes with different amazing features as it is upgraded from time to time which also makes it stand around the crowd.

Also Read: An easy trick on how to fixed Annoying Android smartphone internal storage running out notification

If you have an Android Smart Phone that is version 5,6,7,8 or even 9 when you install Application you will realize that all the application data are stored in the internal storage which does not only occupy space but it also makes the smartphone to work slowly.

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In the previous version of the android that’s 2,3 and 4, there is a feature that allows you to change the default storage to any one of your choices using one click you can also move any game or applications to either internal storage or the external storage of your device using a single click. Now in the new version of Android starting from 5 the feature is removed but it doesn’t mean that you can’t change the default storage or move applications but it differs from the previous one.

          Now in the latest version of the Android operating system, you can easily format your SD card as internal storage and it will become the default storage of your device. To do that simply Go to Settings>>Storage>>SD card and click on the options icon >>Storage Settings >> Format as internal, 

but make sure you back up your SD card data because all of your SD card data will be formatted just click on ‘Erase & Format’ it will ask you to move the old data of course to the new storage you can choose “move now” or “Move Later” and click on ‘Next’ Click “Move” and the process will continue 

it will be done and you will have available space on your internal storage because the external storage will now serve as the default storage. This method is tested in different version and also different product and its working perfectly. That’s it.

Also Check: 14 Amazing Tips that will Make Your Smartphone live a longer life.

I hope you found this handy guide helpful. Feel free to join the conversation. I’ll love to hear your opinions and learn from you. Let me know if you have another way to make SD card as the default storage in the latest version of the Android operating system using the comment section below. Don’t forget to share this article with your friends and lovely one’s Happy Fixing!

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Top 10 programming language used in popular website

Top 10 programming language used in popular website

Programming is very vital and important not only to those who study computer science or Computer Engineering but to all public at large, it allows an individual to design and implement a new tool that has not been existing to solve people’s problem. Designing of website, application or software need a language before it is done and Every programming language plays an important role in its own field.

Must Read: Facebook unveils tools to tell users when to stop scrolling

          Programming is a very good idea that allows you to think perfectly on how to provide a simple solution to a problem. today In Guide Tricks I am going to discuss some of the 10 popular websites and the languages that are written with.

1.==> Twitter: Twitter is one of the most flawless and well-known social media networks that allow individuals to communicate and share information, The Front End of Twitter is written in a perfect programming language which is Javascript and the Backend is written in C++, Java, Scala, Ruby, and Rails.

2.==> Bing: Bing is a search engine that allows the public to search for content in an efficient way. the front of Bing is written in JavaScript while the Back End of the Bing Search Engine is Written in ASP. Net.

Also Read: 4 Prominent Male Programmers Whose Contributions Are Extremely Significant

3.==> Blogger: Blogger is a free and most used blogging platform preferred by most of the bloggers. Only with a Google account, it's possible to create a Blogger blog in a few minutes & almost all without spending one single currency. Blogger is simple to control & will perhaps be the beneficial start when you first enter in the field of blogging. You can even host your custom domain without spending money to buy hosting and there are many more strengths and benefits of Blogger blog. The Front End of Blogger is Written in JavaScript while the back end is written in Payton.

4.==> Wikipedia: Wikipedia is an open platform that contains different script articles from a diverse specialist in the world for academic review. The front end of Wikipedia Is written in Javascript while the Back-end of the page is written in PHP.

5.==> MSN: The front end of the MSN is written in JavaScript while the Back End is written in ASP.Net.

6.==> Outlook: Outlook is just similar with MSN The front end of the website is written in JavaScript while the Back End is written in ASP.Net.

7.==> Yahoo: Is one of the oldest and one among the well-known website, the front end of the website is basically written in JavaScript while the Back End of the Website is written in PHP.

Must Check: 8 Highest-Paying Programming Languages in 2018

8.==> YouTube: The front end of the YouTube is written in JavaScript while the back end is written in C/C++, Payton, and Java.

9.==> Facebook: The front end of the webpage is written in JavaScript while the Back-end of the website Is written in PHP, C++, Payton, Java, FBML, Erlang, D and XHP.

10.==> Google: The Front End of the Google Search Engine is written in JavaScript while the Front End is written in C, C++, Go, Java and Payton.  

Those are some of the major websites and the languages that are used in building them let me know in the comment section below if you know any other popular website and the language that is used in the building. And also, if you find this post helpful kindly drop your appreciation in the comment section below and don’t forget to share with your lovely ones. Happy visiting!!

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Apple becomes the first trillion dollars US-listed company

Apple becomes the first trillion dollars US-listed company

The company founded by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak was worth $3bn when Jobs returned to revitalize Apple in 1996.

During the day, the share price of the iPhone maker jumped by 2.8% to $207.05, passing the $1tn (£762bn) mark in New York trading.

Its stock has soared 9% since Tuesday when Apple's third-quarter earnings exceeded Wall Street's expectations.

The company, which was started in a garage in Palo Alto by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak in 1976, has transformed the way people communicate with its ubiquitous iPhone.

When the iPhone was introduced in 2007 it kicked off a smartphone revolution, leaving the giants of the mobile phone industry Nokia and Blackberry struggling for survival.

Alphabet, the parent of Google, scrambled to provide its Android software to power mobile phones, making sure Apple didn't steal a huge march on rivals.

That helped Samsung to become the world's biggest mobile phone manufacturer, while China's Huawei overtook Apple to become the second-largest smartphone seller this week.

Apple has turned to the courts to protect its advantage and won multi-million dollar payouts from Samsung for allegedly copying some of its technology.

Mr. Jobs, who returned to revitalize the company in 1996 when Apple was worth $3bn, died in 2011.

Before the release of the iPhone, Apple was reporting revenue of less than $20bn and profits of less than $2bn from the sale of its Mac personal computers in 2006.

Last year, sales had risen to $229bn and profits to $48.4bn, making it the most profitable public-listed US company.

Apple, which has seen its stock surge more than 50,000% since its stock market listing in 1980, has struggled to produce a product that replicates the success of the iPhone.

While Apple is the first company to hit the trillion dollar mark, it is likely to be followed by Alphabet, Amazon, and Microsoft. Amazon is currently worth $875bn, Alphabet is valued at $850bn and Microsoft $823bn.

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Video call up to four friends on WhatsApp

WhatsApp claims that group calls are always end-to-end encrypted, and designed to work reliably around the world in different network conditions. — WhatsApp

Call the squad: WhatsApp users can now make group voice and video calls with up to four people at a time.

“Over the last couple years, people have enjoyed making voice and video calls on WhatsApp. In fact, our users spend over two billion minutes on calls per day,” WhatsApp posted on its blog.

With that in mind, the messaging company under Facebook has rolled out group calls for voice and video for both iOS and Android users.

The feature works a little like setting up a chat group – first, start a one-on-one voice or video call, then tap the new “add participant” button on the top right corner to add more contacts to the call.

WhatsApp claims that group calls are always end-to-end encrypted, and designed to work reliably around the world in different network conditions.

This suggests that video quality may be reduced to accommodate slower network speeds, or possibly downgraded to voice calls even.

The announcement did not elaborate if a future update will allow more people to be added in a group call. 

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Facebook unveils tools to tell users when to stop scrolling

Facebook unveils tools to tell users when to stop scrolling

Facebook Inc, during all its years of expansion, has been focused on one thing above all else: getting people to spend more time in its social network. 

Now, as tech giants face increasing criticism over the addictive nature of their products, the company is releasing features that do the opposite. Facebook and Instagram, its photo-sharing app, will add controls to help people measure how much time they’re spending on the sites so they can dial it back if they want to. Users can also mute notifications on the apps for a certain period of time or sign up to get an alert when they’ve been scrolling for too long. 

“It’s not just about the time people spend on Facebook and Instagram but how they spend that time,” Facebook said in a blog post-Wednesday. “It’s our responsibility to talk openly about how time online impacts people – and we take that responsibility seriously.” 

Most companies haven’t focused on that issue until recently, following concerns from mental-health experts and industry critics about the Internet and device addiction, and the way technology is designed to keep users coming back for more. In June, for example, Apple Inc introduced “Screen Time”, an activity report that will show how much time users are spending on individual apps and how often they pick up their iPhones. Google announced similar controls in May. 

 “We want the time people spend on Facebook and Instagram to be intentional, positive and inspiring,” the company said. 

As part of this push, Facebook said it convened a summit with online safety experts, researchers and teens in March to talk about technology and how it’s influencing well-being. It plans to tweak its products to further address concerns like a lack of kindness online. 

Meanwhile, the company is grappling with its impact on society in other ways. It disclosed on Tuesday that it identified an ongoing effort to use its platforms to influence the US midterm election, via a network of false-identity accounts and pages. The company says it doesn’t yet know who is behind the coordinated campaign, which follows a similar effort, linked to Russia, ahead of the 2016 US presidential campaign. — Bloomberg

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Facebook, Instagram to introduce time-management tools

Facebook, Instagram to introduce time-management tools

Do you worry that you, or your children, spend too much time on social media? Facebook and Instagram on Aug 1 said they want to help you take control.

In a statement, the social media giants – which are both owned by Facebook – announced: "new tools to help people manage their time" spent on the platforms.

Among the tools are a way to limit notifications and a dashboard that allows users to keep track of how much time they have spent on the platforms.

"We want the time people spend on Instagram and Facebook to be intentional, positive and inspiring," the statement said.

"Our hope is that these tools give people more control over the time they spend on our platforms and also foster conversations between parents and teens about the online habits that are right for them," it added.

Facebook said it was introducing a daily reminder, whereby users are alerted when they reach the time limit they set for themselves to spend on the app.

It is also introducing an option to deactivate notifications on smartphones.

Facebook has in recent months introduced a string of changes to its content, including a major plan earlier this year to update its newsfeed to emphasize posts from friends and family.

That shift had prompted fears it could drive away advertisers if people spent less time on the social network.

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg had announced the changes in 2017, as his firm sought to respond to accusations that it encouraged addiction to its platform.

Earlier this year, Zuckerberg said: "In 2018, we're focused on making sure Facebook isn't just fun to use, but also good for people's well-being and for society."

Since the measures were introduced, viral videos have seen a significant drop in reach.

The plan, in turn, saw a 5% drop in time spent on Facebook in the last quarter of 2017. — AFP Relaxnews

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Google intending to dispatch its internet searcher in China, bowing to restriction

As indicated by a report at the beginning of today from The Intercept, Google is intending to re-dispatch its web index in China. Returning into the world's most crowded nation, in any case, accompanies a genuine condition: Google will conform to requests from Chinese authorities to blue pencil themes it considers unfortunate.

Task "Dragonfly" has supposedly been underway since spring 2017, and grabbed steam in the wake of a gathering between Google CEO Sundar Pichai and an anonymous Chinese authority toward the end of last year, the report says. It includes the improvement of a Google scan application for Android that is as of now been appealed to the Chinese government and could get endorsement when "the following six to nine months."

There are evidently two inward model applications, codenamed "Maotai" and "Longfei." They will "naturally distinguish and channel sites hindered by the Great Firewall," and as occurs with pilfered content in the west, a disclaimer will be appealed to clients that "a few outcomes may have been evacuated because of statutory necessities."

Maybe considerably more worryingly, the archives seen by The Intercept say that the application will likewise boycott some touchy inquiries altogether so that "no outcomes will appear." The report takes note of that the boycott will apply to all parts of hunt inside the application — from pictures to spell check and proposed looks.

The source that probably gave these records to The Intercept evidently dreaded the point of reference set by Google on the off chance that it dispatches in China, bowing to its strict oversight rules.

"I'm against extensive organizations and governments teaming up in the abuse of their kin, and feel like straightforwardness around what's being done is in people in general intrigue," the source disclosed to The Intercept. They said that they fear "what is done in China will turn into a layout for some different countries."

The Intercept likewise talked with Patrick Poon, a Hong Kong-based scientist with Amnesty International, about the move in strategy, who said it will set a "horrible point of reference." "This has intense ramifications not only for China but rather for every one of us, for flexibility of data and web opportunity," Poon said.

This huge change in Google's way to deal with China comes after right around a time of not working its web crawler there by any stretch of the imagination. Google's work area internet searcher is prohibited by the "Incomparable Firewall", and a large portion of Google's non-seek administrations —, for example, Gmail and Google Drive — have been restricted in China for their whole presence.

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WhatsApp starts charging business users

 

WhatsApp is launching new pay-to-use tools for businesses to communicate with their customers.

The move will allow its owner, Facebook, to make money from WhatsApp, which has lacked a revenue stream since dropping subscription fees. Companies will be able to provide information and services, such as delivery dates or boarding passes, to customers via the platform.

In return, the businesses will pay a fee for a confirmed delivery.

The messages are set to cost between 0.5 cents to 9 cents (0.3p to 7p) a message depending on the country the user is based in. They can be automated or provided by human customer assistants.

The price means they will often be more expensive to use than more basic SMS-based texts. In addition, firms can respond to questions and comments for free if they do so quickly, but if they take more than 24 hours to reply, they will face a charge.

Like other messages sent via the platform, correspondence sent via the WhatsApp Business API will be encrypted, meaning the tech firm will not be able to read the contents itself. However, the Wall Street Journal reported that companies would be allowed to store copies of the messages elsewhere in a decrypted state.

Transport company Uber, the online store Wish and travel service Booking.com are among the first companies to adopt the new facilities.

Facebook paid $19bn to buy WhatsApp in 2014 and there has long been speculation about how Facebook intended to make money from it.

The move comes three months after WhatsApp's former boss Jan Koum announced he was quitting the service he had co-founded.

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How to Add Google Custom Search Engine to Blogger Blog

How to Add Google Custom Search Engine to Blogger Blog

A Search Engine is a basic tool need for all blogs. It engaged the reader and help visitors to get a result of what they want in the best simple way. There are lots of search engines available for blogger blogs but the top and most popular one is the Google Custom Search Engine because of its professional looks and accurate searching. It is a bit rough task for beginners to create a custom search engine for their blogs, so in this tutorial, I am going to guide you on how to create and add Google Custom Search Engine in your blogger blogs. Let's check it out.

Recommended: How to Schedule Blog Posts for Auto Posting in Blogger

Step by Step Guide on how to Add Google Custom Search Engine to Blogger Blog

First, you need to Sign in to your Google account and then click Here, once you are on the page you will see a blue button with a text on “Create a custom search engine” click on it.

You will be redirected to a page where you can add your blog URL and also make some modification on language, Under the text box “site to search “add the URL of your Blogger Blog (i.e. www.guidetricks.com) you can also use BlogSpot domain e.g. Myblog.blogspot.com. From the language drop-down, select the language for your search engine then click on create button.

You will now see a congratulation message saying you have successfully created your blog search engine. Also, there are three buttons provided which are “Get code” which enables you to copy a code and paste it on your blog, “Public URL” it’s a URL of the created search engine and “Control panel “which enables you to make some modifications such as changing or editing of layout, color schemes and themes.

The next thing you need to do is to paste the copy code on your blogger blog, just simply click on the Get Code Button and copy the code.

Also Read: Simple Guide to change your blogspot.com domain in Blogger

How to paste the code on your Blogger Blog

Log in to your blogger dashboard Go to Layout and select the place where you want your search box to appear, I recommended you to use the top sidebar because it will be very visible in the blog.

Layout>> Add a Gadget >> Select Html/JavaScript paste the code you have copy before and hit the save button.

You are done.

This is an easy step by step guide for beginners on how to create a custom search engine which enables visitors to access information easily. Now It's your turn to share this post and write your views in the comment section below. 

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Google to provide 10m Nigerian with free wifi

Google to provide 10m Nigerian with free wifi

Google Nigeria intends to achieve in excess of 10 million Nigerians with free Internet access in five urban communities in Nigeria.

As indicated by the organization, the Wi-Fi will be accessible in 200 Google Stations crosswise over five urban communities in the nation which incorporates Lagos, Kaduna, Port Harcourt, Ibadan and Abuja by 2019.

This was made known on Thursday at the second Google for Nigeria occasion in Lagos.

Talking at the revealing of the Google Stations, the Google Nigeria Country Director, Juliet Ehimuan-Chiazor, said the activity would deliver moderateness and access to information and in addition broadband entrance.

She said the free Wi-Fi was taken off an organization with an Internet Service Provider with broad fiber arrange, 21st Century, including that the organization was available to associations with different ISPs and telcos.

"One of the difficulties we found was access to information. Broadband entrance is low and is not solid and there are challenges with reasonableness simply permit numerous Nigerians advantage from the advanced economy. We are extremely eager to have the capacity to dispatch as a team with accomplices," she said.

She included, "We are beginning in Lagos with four locales and duty is to extend to 200 destinations crosswise over five urban communities in Nigeria by 2019. There are openings that are accessible once individuals get on the web and can devour data.

Remarking on the activity, the Vice President, Products Management at Google, Anjali Joshi, said the activity would be scaled to different nations in Africa.

Points of interest soon.

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YouTube for Android’s dark theme is beginning to widely roll out

YouTube for Android’s dark theme is beginning to widely roll out

Last March, YouTube officially announced a dark theme was coming to the Android and iOS app after first debuting on the revamped web version. It first rolled out to the iOS client and is now finally beginning to appear for Android users.

The feature began rolling out last night with users seeing the “Dark theme” automatically applied along with a pop-up at the bottom of the screen noting the new feature. There’s an option to turn it off, as well as dismiss the prompt.

It can manually be invoked by heading into Settings and then General. Just underneath Digital Wellbeing’s “Remind me to take a break” feature, there is a new “Dark theme” toggle.

Like on the web and iOS, the theme is more of a dark gray rather than a straight black color. The app’s background, settings, search pages, and anything else that was previously white adopts the dark theme. The compact, minimized video player and all tabs also get this same treatment.

Channels still retain their colorful app bars, while the biggest impact of the dark theme is on the video page — where the video player is black before it fully loads. The initial loading experience is now less visually jarring.

The feature is still rolling out, but given the reports, it seems ready for prime time rather than being just an A/B test.

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Hands-on: Motiv’s smart Ring is a subtle, all-day fitness tracker that now supports Android

Hands-on: Motiv’s smart Ring is a subtle, all-day fitness tracker that now supports Android

The proliferation of good wrist-based fitness trackers in just a few short years is technologically impressive. The pedometer of old is dead and its place is a gadget that tracks your sleep, heart rate, and integrates with an app for “smart” features, like notifications.

I think the commoditization of this technology is fueling another new form factor, with your next fitness tracker possibly taking the shape of something even smaller and resting on your finger. Enter the Motiv Ring and its new Android compatibility.

Clever hardware

Available in slate gray or rose gold, the outer titanium shell of the ring is a smooth surface save for a plastic window that features an occasionally flashing light. Located at the 2 o’clock position, it blinks in various colors while charging and syncing.

The interior bottom of the ring features a heart rate sensor that flashes a standard green light into your finger. It is flanked by two gold-colored metal strips that are used for charging. Battery life is rated at three days, which is understandable for the size but breaks with the weekly charge required by most other trackers today.

A top-up is done with the USB Magnetic Charging Dock. Plugging into a standard USB-A port, the ring magnetically connects at the other end. A red light notes that charging is in progress with the process taking 90 minutes.

Motiv includes two of these identical dongles in the box as well as an accessory that can be added to your keychain in order to store the adapter on the go. I found this to be rather clever given that the compactness of the dongle makes it hard to store anywhere else.

Appearance-wise, that’s all there is to the Motiv Ring. Internally, there is a patented flexible circuit board and battery that wraps around your finger in a truly “forgot about it way.” The entire package is also waterproof rated to 165 feet (5 ATM).

The syncing process to your phone is automatic and happens occasionally in the background, but Motiv added an interesting way to manually invoke it. To sync, users simply twist the ring while it’s on a finger. Unfortunately, I’ve found myself inadvertently activating this process when nervously twisting the ring and thus flashing the blue indicator light.

Experience

The physical, tangible experience of using the Motiv Ring for the past week is very much just a log of what it was like for me to wear a ring for the first time in my young life. There’s really not much else to it.

The Motiv Ring near reaches the platonic ideal of how technology at the end of the day should fade away and not be apparent. In how modern fitness trackers are just slightly large bracelets, Motiv’s gadget is simply a standard ring that’s about the thickness of a nickel (2.5 mm), while weighing less than a penny.

Ordering a Motiv Ring starts with a sizing kit sent out to you. It includes seven plastic models ranging from size 6 to 12 that users are advised to wear for at least 24 hours to account for temperature changes that cause your finger to shrink and expand throughout the day.

I did not expect the experience of wearing a ring to be such a minor disruption. On my index finger, I did not like how it would bang against the back of a phone. It would also bump against the sides of a phone when in a two-handed typing position.

Meanwhile, it’s a social faux pas to wear on your ringer finger, while the other finger — middle — that Motiv recommends wearing it on is too large for the ring size I choose based on my forefinger.

The solution I settled upon was wearing the Motiv on my ring finger when in private, and on my index in all other circumstances. I actually don’t mind constantly switching between fingers and even hands gave how slipping it on/off is easier than a strap. But besides that, I could type on a laptop with my normal speed and accuracy.

Fitness features & accuracy

The Motiv Ring can capture steps, distance, and activity types, as well as active minutes and intensity. Measurements are up to par with a Fitbit and consistent day-to-day throughout repetitive activities, which is the real measure of a fitness tracker in my book.

The heart rate sensor measures your resting pulse, with Motiv noting that finger-based measurements are more accurate given less hair and tattoos compared to your wrist. The Motiv also captured my “sleep duration” with accuracy similar to that of a Fitbit.

That simply titled measurement just records what time you sleep/wake up and nothing more. This should be fine for most people, but those who’ve switched from a Fitbit or Garmin will lose detailed breakdowns between deep, light, and REM sleep. Motiv argues that it is focussed on giving simple feedback on “activities you can control, rather than the metrics you can’t,” like sleep stages. 

Android app lacking polish

Today’s news is that the Motiv Ring is now available on Android and syncs with Google Fit. The Android app has been in beta testing since earlier this year and a quite straightforward experience. It is compatible at launch with the Pixel and Pixel 2, as well as the Samsung Galaxy S7, S8, S9, Note 5, and Note 8 variants.

The “Day” tab notes your current progress with sleep, last heart rate, and steps listed at the top. A ring of Activity Minutes is below, followed by miles and calories burned. The app also takes advantage of cards at the bottom to note how long your slept, resting HR, and physical activity throughout the day.

Tapping on any opens a weekly view while swiping to the left of the Home tab will allow you to go back to a previous day. It’s a straightforward way to show a lot of information, but the design does not feel native to me, as evidenced by several menus. It gets the job done, but is somewhat blocky with some touch targets being quite large, especially the bottom bar, while others like the Settings menu being impossibly tiny.

Impressive hardware w/ software that could improve

Motiv absolutely delivers on the hardware front. The company successfully infused an existing form factor with technology in a way that feels natural. The Motiv Ring delivers accurate fitness information in a package that new users might be more willing to put on.

Meanwhile, the Android experience could definitely be improved and fortunately, software is updatable. A more native app would do well to improve the experience, while firmware updates to the ring will helpfully add more advanced features one day.

The sell becomes somewhat harder for users of existing fitness trackers given how even the cheap, basic offerings from Fitbit, Garmin, and others have become quite advanced with more detailed information and further analysis of health trends. I see switchers from those who have never been comfortable with the wrist form factor, but otherwise, it’s something I wouldn’t immediately recommend at $199. It would be more bearable if the price dropped by a quarter, while I think the real steal for this smart ring is at $100.

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