Find your lost phone with Android Device Manager

Have you ever lost your phone in between the couch cushions or forgot it in a restaurant? Or maybe searching for your phone before you rush out the door is part of your morning routine? Let the new Android Device Manager help you out! It's one of a few simple features you can use to keep your device—and the data you store inside—safe and secure.

Locate and ring your misplaced device 
If you ended up dropping your phone between those couch cushions, Android Device Manager lets you quickly ring your phone at maximum volume so you can find it, even if it's been silenced. And in the event that your phone or tablet is out of earshot (say, at that restaurant you left it at last night), you can locate it on a map in real time.

Protecting your personal information and data
While losing your phone can be stressful, Android Device Manager can help you keep your data from ending up in the wrong hands. If your phone can’t be recovered, or has been stolen, you can quickly and securely erase all of the data on your device.

Availability and getting started 
This service is now available on devices running Android 2.2 or above; to use it, you also will need to be signed into your Google Account. There will also be an Android app to allow you to easily find and manage your devices.

Introducing Android 4.3, a sweeter Jelly Bean

Today we’re releasing Android 4.3 — an upgrade to Jelly Bean that introduces a number of new features, including restricted profiles. Android 4.3 also adds Bluetooth Smart support (a.k.a Bluetooth Low-Energy); the latest in 3D graphics through OpenGL ES 3.0; and more.

Restricted profiles for tablets
Lightweight and portable, tablets are perfect for sharing with others. Last October we added support for multiple users. Each person has a separate space and can freely customize the tablet experience, from lockscreen to wallpaper, apps and folders.

In Android 4.3, we're introducing restricted profiles, which let you manage per-user access to apps and content. Restricted profiles can be used in any number of situations. For example, restricted profiles enable parental controls, so certain family members are prevented from accessing mature content. Alternately, retail stores can use tablets as kiosks that show product information, or shops can use tablets as point of sale systems, all while limiting access to apps.

To set up restricted profiles on your tablet, go to the Users section under Settings. Learn more.

Bluetooth Smart support (a.k.a. Bluetooth Low-Energy)
Fitness sensors and other devices that use Bluetooth Smart technology open the door for a whole new class of mobile applications. Bluetooth Smart minimizes power usage while measuring and transmitting data, making both sensors and the phones or tablets connected to them more battery-efficient.

With Android 4.3, Nexus 4 can now connect to Bluetooth Smart sensors. Runtastic and many other developers are making Android apps compatible with these sensors.

Accelerated 3D graphics with OpenGL ES 3.0
Devices like the new Nexus 7 support OpenGL ES 3.0, the latest industry standard for accelerated 3D graphics. This brings photorealism to a whole new level in the games you're playing: blades of grass on the soccer field come alive, asphalt on the street looks real as you screech by, stubble on a villains' face almost pokes out of the screen. And with sophisticated effects like self-shadows, that villain looks even more menacing, casting a shadow on himself.

Dial pad autocomplete
With Android 4.3 we’ve introduced a new autocomplete feature in the dial pad. Just start touching numbers or letters and the dial pad will suggest phone numbers or names. To turn on this feature, open your phone app settings and enable “Dial pad autocomplete”.

Improved support for Hebrew, Arabic, Hindi, and more

We’ve made major progress on enabling right-to-left layouts across the platform user interface: dialer, home and lock screens, settings, and more. This work builds on the support that we introduced for right-to-left layouts for Hebrew and Arabic speakers in Android 4.2. We’ve also added support for Hindi, Afrikaans, Amharic, Swahili, and Zulu.

There’s more to Android 4.3 than we can fit in this post, so for a detailed list of changes, click here.

Android 4.3 is now rolling out now to Nexus devices, and will be available on the new Nexus 7 and Google Play edition devices soon. Let us know what you think on our Google+ page for Android.

Hack The Droid: 12 Awesome Tweaks For Your Android Device

One of the reasons I switched over to Android was because a DIY geek like me loves the thrill of customization. My previous smartphone was merely a fancy keyboard on something that could call and text. I rarely installed apps on it or even tinkered with it. Once I got a hold of an Android phone though, everything changed and I was eager to personalize my new Google-powered device.
A lot of people think that hacking involves a lot of work and even more risk. It’s partly true: messing around with the software of your phone might void your warranty and, in extreme cases, turn it into a lifeless brick. The good news is that Android enthusiasts the world over have risen up to the challenge and made it very easy to take your phone to the next level. All you need are a few software tools, a good set of instructions and a pinch of audacity to make that little green robot serve your whims.

Change Your Android’s Look And Feel

1. Create Your Own Ringtones

Back when Nokia was still in everyone’s pockets, custom ringtones were all the rage. It was often the only thing you could personalize in a cellphone those days. Fast forward a decade or so to Android and you have Ringdroid, your go-to app for creating custom ringtones. It not only does it let you splice and dice tracks from your music library, you can even record your own tracks. From there, you can set it as your main ringtone, an alarm or an SMS notification.

2. Show Off Flashy Live Wallpaper

One nice piece of eye candy that Google introduced a while back was live wallpapers. These replace the usual static wallpaper on most phones with an ever-changing backdrop. It can be as simple as colors changing softly to something complex like dynamic maps of your current location or backgrounds that change with the weather and time of day. They might be a bit battery draining for some phones though but if you want to try them out, you can start your hunt for live wallpapers here.

3. Personalize Your Home Screen 

The basic Android home screen is great but if you want to really bring it up a notch, there are several alternative launchers that give both a fresh new look to your phone and some nice added functionality. Some of these added features include folders for sorting apps, onscreen notifications and quick menu shortcuts. LauncherPro is the most recommended one and it gives you a scrollable app dock, custom icons, pop ups and more. Other highly-rated home screen launchers to try are ADW.Launcher, SlideScreen and GO Launcher EX.

Tweak It With Apps And Widgets

4. Make Your Screens Useful With Widgets

We already talked about a few widgets that are must-haves a while back. It’s one of the special features of Android, having mini apps running on your home screen (or screens) that give you instant access to your calendar, music player, Twitter feed and more. You can even create your own through a powerful app called Widgetsoid. Widgets are always a staple in my home screens and all I can say is that they really make my phone that much easier to use.

5. Manage Your Android Files

People often forget that phones these days are PCs as well. If you want to have full control over the files in your phone storage and SD card, you need to get a file manager to help you do the job right. I personally swear by Astro which acts much like Explorer for Windows (or Finder for Mac). It lets you search for files, install and backup apps, email files as attachments,create and extract zip files, and do much more.
If moving files between devices is what you need, you can use AndFTP for FTP downloads and uploads. For local transfers, there is On Air which turns your Android device into a disk that connects over WiFi for no-plug, over-the-air transfers.

6. Monitor Tasks And Data Usage

In mobile, battery is gold and running out of juice is never an option. In order to quell the uprising of rebellious, battery-hungry apps, you need to use a task manager. Watchdog Task Manager is one such beast. It will notify you if an app goes astray and uses up too many CPU cycles. You can even give it the thumbs down, Roman emperor-style, and kill the wayward app if it displeases you.
Another canine-named app that’s quite useful is 3G Watchdog. It helps you rein in your 3G connections so that you don’t go over your data plan and take a hit on your next billing.

7. Use A New Keyboard

If the stock keyboard of your Android phone isn’t to your liking, you can change that as well. Swype, an app familiar to Samsung owners, is one of the more innovative keyboard options. It lets you swipe your finger to complete words instead of pecking on the tiny onscreen characters. It does offer a different layout but onc you get used to it, you’ll be writing messages and emails faster than ever. It’s not for everyone though but there are other keyboards you can try such as SwiftKey, SlideIT and Better Keyboard.

Secure Your Android

8. Seek And Retrieve A Lost Phone

Losing a phone is stressful. It’s not just because you misplaced a device that cost you a significant chunk of change; you also lose all the personal data stored in it, a scary thought if you have bank account numbers, your home address or your kids’ phone numbers in there. Fortunately, finding your phone can be done easily with an Android App. Prey is a free app that does just that and it not only lets you track your phone, you can also let it belt out an alarm or lock your lost device for added security.
If you need more features, WaveSecure is the way to go. On top of the features above, it lets you backup data on the web, restore data, track SIM card changes and remotely wipe your lost phone’s memory.

9. Protect Your Passwords

With all the security holes being found in Android and its apps, it’s probably high time you looked into the security settings on your phone. If you’re installing an experimental app, make sure to read the permissions it gets access to before installing it.

You might also want to get a password manager both to protect your sensitive logins as well as to make it easier for you to get into your favorite sites. Password managers like 1Password and Lastpass not only lockdown your passwords, they also let you grab the passwords you save on your computer if you use the desktop versions.

Go Hardcore

10. Reveal Hidden Android Settings

There are a lot of behind the scenes magic going on in your Android device which the powers-that-be have made hidden for one reason or another. If you want to play around with those, grab Spare Parts from the Market and tweak your window animation speed, WiFi sleep policy and screen font sizes with ease. A caveat: some tweaks might not work so proceed at your own risk!

11. Gain Superuser Access By Rooting

Gaining root or superuser access to your phone opens up some very cool features to regular Joe users like us. You can backup your entire phone, take screenshots, use AdBlock and set the speed of your phone’s processor among other neat tricks. In addition, it’s particularly easy to root Android phones these days (especially the earlier models) and there are many apps available that make this process as painless as possible. Note though that rooting voids your device’s warranty, so fair warning. Read our newbie guide for rooting if you need more info on how to do this deed.

12. Install A Custom ROM

The pinnacle of Android hacking is the use of a custom ROM. Essentially, you will be replacing the OS currently in your phone with another version of Android. CyanogenMod is the most-oft used ROM and it has a variety of great features such as OpenVPN, incognito browsing (similar to that of Google Chrome) and theme support, among others.
Other ROMs available let you copy the interface of other phones (HTC Sense is one often ported), upgrade to a later Android version like Gingerbread or Honeycomb or optimize your phone for speed, battery life and stability. While there is the danger of permanently bricking your phone if a ROM flash goes bad, those that follow the instructions to the tee won’t have any issues. Well, most of the time that is.
If you’re feeling a bit naughty, you can even install Android on an old iPhone. But that’s just between you and me…

Top 12 Android Apps to Turn Your Smartphone into a Hacking Device

 Mobile devices is now very common now a days and mobile devices has changed the way of bi-directional communication. There are many operating system for mobile devices available but the most common and the best operating system for mobile is Android, it is an OS means you can install other applications (software's) on it. In Android application usually called apps or android apps.

The risk of hacking by using mobile devices is very common and people are developing and using different apps (application) for their hacking attack. Android has faced different challenges from hacking application and below is the list of application for android hacking.

1. SpoofApp

Here is an app that spies at heart could use – SpoofApp. It allows you to use a fake Caller ID – a number that you are free to specify yourself, in order to protect your privacy or to pull a prank on someone. Sounds like fun, doesn’t it? Well, Apple didn’t think so, which is why it never allowed the app to enter its App Store. Google, however, didn’t mind, which is why SpoofApp was available on the Android Market for about two and a half years. However, it was banned from there last year as it allegedly was in conflict with The Truth in Caller ID Act of 2009.This can be useful in social engineering.

Download it from here

2. FaceNiff

Requirements: Android 2.1+ (rooted)
Overview: FaceNiff is an Android app that allows you to sniff and intercept web session profiles over the WiFi that your mobile is connected to.

It is possible to hijack sessions only when WiFi is not using EAP, but it should work over any private networks (Open/WEP/WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK). It’s kind of like Firesheep for android. Maybe a bit easier to use (and it works on WPA2!). Please note that if webuser uses SSL this application won’t work.

Legal notice: This application is for educational purposes only. Do not try to use it if it’s not legal in your country. I do not take any responsibility for anything you do using this application. Use at your own risk

Learn More: http://goh4x.blogspot.in/2012/09/how-to-hack-friends-facebook-account.html

3. Penetrate Pro

Root is required.

The most of the times you scan the Wi-Fi networks available around, they’re protected with key. Penetrate is an app that help you out with that. If the routers of that Wi-Fi networks are encrypted with WEP/WPA it will bring you the keys to access them. This seems a sort of cracking, but the developers says it isn’t, because it’s supposed to get the keys for penetration testing and you should use it only with permission from network owners. Well, apart from those regardings, it does what it says. Check the developer description to know which routers are supported.

Take in account that if you have an antivirus installed in your device, it will warn you about this app. The developer says it’s normal because it’s a security-related tool. Penetrate isn’t a danger for your phone.

This is the paid version (€1.99) that contains no ads, some more features and sponsors further development. What’s more, it allows you to use 3G to get the password instead of using dictionaries that you will have to download in the free version.

Penetrate works properly with the range of routers supported. We’re missing more though. Despite the apparent use for which it was developed this application, we all know the “regular” use. And if you’re looking for it, give it a chance. It’s a great app.

Download it from here

4. Anti-Android Network Toolkit

ROOT Required

Anti-Android Network Toolkit is an app that uses WiFi scanning tools to scan networks. You can scan a network you have the phone connected to or you can scan any other nearby open networks. Security admins can use Anti to test network host vulnerabilities to DoS attacks and other threats.

5. Andosid

AnDOSid is the application which is used for DOS attacks from Android mobile phones.

6. Nmap For Android.
Nmap is a network scanner tool which gives the entire information of the ip address and website. There is a version of nmap for Android users too, with the help of this app hackers can scan the ip's through mobiles.

7. The Android Network Toolkit
The Android Network Toolkit is an complete tool kit for the pentesters , where hackers can find expolots using the mobile and penetrate or attacks the ip's according to their vunerabilities.

  

8. SSHDroid- Android Secure Shell

Secure shell or SSH is the best protocol that provides an extra layer of security while you are connecting with your remote machine.SSHDroid is a SSH server implementation for Android.
This application will let you to connect to your device from a PC and execute commands (like "terminal" and "adb shell").

10. WiFi Analyzer

WiFi Analyzer is one of the most popular applications in the Android Marketplace, which is really a testament to how wildly useful this tool is for both the average user and the more technically inclined. In the most basic of terms, WiFi Analyzer is a tool to scan the area for WiFi networks and determine which channel is the least populated so you can adjust your own hardware to a less congested part of the spectrum.

11. ConnectBot
ConnectBot is an exceptionally well done SSH/Telnet client, which also acts as a terminal emulator for the local Linux sub-system. While there are better terminal emulators (though not for free), there is no question that ConnectBot is the absolute best SSH client available for Android.

12. Network Discovery
Network Discovery is a handy tool for finding and enumerating devices on public WiFi networks. Network Discovery uses a simple ping scan to find hosts on the network, and then allows the user to select one of the found hosts to target for a TCP connect() scan.

Bonus :  dSploit
dSploit is an Android network analysis and penetration suite which aims to offer to IT security experts/geeks the most complete and advanced professional toolkit to perform network security assesments on a mobile device. Once dSploit is started, you will be able to easily map your network, fingerprint alive hosts operating systems and running services, search for known vulnerabilities, crack logon procedures of many tcp protocols, perform man in the middle attacks such as password sniffing ( with common protocols dissection ), real time traffic manipulation, etc, etc .

Well I Have Installed Them All ! Have You ? If Yes, Then Please Share Your Experience Through Posting a Comment Below

ANDROID APPS THAT PAY

 

Smartphones are great but they are also very expensive to own. Fortunately there is a growing number of ways to make extra money with your smartphone. I have been downloading and testing apps that pay you for close to two years and I would like to share some of the best ways to make extra cash with your Android. These apps probably won't make you rich but they will help offset the high costs of your phone and add some extra spending money into your pocket each month if you use them

Checkpoints

Get Paid To Check In And Scan Items

I really enjoy using this app to get paid for going on scavenger hunts at local stores, it is not the only a way to make extra money with your Android but it is one of the most fun. Checkpoints is the best paying app, that I have used, that is currently available for Android. With Checkpoints you are paid to check in to stores and scan products. You earn between 10 and 50 points for each scan and you get at least 1 coin. Each coin is worth a chance to spin the slots or play a scratcher. The games pay 20, 50, 5,000 or 150,000 points if you win.

Update - As of January 29th, 2013, I have been paid by Checkpoints a total of 35 times. My total earnings to date are $425.00 in gift cards.

Prizes start at 300 points which will get you a $1.00 gift card. Points can be redeemed for different prizes such as: Amazon Gift Cards, Subway Gift Cards, Sky Miles, iTunes Gift Cards, iPads, or laptops. You are also given the option to donate your points to a charity of you choice. I personally have only ever ordered Amazon and iTunes gift cards, at this point I have earned $210.00 using Checkpoints in my first year. Make sure you read, understand, and follow the terms and conditions. If you don't they can close your account and you can lose your balance. Usually the way people lose their accounts is by misrepresenting the referral program and by posting their affiliate links in the iTunes reviews.

When you cash out you are usually paid within a day, sometimes they have to review your account and that can take up to a week. There is a decent referral program, currently it pays the referrer 5 coins and the referral 300 points at sign up. Recently Checkpoints did a major upgrade to offer new ways to earn points anywhere. You can now scan certain items at home, download apps, and watch very short videos about apps to earn.

Here is the link to download Checkpoints from the Google Play Store for free on Android: Checkpoints
My code is sodaguy I really appreciate anyone using it.

Shopkick

Get Paid To Check In To Stores And Scan Products

Shopkick is an app that is similar to Checkpoints. It pays you to check into stores with your Android, iPhone, or iPod Touch. You will also be paid to scan selected items and shop at certain retailers. I initially left Shopkick out of this lens since I only made $15.00 in gift cards for the first year that I used it. They have added paid check ins nationwide this year and in the last month they rolled out Shopkick 3.0. This App is now a great earning opportunity. After being paid 11 times my total earnings with Shopkick are currently $120 in iTunes gift cards.

Update - As of January 19th, 2013, I have been paid by Shopkick a total of 16 times. My total earnings to date are $170 in iTunes gift cards.

With Shopkick you earn virtual points called Kicks that you can redeem for physical items, gift cards, or even charitable donations. The value of most gift cards to places like Starbucks, Target, Best Buy, and Toys R Us, or Old Navy is 2,500 Kicks for a$10.00 gift card but they offer most cards in different denominations above $10.00. There are other rewards that can cost much more or less depending on the reward.

When you open the Shopkick you will see a list of all the available kicks in your area. The walk ins will vary significantly depending on the store and whether there is a bonus available. The best walk ins can be found at Shopkick's main sponsors which include: Target, Best Buy, Macy's, American Eagle, Old Navy, and Aerie. They have introduced something called Look Books in Shopkick 3.0 where you can earn a larger walk in that is generally between 85-125 Kicks each but you need to look through the sales and coupons inside the app for the store you will be walking into. Sometimes you can find small 1 to 3 Kick bonuses inside the Look Books. After you get a walk in the app will let you know how many days until you are eligible for another walk in bonus.

After you walk in to some stores including Target, Best Buy or Macy's, you will sometimes be able to scan certain products for bonus kicks which will vary between 10 kicks to100 and sometimes even more per item. You can only do a certain number of scans on each item in a 30day period, if you are past the limit the app will tell you when you try to scan the item again. There are bonus sets for some scans will pay you between 50 and 100 kicks to complete the scan mission. Unlike Checkpoints, Shopkick is very particular about item scans so if you do not scan the exact item, instead of the brand, you will not get credit for the scan.

Shopkick puts on several different events at retail chains throughout the year, this is when you can earn the most kicks. The biggest retail event is Black Friday and they like to pretend it is Black Friday several times throughout the year. Sometimes retailers will have big Shopkick events to drive extra customers to their sales. I got a huge amount of Kicks at a week long Macy's event earlier this year when they had 200 Kick check ins and 12 different items at 100 kicks per scan.

The Shopkick referral program with Shopkick 3.0 is now very generous. The amount you get per referral is a match of their earnings for the first month up to 2,500 Kicks and up to 100 referrals. Sometimes Shopkick provides gifts that a referrer can send to referrals, I send them whenever I get the chance.

They require you to give them the phone number for the device you will install Shopkick on for verification purposes. I have used Shopkick for two years and I have never received a call or text message from them.

Here is my Referral Link, I appreciate anyone using it. http://get.shopkick.com/neptune1499

Here is a Non-Referral Link if you would prefer: http://shopkick.com

Swagbucks

Get Paid To Search

Swagbucks is a bit of an anomaly since it is the only program I have used that has an official Android App but no official iPhone App. There are actually 2 official Android Apps, one is for searching and one is for watching videos through SBTV. Swagbucks pays you points for doing many different activities that include: searching, watching videos, playing games, voting in polls, and making purchases. On July 25, 2012 Swagbucks announced the addition of a mobile optimized site.

Update January 5th, 2013 - I have been paid a total of 81 times by Swagbucks. My total earnings are $474.00 in gift cards and PayPal Cash.

I can't stress enough how important it is to pay attention to the daily goal in Swagbucks. Once I started to do this a couple of months ago my daily earnings went from about 20-25 dollars a month to at least 50 dollars or more per month. It is a really simple change that can increase your earnings substantially.

With Swagbucks search, most wins are between 6-12 SB but I have gotten as much as 50 at a time. When you watch SBTV you earn 3 swagbucks for every 10 videos you watch with a maximum of 75 SB per day. Points are redeemable for things like Physical prizes, PayPal cash, and gift cards.The $5 Amazon Gift Cards cost 450 SB, where the $5 PayPal cards cost 700 Swagbucks. The Amazon cards go up in price for larger denominations and the Paypal price goes down, the other gift cards and physical products vary in prices.

Swagbucks gets their search results from Google but tend to be a little different since they sell their own ads. The referral program pays you matching SBs for every search win your referral makes with a maximum of 1000 SB. This means that after your referral gets 1000 SB you don't get paid from them anymore. If they don't reach 1000 you get a matching amount for whatever they do make.

I have been using Swagbucks now for about a year, my total earnings to date are 18,995 Swagbucks and I have 51 referrals. The only downside to the referrals is that more than 50% have not ever had a search win. My earned swagbucks are the equivalent of $211 worth of $5 amazon gift cards, the last time I checked there was a limit of 5 in a month. I really like using Swagbucks and I have found it to be an extremely fun and easy way to make a little extra cash.




My referral link is http://Swagbucks.com and I would really appreciate anyone using it.

Here is the link for the free Swagbucks search widget for Android: Swagbucks Search

Here is the link for the free SBTV app for Android: Swagbucks TV

JunoWallet

Get Paid To Download Apps

JunoWallet is an app for Android and Windows Phone 7. It pays you to do different tasks like watch videos and download other apps. There is a different version called BambooWallet that is available for IOS. With JunoWallet you are paid in JunoCredits that are redeemable for gift cards including, but not limited to: Google Play, Starbucks, iTunes, Amazon, and Xbox. Each Junopoint is worth .01 and the lowest priced gift card is $10.00 but the amounts can vary depending on which one you pick. I have been using this app for about 7 months and I have made a total of $40 in iTunes and Google Play gift cards.

Update December 31st, 2012 - I have been paid a total of 5 times by JunoWallet. My total earnings are $50.00 in iTunes and Google Play gift cards.

With the JunoWallet App there are several different offer walls that you can complete offers on. Under rewards per engagement there are apps you can download for 16 Juno credits each. At the time of this writing there were offers from Everbadge, SponsorPay, W3i, Aarki, Radium One under the rewards per task tab. There is a rewards per video tab that gives you several videos to watch each day. Most videos are about other apps and pay 1 JunoCredit each. The Rewards Per Fan tab has offers that pay you to like pages on Facebook.

JunoWallet has a generous, but somewhat confusing, referral program that pays the referral 25 JunoCredits which is .25 and pays the referrer for 3 levels. The referrer gets 50 credits for the initial referral which is level1, and then 25 credits each time the referral gets referrals which become 2, and 50 credits for that referral's referrals which are level 3. Referral bonuses are locked until the referral makes a qualified install, meaning they need to download an app, and also make at least $1.00. The $1.00 minimum does not include rewards per fan or rewards per referral.

Please use my referral code SA65925 when you sign up that way we can both get extra points. If you use my code, I will send you a welcome message from within the app, sometimes it takes up to a couple of weeks. If you have any questions or need help please reply to my message and I will do what I can to help.

Here is the free download link for Junowallet on Android in the Google Play store.

Appredeem and Apptrailers

Get Paid To Download Apps and watch short videos

AppRedeem is apps for Android that pay you to download apps and rate them on their site. Apptrailers is a companion app that you use with the same account to watch short videos about apps. Appredeem usually pays a little more on iPhone but is a still a worthwhile opportunity for Android. I have been using Appredeem and AppTrailers for about 9 months and I have been paid 17 times for a total of $113.77 in PayPal cash. $10.83 of my total was a duplicate payment that Appredeem support told me to keep.

Update - As of January 4th, 2013, I have been paid a total of 22 times by AppRedeem . My total earnings to date are $219.47 in PayPal cash.

Although I do recommend using these apps for downloading free apps and watching videos, I tried purchasing a paid app and I was not credited for rating it. I contacted support about it a couple of times but I did not receive a reply. I suggest only downloading free offers or apps unless you plan to make that particular purchase anyway.

With Appredeem you are paid points.1000 points is equal to a dollar that you can redeem for either in PayPal cash or gift cards. All you need to do is download free or paid apps and you will usually receive between 90 to 200+ points each in AppRedeem. Offers have a wide range of point values and videos on AppTrailers are usually about 5 points each but the gold ones can pay 10 points or more.

There is a Very good referral program that currently earns the referrer 250 points, the referral also gets bonus points when they enter the bonus code.The amount the referral earns changes sometimes but as of right now I think it is 90. Sometimes there are bonus points for the referrer, I have seen it as high as 2000 points per iPhone referral at times. I appreciate anyone using my bonus code sodaguy so we can both get some extra points.

Update December 20th, 2012 - I got a message from Appredeem today saying that the referral program has been discontinued. This is likely because of widespread abuse by people taking advantage this generous program by posting referral codes in places that they don't belong. This spam was being put all over the place and usually included lies about the income potential of Appredeem. I personally have been spammed on my lenses and websites by many of these individuals. This is unfortunate for legitimate users but it is probably the only way this problem could be addressed.

These are the links to download Appredeem and Apptrailers for Android for free in the Google Play Store.

Warning: Do not ever post your AppRedeem referral code in any app store. Doing this will get you banned and you will forfeit all unpaid earnings.

Viggle

An App That Pays You To Watch TV

The official Viggle app for Android has arrived! Viggle had previously been available only for IOS since it launched in January of 2012. Since the original launch of Viggle, I have been paid a total of 25 times for total lifetime earnings of $235 worth of Amazon and iTunes gift cards, just for watching a little TV.

Update October, 2012 - Since I wrote this review of Viggle the earnings potential has been reduced substantially. The amount you get for activities has been reduced and the amount you pay for gift cards has increased. I still believe this is a worthwhile opportunity, it is just a much smaller opportunity than it used to be.

Update - as of October 10th, 2012 - I have been paid a total of 30 times by Viggle for a total of $285 worth of Amazon and iTunes gift cards.

With Viggle, you get paid points that can be redeemed for different prizes. All you need to do to get points is check in to your favorite TV shows while you are watching them, watch in app commercials, and play games. To get paid for watching TV all you have to do is open up the app and check in while it is on. Viggle actually recognizes what show and channel you are watching. There is a limit of 12 hours of paid check ins per day, currently they are paying about 60 points per hour for watching TV. When you watch the in app commercials they pay anywhere from 5-125 points per commercial. Recently they updated the system so you don't see the commercials until you have checked into a show that day.

Viggle Live is a trivia game that Viggle does during shows they really want you to watch and during major events like the Super Bowl. During Viggle live events they not only have you answer trivia questions, but also make predictions,and vote in polls during the show. I was a really big sports fan when I was a kid, at some point I grew out of sports. Now that I have Viggle live I enjoy watching games much more because it gives me the fun of gambling without the potential to lose any money. If you play Viggle live during the major events the correct answers usually pay between 100-300 points. I have seen predictions pay up to 5000 points for predicting the Daytona 500 winner. For incorrect answers you usually still get 5-15 points each, just for playing.

There are always a fair amount of shows that pay bonus points that you get on top of the regular 60 points an hour for checking in. The Bonus points per show frequently change but they tend to be between 100-400 extra points per check in. In order to recieve bonus points for a show you must be checked in for at least 10 minutes, if you check in to a show that is offering bonus points during the last 5 minutes it is a Violation of the TOS and Viggle can terminate your account. It is best to try to do all check ins at the beginning of a show.

Viggle does have a referral program that pays 200 points for each active referral. You get paid the bonus after your referral makes their first check in.

It is very important to understand that the selection of prizes available and the cost of those prizes can change at anytime. Viggle says they restock prizes everyday and they have not quite figured out exactly what everything will be consistently. The first week Viggle went live there was a Viggle Deal on Amazon $5 gift cards, they cost only 4000 points each. As of this writing the featured prizes have changed many times and there are no Viggle Deals right now.

Viggle points can be exchanged for prizes at the rate of about 9000 points for a $5 gift card if the prize is not on sale. Amazon Gift Cards appear very sporadically and tend to sell out very quickly.There are a large amount of other gift card prizes available that can include but not be limited to: Best Buy, Lowes, Old Navy, Hulu Plus, Starbucks, Spotify, Hot Topic, Cvs, Chilis, Facebook Credits, Barnes and Noble and iTunes. Sometimes there are also some Physical products like a MacBook Air for 3,750,000 points. Even a Royal Carribean Cruise for 4,000,000 points. If you prefer to donate your earnings, there is an option to donate either to the National Breast Cancer Foundation or the Boys and Girls club. Viggle prizes and availability can change at any time.

Viggle has instituted a maximum amount of $550 in earnings per person in a calender year. Also, there is a 12,000 point per day maximum cap on earnings on days where there is no major Viggle Live event.

Please don't try to cheat or hack Viggle, they have provided us with such an amazing and generous opportunity to earn a large amount of prizes for doing almost nothing, if you cheat them it will only result in lowered earning potential for everyone.

Here is the link to download Viggle for free in the Android store: Viggle

Cash4Books

Get Paid For Used Books And Games

Turn used books into cash with Cash4Books and your Android. The way you earn money with this app is to find used books that are being sold, then you scan the barcodes of a book to check their database and if the price is lower to buy the book than they pay you for it, you can make money by buying the book and selling it to them. Some good places to find used books are garage sales, flea markets, and used book stores.

Within days after they receive the books from you, they will pay you either by PayPal or check. The books they buy must have been published within the last 5 years and meet the quality criteria. Of course the prices you get will vary by market conditions.They cover the shipping of the books your sell them. I have not personally used this app but I have done a few scans on books around my house and they seem to have a very extensive database. There is a referral program that pays $5 for every new referral once they sell a book.



Here is the link for the free Cash4Books Android app in the Google Play Store: Cash4Books

We Reward/Staree

Get Paid To Check In

WeReward from Izea is an app that pays you for doing various things on your Android. You earn points by downloading apps, checking into stores, taking pictures, and answering profile questions. Each point you earn is worth .01 and the activities have different payment levels

Update - As of January, 2013 - I have only been paid by WeReward 1 time by and that was over a year ago. WeReward has been replaced with Staree and my pending balance was cleared due to inactivity. I do not recommend these apps due to really slow earnings and questionable business practices.

At this point I have 17 referrals and the total I have cashed out is $15.05, I still have a $3.91 pending balance. I personally prefer to get paid for downloading and trying apps instead of me paying for them. The largest single amount I have received so far was $10 for signing up to Nielson Digital Voice .

They also have a nice referral program that pays 10% of your referrals earnings. The minimum to cash out is $10.00 and it is paid directly to Paypal.

Here is the link to download Staree for free on Android: Staree

10 cool tips and tricks for Jelly Bean

It has been a little over a month now since Google made its big announcement about the newest  flavour of Android. The search giant unveiled Android 4.1, codenamed as yet another sweet treat, Jelly Bean. Although the version number is only incrementally greater than the previous Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4.0) and not a full-fledged version number improvement (we had expected it to be called Android 5.0), there are a few remarkable changes that one can look forward to. Google along with some partners have begun rolling out Jelly Bean updates. The lucky few who have managed to lay their hands on it can try these tips and tricks.

Launch 'Google Now'
When Google announced Jelly Bean, the new ‘Google Now’ was one of the most highlighted features. This unique feature has been designed to show you just the right information at the right time, be it weather, location, sports scores and so on. It negates all the digging otherwise required to get to a particular app for information, and presents it all in the form of cards. Jelly Bean users can quickly launch Google Now from the home page or while other apps are open too. Long press the main Home button on the home page and a white semicircle pops out with the Google logo printed on it. Now, just drag your finger towards the logo and it will instantly launch Google Now. The Google Now function can also be launched by pressing the Back button or the Apps Drawer button on the main page and then moving your finger towards the same semicircle and logo that appears on the screen.

Quick launch

Notifications
While Jelly Bean retains the familiar slide-down notifications bar, it has added some cool improvements that make it even more convenient to use. Android’s notification bar is something many Apple fiends may envy. The quick alerts, all in one place, add ease and convenience. With the new Jelly Bean version, you will notice that it lets you expand a few notifications, offering a sort of preview, especially for email notifications. To get rid of any of the notifications simply swipe it sideways. What we really liked is the Share option that pops up in the notifications bar.

Call out ‘Google’
The popularity of Apple's Siri seemed to have compelled Google to start its own Project Majel, and the result is its own voice commands feature—Google Assistant. Google has been placing a lot of emphasis on its voice-based features lately, but didn’t make much hullabaloo about about it during the Jelly Bean launch. Nevertheless, the search giant has come up with some nifty support for voice-based functions. Whether in Google Now or while typing in Google Search, simply call out ‘Google’ and your command is recognized as a Google Voice Search command. So, if you say 'Google' out loud , the Voice Search option pops up instantly. We tried some voice commands such as pulling up maps of cities and voice dialling and after a little struggle with the accent; it worked quite well. However, you will notice a dearth of local Indian search results.

Face Unlock with a Blink
We know that Ice Cream Sandwich introduced a face unlock option, but Jelly Bean certainly improves this feature. Now, with Face Unlock, Jelly Bean users can enable a ‘liveness check’ option. This has been added to avoid security issues that could be caused because the original Face Unlock system could be fooled by static images such as a photo of the rightful owner. With the liveness check option, the owner doesn’t just have to hold up his/her face to unlock the device but also has to blink. If the software doesn’t detect a blink, it will take the user to the Pattern Unlock screen as a fallback.

Screenshot and security

Screen Capture
Very simply, Jelly Bean comes with built-in screenshot functionality, something many Android fans have been waiting for. This ensures that the user doesn’t need to root the device or employ third-party apps just to take a photo of what's happening on screen. Taking a screenshot is simple, just press the volume down and power buttons together. The device will quickly take a snapshot of the screen and you will find it in your notifications. You then have options to edit, crop, delete, and share the photo. This makes sharing and even making changes to the captured screenshot much simpler than before.

Say it offline
Speech-to-text has been an underused Android feature for some time now. What might finally change that is the fact that you can now convert speech into text without a Wi-Fi or data connection. Yes, voice typing has gone offline with Jelly Bean, as the recognition can happen on the device itself rather than having to be uploaded to a remote server.

Smart Widgets
In Jelly Bean, widgets have become smarter. Google has given them some cool manners, as they can now automatically reposition themselves to make room for each other. You don’t have to manually move widgets to place another as they are now smart enough to move and make space. Try dragging an app icon from the main menu onto the homepage and you will see this in action.

For fun

Delete App
Earlier, deleting an app would need one to long-press on the icon till it becomes editable and then manually drag it onto the ‘trash bin’ that appears on the upper side of the screen. However, Google has simplified it further. One only needs to fling it upwards and the app is deleted—it's as simple as that.

Its raining Jelly Beans!
If you want to indulge in some fun while using your newly upgraded device, then head straight to the Settings screen. Under Settings, click on About Phone and then tap on the Android version a few times. This will take you to a screen that displays one big Jelly Bean. Keep tapping it and more Jelly Beans will start flying across the screen. You can fling and swipe them around for fun. This doesn't really add any convenience or benefit to your usage, but it’s fun to try.

Barrel Roll
As part of Google's regular antics, it had introduced a "barrel roll" trick for desktop browsers. Type "do a barrel roll" as a search term, and Google would demonstrate the power of modern browsers by flipping everything around on your screen. The company is trying hard to show off its voice-enabled capabilities, so your Android device can also do a barrel roll if you speak out the same command. Again, this is of no practical benefit, but it's great fun to show off.

If you have any more tips and tricks to add to this list, do let us know in the comments section below.

Chrome for Android just got safer

1. 

Security is one of the core principles of Chrome, and as mobile usage proliferates, we’re committed to providing users a safe browsing experience regardless of the device they're on. With today's Chrome for Android update on Google Play, your browsing experience on Android just got safer.

This release strengthens Chrome for Android’s sandbox technology, which helps ensure malicious mobile websites are contained and do not impact the entire browser. This is made possible by the innovative multi-process architecture in Chrome for Android, in conjunction with Android’s User ID (UID) isolation technology. This more in-depth sandboxing capability will be automatically used for devices with Android 4.1, Jellybean.

This update will also fix a number of bugs and is available to users with Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich and up. We hope you enjoy this update and continue to enjoy the speed, simplicity and security that Chrome is known for wherever you go.

Some Android tips [for beginners]

How to Switch between Open Apps

When running an app, you can minimize it by simply tapping the Home icon. Getting back to it is not just one click on the taskbar like the way you do in Windows. But the Android way is pretty straightforward too.

1. Tap the Recent Apps icon to reveal the apps that you recently opened. (note 2)
   
2. Slide down to see more recent apps.
3. Tap a screenshot from the list to instantly switch to the app.

Note 1: You can clear the recent apps from the list by swiping them sideways one by one.
Note 2: On Android 2.x, touch and hold the Home button to reveal recent apps.

How to Close a Running App

The Android system doesn’t need you to close a running app for every instance. But in some cases you may need to force stop an app that’s misbehaving, or like playing a game, you may need to actually close the app in order to start a new level rather than continuing the last. Here are the steps to follow:

1. Run the Settings app and tap Apps under DEVICE.
2. Select the app you want to close.
3. Tap the ‘Force stop’ button and tap ‘OK’ to confirm.

How to Set and Clear a Default App

In Android, you can set a file to open with a certain program by default as you do in Windows. For example, if you have installed an image viewer such as QuickPic, the system will ask you to select an app when you try to open an image file (See the screenshot).

• To set a default app to open the file, check ‘Use by default for this action’ before you tap that app.

The next time you tap an image file, it will always open with the app you’ve selected without asking you again.
What if you need to clear the default app?

1. Run the Settings app and tap Apps under DEVICE.
2. Choose the app you do not want to launch by default.
3. Tap ‘Clear defaults’ under LAUNCH BY DEFAULT.

How to Uninstall an App

Installing apps from the Google Play store to your Android device is convenient, likewise removing them is pretty straightforward.

1. Tap the All Apps icon on the tray and select the Apps tab on the top.
2. Touch and hold the icon of the app you want to uninstall.
3. Drag and drop the app icon over the Uninstall icon then tap ‘OK’ to confirm. (The Uninstall icon appears only for the app that can be uninstalled from the system.)

Alternatively, you can run the Settings app, tap Apps under DEVICE then select the app you want to uninstall from the list.
To remove an icon from your home screen:

1. Touch and hold the icon of apps, widgets or shortcuts until the Remove icon appears on the top.
2. Drag and drop the icon over the Remove icon.

Note: On Android 2.x, you can add a shortcut icon by touching and holding an empty location of a home screen or press Menu then tap ‘Add’; On Android 3.0, touch the customize button at the top right of a home screen to add a shortcut icon.

How to Re-arrange Icons

When you install new apps to your Android, the system stacks up the icons automatically without asking you to select a home screen. But you can subsequently re-arrange the icons on the home screens and on the tray.

1. Touch and hold any icon on your screen for a second.
2. Drag the icon to a different spot on the screen, or even to or from the tray, except for the permanent “All Apps” icon.
3. You can also drag an icon to the left or right edge of the screen until it starts sliding, then drop the icon to another screen.

How to Create, Rename and Remove Folders

Other than the apps on the tray, sometimes it’s difficult to quickly look for an app to open if you have many icons spreading across a few home screens. Why not create a folder to group similar apps together? It’s much easier than you might think.

1. Touch and hold any icon for a second.
2. Drag the icon over the top of another. The system then automatically groups two app icons in a folder.
3. Touch the folder, then tap “Unnamed Folder”, key in a name for the folder and tap “Done”.

You can rename a folder at any time—tap a folder then tap its name to rename.
While the system auto creates a folder for you, it does the same to removing a folder automatically—tap a folder to expand it, then clear all grouped items inside the folder—just touch and hold, then drag them out from the folder one by one.
Note: Older Android system doesn’t support this feature, but you can rely on a third-party app such as GO Launcher EX to achieve almost the same effect.

How to Type Faster with Multiple Spaces

Instead of typing a period at the end of each sentence and follow by a space, you can tap the space bar twice to get the same result.

How to Type Special Characters

If you often need to switch between the on-screen Alphabet and Number keyboards just to type a comma in a sentence, then why not check out below to find out more?
While on the Alphabet keyboard:

• , (comma) => touch and hold the Full-stop key (.)
• ‘ (single quotation mark) => touch and hold the Full-stop key, and slide to choose the single quotation mark (‘)
• ” (double quotation mark) => touch and hold the Full-stop key, and slide to choose the double quotation mark (“)
• Turn caps lock on/off => double-tap the Shift key to lock, single-tap to unlock.
• Special letters not on the keyboard? => touch and hold a key, then slide to choose a variation (See the screenshot).
• Need just a digit or symbol from the Number keyboard? => touch the ?123 key and slide to a digit or symbol key, and you’re back to the Alphabet keyboard automatically.

While on the Number keyboard:

• Symbols not on the keyboard? => touch and hold a key, then slide to choose a variation, or tap the #\< key to find out more.
• Often type an equation? => touch and hold the #\< key, tap a sign and you’re back to the Number keyboard when you release the #\< key.
• Need just a letter from the Alphabet keyboard? => touch the ABC key and slide to a letter key, and you’re back to the Number keyboard automatically.

How to Cut, Copy and Paste

This is one of the most common issue with many users , even i faced this issue and it took me a time .
This looks simple but can be tricky sometimes when you use different apps. In general, these steps can be used in Email or some other apps:

1. Double-tap or touch-and-hold to select a word.
2. Drag the handles to adjust the area if needed, then tap Cut or Copy.
3. Tap an insert point, and drag the handle to adjust it if needed.
4. Select Paste (Hint: tab the handle when the ‘Paste’ button doesn’t appear).

Note: When working in a web browser such as Android’s Browser, use touch-and-hold to select a word since “double-tap” has been used to enlarge or reduce a webpage.

How to Lock Screen Orientation

The Android screen switches to either the portrait or landscape view in response to the way you hold the device when you run certain apps. What if I want to lock the screen orientation to one view so that the screen doesn’t rotate to another? Easy.

1. Run the Settings app.
2. Tap Display under DEVICE.
3. Uncheck “Auto-rotate screen”.

Your screen will then lock to the portrait mode. To unlock it, check the above option.

How to Print Screen

Where’s the PrintScreen button when you need to take a screen shot of your Android device? Instead of using one button, try a combination of two:

1. Press and hold down the Power and Volume-down buttons simultaneously.
2. Open the Gallery app, and you can see your screenshot already saved in the Screenshots album.

Note: Older Android system doesn’t support this feature, but it has a more complicated way to take screenshots using Android SDK such as this without rooting the device.

How to Access Notifications

At the top of your screen, you will see notifications which report calendar events, alarms, incoming mails or other ongoing events. Swipe down from the top of the screen to reveal the list of notifications, then swipe up from the O-sign to hide it.

• Depending on the notification type, you can swipe a notification sideway to dismiss it, or tap the X-sign to dismiss all from the list.
• To access a notification, tap it and you’re taken to the related email, reminder, message or app. The notification then clears automatically from the list where applicable.

Note: When you slide down from the top of the screen, you can also see this Quick Settings icon. Touching this icon is equivalent to running the Settings app.

How to Edit Bookmarks and Folders in Android’s Browser

Just like most browsers, the default Browser in Android allows you to add bookmarks and folders easily for getting to the websites fast when browsing.
Add a bookmark/folder

1. On the page you like to bookmark, tap the Menu button and select ‘Save to bookmarks’.
2. Change the Label if needed.
3. Click ‘OK’ to save to Bookmarks, or select ‘Add to’ then ‘Other folder’, browse to a folder or add a new folder and tap ‘OK’.

Remove a bookmark/folder

1. Tap the Tabs button , then the Bookmarks button .
2. Touch and hold a bookmark or a folder, then select ‘Delete bookmark’ or ‘Delete folder’ from the pop-up menu.
3. Press ‘OK’ to confirm.

How to Add a Web Clip Icon to Home Screen

If you frequently visit a web page, you can tap a web clip or bookmark icon on your home screen and quickly access the page without the need to touch the Browser icon. This web clip icon can be added to your home screen easily:

1. On the page you often visit, tap the Menu button in Android’s Browser.
2. Select ‘Save to bookmarks’.
3. Edit the Label if necessary, then select ‘Add to’ and tap “Home Screen’.

Next time you visit the same web page, just tap the web clip icon on your home screen. Some websites including Gizmo’s Freeware have a web clip icon which has been customized for you (see the screenshot).

How to Send Instant Messages

Besides third-party apps, Messenger developed by Google gives you a real-time instant messaging service via Wi-Fi, 3G or 4G for Android users. To use this service and send an instant message from your Android device is pretty straightforward.

1. Tap the Messenger app icon.
2. Tap the plus sign and add a person or a group of people from your circles.
3. Add text or photos and tap the Send button.

Note: Messenger appears as a standalone app that comes with your Android system, or as a component of the Google+ app that can be downloaded from the Google Play store.

How to Setup Mail Accounts and Sync Options

The Android system allows for adding multiple mail accounts including GMail, Exchange, Yahoo, Hotmail and others. To set up a mail account is straightforward especially for this example, GMail.

1. Open the app Email.
2. Enter Email address and Password, then tap ‘Next’ for verifying.
3. Leave ‘Sync email form this account’ checked, select other options you like, and tap ‘Next’.
4. Enter your name to be displayed on outgoing messages, and tap ‘Next’ to finish.

After this setting, you can then open the app Email to send emails and read incoming mails, which are automatically synced with your GMail account over the air.

How to Add a Mail Signature

Each time you send out an email using the Email app, you can have a mail signature, such as ”, automatically added at the end of your message.

1. Open the app Email, tap the Menu button, then Settings.
2. Tap the email account that you’ve set up.
3. Tap ‘Signature’, enter a signature in a few words you like then tap ‘OK’ to confirm.

How to Sync Emails, Contacts and Calendars

The Android system allows you to operate and sync your emails, contacts, calendars and other items using multiple accounts. You can set your accounts to sync these items on your device with the servers automatically or manually.

1. Run the Settings app, select ‘Accounts & sync’ under PERSONAL.
2. At the top, tap to switch the ‘Accounts & sync’ to ‘ON’ for automatic syncing, or ‘OFF’ for manual syncing.

When the ‘Accounts & sync’ is switched off, you can touch an account and sync contacts or other items manually—either touch an item to sync or tap the Menu button then ‘Sync now’ to sync all items. The last synced date and time are shown below each item.

How to Browse and Edit Files on your Mobile

You might have a lot of your files you want to browse through, copy, rename or delete them on your mobile device like the way you do in Windows. Unfortunately you can’t do much as Android 4.0 has not had a built-in file manager, but you can easily install a third party app from the Google Play Store.

1. Run the Play Store app.
2. Tap the Search button and enter the name of a file manager, such as ES File Explorer, one of the popular.
3. Tap the app from the list and download it.
4. Open the app and enjoy working with your files and folders on your mobile device.

How to Copy Files between your Mobile and PC

What if you need to copy files and folders between your mobile device and PC? You can do so by connecting your mobile device to your PC using a USB cable provided. Better still, you can connect them wirelessly via a local WiFi network to do the same or even more without needing a cable.

1. Run the Play Store app.
2. Tap the Search button and enter the name of a remote desktop app, such as AirDroid .
3. Tap the app from the list and download it.
4. Open the app and start using it to connect your mobile to PC for copying files wirelessly and doing even more between the two platforms.

How to Share Mobile Data Connection

When you’re using an Android device with mobile data connection enabled, wouldn’t it be convenient for another computer device such as a Windows-based notebook to share this connection for access to the Internet? Yes, you can do a wireless connection via a portable hotspot, or a wired connection using a USB cable:
Turn your Android mobile into a portable Wi-Fi hotspot:

1. On your mobile, go to Settings > More > Tethering & portable hotspot.
2. Tap “Portable Wi-Fi hotspot” to enable it.
3. Tap “Configure Wi-Fi hotspot” to enter an ID and password to prevent unauthorized connections.
4. On a computer with Wi-Fi connectivity, click the network icon on the system tray to identify and connect to the wireless network you set.

Enable USB tethering on your Android mobile:

1. Connect a computer to your Android device with a USB cable.
2. On your mobile, go to Settings > More > Tethering & portable hotspot.
3. Tap “USB tethering” to enable it.
4. On the computer, click the network icon on the system tray to identify and connect to the wired network. The Windows system may take more than a minute to discover the network for Internet access.

Note: Enabling Bluetooth tethering on your Android mobile to allow for Internect access from a computer is also possible after the two devices are paired.

How to Backup and Restore your Data

Using the Android system, you can automatically back up your data, such as a list of apps you’ve installed, the words you’ve added to dictionary, your Wi-Fi passwords, Browser bookmarks and other settings via your Google account on the servers.

1. Run the app Settings, tap ‘Backup & reset’ under PERSONAL.
2. Check both ‘Back up my data’ and ‘Automatic restore’ if they’re unchecked.

When you need to reset your device or re-install an app which makes use of the backup service, you can then restore your data and settings from your Google account.

How to Lock your Android Device

Don’t like your kids to mess with your mobile or someone to read your emails on your device? Lock it with a password, pin, pattern or even use Face Unlock.

1. Open the app Settings and select ‘Security’ under PERSONAL.
2. Select ‘Screen lock’ under SCREEN SECURITY.
3. Tap a type of security either Pattern, Pin, Password or Face Unlock to lock your device.

Each time when your device is turned on, you’ll have to use the same security type to access your device.

How to Reboot the System

In the event your Android apps freeze or the system becomes unresponsive, you can try to reboot the system as follows:

1. Press and hold the Power button of your device until a pop-up menu appears. Select ‘Power off’ and tap ‘OK’ to confirm. The system will then turn off.
2. Turn the system on by pressing and holding the Power button until the Google logo appears.