7 Smartphone Features You Should Start Using Today

Introduction

Smartphones have become an important part of everyday life, but many people use only a small portion of the features available on their devices.

Beyond making calls, sending messages and browsing the internet, modern smartphones offer tools that can improve productivity, privacy, convenience and security.

Some of these features are easy to overlook because they are hidden inside settings or introduced without much attention. Here are seven useful smartphone features worth exploring.

1. Screen Recording

Screen recording allows you to capture what is happening on your phone's display as a video.

It can be useful when creating tutorials, saving something for later, demonstrating a problem to technical support or showing someone how to complete a task on their device.

Many Android phones and iPhones include built-in screen-recording tools, although the exact steps and availability can vary depending on the device and software version.

2. Focus and Do Not Disturb Modes

Constant notifications can make it difficult to concentrate.

Focus and Do Not Disturb features allow you to reduce interruptions by controlling which calls, messages and notifications can reach you during specific periods.

You can use these settings while working, studying, sleeping or simply taking a break from your phone.

The available options can vary between devices, so check your phone's settings to see what controls are offered.

3. Find Hub

Losing a smartphone can be stressful, especially when it contains personal information, photos and important accounts.

On Android devices, Google's Find Hub can help you locate, secure or erase a lost device when the required settings and conditions are in place.

Depending on the device and circumstances, Find Hub can provide the device's location and allow you to take actions such as marking it as lost or remotely erasing its data.

It is worth checking your phone's Find Hub settings before your device goes missing.

4. Emergency Information

Your smartphone may allow you to store important emergency information that can be accessed from the lock screen, depending on the device and software.

This can include emergency contacts and other information that could help someone assist you if you are unable to use your phone normally.

Take a few minutes to check your phone's emergency and safety settings and make sure the information is accurate.

5. Password Managers and Passkeys

Remembering numerous passwords can be difficult, and using the same password across multiple accounts can increase security risks.

Modern smartphones and operating systems increasingly support password managers and passkeys, which can make signing into accounts easier while helping users avoid weak or repeated passwords.

Where available, consider using a reputable password manager or passkey instead of relying on easy-to-guess passwords.

6. App Permissions

Many smartphone users install apps without checking what permissions those apps request.

Your phone can allow you to review permissions such as access to your camera, microphone, location, contacts and photos.

Regularly reviewing these permissions can help you understand what your apps can access and remove permissions that are unnecessary.

If an app does not need a particular permission to perform its main function, consider disabling it.

7. Battery and Data Usage Monitoring

Your smartphone can show which apps and services are consuming the most battery or mobile data.

Checking these sections can help you identify apps that are using significant amounts of battery or data.

If an app is using more resources than expected, you can investigate its settings, restrict background activity where appropriate, update it or uninstall it if you no longer need it.

Final Thoughts

Your smartphone is capable of much more than basic communication and internet browsing.

Features such as screen recording, Focus modes, Find Hub, emergency information, password management, app-permission controls and usage monitoring can make everyday phone use more convenient and secure.

The exact names, settings and availability of these features vary between Android phones, iPhones and software versions. Exploring your phone's settings can help you discover additional tools that are already available on your device.

Which of these smartphone features do you use most often?