Easy Ways to Speed Up Your Samsung Galaxy S4

The Samsung Galaxy S4 is one of the most powerful and versatile smartphones ever, packing a 1.9-GHz quad-core processor and a dizzying array of features. You can answer the phone with a wave of your hand, take photos using the front and back cameras at the same time, and run two apps on the screen at once. But depending on which settings and functions you have enabled, the S4 can feel a bit bogged down.

Not a fan of lag? Neither are we. When responsiveness is paramount, follow these easy tips to make your S4 feel snappier.

Turn Off the S Voice Shortcut

Samsung’s S Voice feature, similar to Apple’s Siri, has a long list of talents. You can ask it questions like “What’s the weather for today?”, find restaurants, navigate to an address, open apps, post updates to Twitter, dictate memos and more. However, we strongly suggest disabling the Home Key shortcut for this app, which launches S Voice when you press the button twice. We noticed significant lag when exiting apps to the home screen with this function on, as the S4 seems to be waiting just in case you press the Home button twice. Here’s how to avoid this delay.


Press the Home button twice to launch S Voice, or tap the S Voice icon.

Tap the Settings button to the left of the Home key.

Press Settings on the menu that pops up on screen.

Uncheck the box where it says Open via the Home key.

More: Set up your HTC one.

Turn Off Animations

The Galaxy S4 uses transition animations as you move from, say, the home screen to an app, or when you exit an app and go back to the home screen. While attractive, these animations can make the phone feel sluggish. The good news is that you can disable them. It’s a little tricky, but thanks to a great YouTube video by MADDTec , you can follow right along as you read these tips.


Open Settings, and tap the More tab on the right side of the screen.

Scroll down and tap the Build Number Field multiple times. Keep pressing until the S4 tells you that you are now a developer.

Press the Back button and tap Developer Options.

Scroll down until you see Window Animation Scale.

Select Window Animation Scale and select Animation Is Off.

Repeat for Transition Animation Scale and Animator Duration Scale under Developer Options.

Never Miss an Important Photo

The Galaxy S4’s camera runs circles around other smartphone cameras when it comes to features, but it’s the fastest. The first thing you’ll want to do is set a lock-screen shortcut for the Camera app, so you can unlock directly to the camera with a swipe. Here’s how to do it:


Enter the Settings menu, and tap the My Device tab at the top of the screen.
Select Lock Screen at the top of the list of options.

• Tap the Shortcuts option in the Lock screen menu. 
• Switch the Set Shortcuts option from Off to On. By default, the camera will be one of the five available options. (You can reassign any of these shortcuts).

The Galaxy S4 could also be faster when it comes to shot-to-shot times. However, if you enable the Best Photo feature, you’ll be able to fire off eight shots in a row and then select the best one. Here’s how:

• Open the Camera app and press the Mode button, and then scroll down and select Best Photo. 
• Press the shutter to capture eight consecutive images. 
• Long press on any photo you’d like to keep, and then tap Save.

Disable the Unlock Effect Feature

By default, the Galaxy S4 offers a nifty lock-screen Light effect that can follow your finger with a tiny beam of light. When you unlock the device, a wider beam of light spreads across the device. That’s cool, but we noticed that with this animation enabled, it sometimes takes a bit longer for the screen to turn on after you press the power button. The actual unlocking action takes only a hair longer. Still, every half second adds up over time. Here’s how to toggle the lock-screen effect off:

• Go to Settings and tap the My Device tab at the top of the menu (the second option in from the left). 
• Select the Lock Screen option. 
• Tap where it says Unlock Effect, and select None. 

Thanks to LaptopMag. :*

Easy Way To Set Up Your HTC One

So you've unwrapped your shiny new HTC One and you're ready to get up and running. In this article we'll help guide you through the process of getting your accounts and preferences in order, in addition to showing you around the new home screen dynamic.

From the BlinkFeed home screen reader to new app drawer setup, there's a lot to get to grips with before you even look at the more advanced stuff. And even more important is the addition of a number of ways to move your data from your old phone to your new HTC One. You can even parse an old iTunes backup to get your stuff off the iPhone and onto your new Android phone.

Check past the break for our walkthrough of your first hour or so with HTC Sense 5 on the new HTC One.

HTC One setup

Getting started with the HTC One isn't much different than with other Android phones, HTC or otherwise. You're going to be asked to choose a language (that'll likely vary depending on region -- chances are the U.S. versions will skip this step and default to English). There are dozens of options from which to choose. You might also get asked which carrier you intend on using. (We had an AT&T SIM in the European version of the HTC One.)

Choosing your Wifi hotspot is where we get our first look at the new HTC keyboard, either when entering your password, or choosing a hidden network.

Transferring settings to your new HTC One

Now we're getting to the meat of the setup process. You've got a couple options -- set up from scratch, or restore, transfer or import content.

Setting up from scratch does exactly what you'd expect -- you're starting from a blank slate. But HTC's been hard at work at making the process as smooth as possible. There are three main ways with which you can transfer settings from other phones:

• Transfer from an old phone
• Restore from an HTC backup
• Apply HTC Get Started setup, which applies settings and layouts built from HTC's new online tool.

Transferring from an old phone is a pretty interesting endeavor. If you're moving data between an Android 2.3 (and up) device to the new HTC phone, it creates a Wifi Direct connection between the two two sync the data. If you're moving from an iPhone, HTC can transfer content from an iTunes backup locally, or over Bluetooth. (The amount and type of data will be more limited though.)

There also are options to transfer data from other types of phones, such as BlackBerry smartphones or Nokias.

HTC Get Started

Born from the now-defunct DashWire service, Get Started is an online tool that lets you set up the entire phone in a desktop web browser -- from settings to apps to BlinkFeed and home screens -- and then sync it all to the phone in one fell swoop.

HTC Account

Even if you don't want to create an HTC account at setup and use it to back up your settings, you probably will when it comes time to sharing the new "Zoe" pictures on the HTC One. You can do it at initial setup, or you can do it later.

Dropbox on the HTC One

This will vary some by release and region, but you might end up with some free Dropbox space. Keep an eye out for that. (A word of warning, though -- HTC's new camera features may take up more of that space than you're used to if you turn on automatic uploads.)

Accounts on the HTC One

Adding accounts on the HTC One is the same as in other versions of HTC Sense, or other phones. This is where you'll sign into your Gmail account, using the "Google" option. And, yes, you can still add more than one Google account. If you prefer to use HTC's e-mail app, sign in with the "Mail" option.

As you add more applications, you may see more account sign-in options appear.

Personalizing the HTC One

Finally, give your phone a name, and you're done with the setup.

Customizations and getting around your new HTC One

HTC BlinkFeed

BlinkFeed is a scrolling grid of social updates news feeds and other stuff. For example, if you set up Sense TV you'll get program reminders here. If you take a lot of pictures, you'll spot video highlight reels from time to time. And HTC's own Tips and Tricks videos pop up occasionally, too.

If you used the online "Get Started" service, you'll have the option to add some stuff to your BlinkFeed before you begin. But changing what's there is as simple as hitting the menu button (drag up, then press the three dots) and heading to "Topics and services."


The HTC One will pull in posts from social accounts you've already added to your phone, but you can control which of these show up in the "Services and apps" section. News sources and topics have to be selected from the 1500 or so HTC has already added, but doing so is easy -- just tag 'em from the menu.

By default BlinkFeed is set to automatically update on Wifi only; if you've got unlimited data, you might want to set it to use both mobile data and Wifi -- you'll find this setting under Menu > Settings > Auto refresh.

HTC One home screen

The other side of the home screen equation is -- well -- the home screen. Swipe to the left and BlinkFeed makes way for a standard Android home setup, complete with icons and widgets. Long press on any home screen (or pinch outwards) to bring up the Widget menu, from which you can add widgets to your screens. You can also use this menu to add or remove home screens, or control which home screen is the default one. Long press a home screen in the widget menu and drag it to "Set as home" or "Remove."

You can have up to five home screens, including BlinkFeed.

You can change your home screen wallpaper through Settings > Personalize > Wallpaper -- and you should do. There's a 18 great-looking images to choose from, and you can also select your own from the Gallery.

HTC One app drawer

The HTC One app drawer is quite different to anything you'll find on other smartphones. First off, if you want to see more apps in one go, hit the menu button under the weather icon and hit "Grid size," where you can choose between 3x4 or 4x5 icons at a time. You can also change the order of icons, and if you're using a custom order, you can arrange them into folders right there in the app drawer.

The dock (the bar at the bottom of the screen with app icons) is also considered part of the app drawer now, so to move stuff in and out of this, you should open the app drawer.

HTC One shortcut keys

HTC Sense and Android include some really useful shortcut combos you can use on the HTC One. Here are a few you should know about.

• Multi-tasking: Double-tap the home key to bring up a screen showing the nine most recent apps. Then tap an app to switch to it, or swipe up to close it.
• Google Now: Google's predictive search app is available by long-pressing the home key.
• Take a screenshot: Press volume down and power at the same time to capture an image of whatever's on the screen.
• Three finger swipe: If you own an HTC Media Link HD add-on, swipe upwards with three fingers to push content to it.

HTC One help videos

HTC's included some really great (but very well-hidden) help videos detailing some of the more advanced features of the HTC One. You'll find them under Settings > About > Help > Tips & Help. There's also text-based help for various other features.

That's it for our introductory guide to the HTC One and HTC Sense 5. Be sure to check out our HTC One review for more info on the phone, and keep watching my blog in the weeks ahead for more HTC One how-to features.

Thanks to Android central :*

The Best Way How to Root Android Phone or Tablet

Is the allure of being a superuser tempting you? Android rooting opens up a world of possibility, but it can also void your warranty, or even leave you with a bricked device. The important thing is to be careful. Read up about what you are going to do before you begin. Make sure that you backup your data. Follow the instructions to the letter. Manufacturers and carriers have a vested interest in dissuading you from rooting. If you’re careful, the risk is minimal, and the potential benefits are impressive. Let’s take a closer look.

What is rooting?

If you’re an Administrator on a Windows machine, you have access to the entire operating system and you can do whatever you like. That’s essentially what happens if you root your Android device. With root access, you can get around any restrictions that your manufacturer or carrier may have applied. You can run more apps; you can customize your device to a greater degree; and you can potentially speed it up in a variety of ways.

The process involves backing up your current software and then flashing (installing) a new custom ROM (modified version of Android).

Why would you root?

One of the most obvious incentives to root your Android device is to rid yourself of the bloatware that’s impossible to uninstall. You’ll be able to set up wireless tethering, even if it has been disabled by default. You can also access your entire file system, install special apps that require a root, and flash custom ROMs, which can add extra features and streamline your phone or tablet’s performance. A lot of people are tempted by the ability to completely customize the look of their phones. You can also manually accept or deny app permissions.

You won’t find a lot of amazing must-have apps when you root, but there are enough to make it worthwhile. For example, some apps allow you to automatically backup all of your apps and all of their data, completely block advertisements, create secure tunnels to the Internet, overclock your processor, or make your device a wireless hotspot.

Why wouldn’t you root?

There are essentially three potential cons to rooting your Android.

• Voiding your warranty: Some manufacturers or carriers will use rooting as an excuse to void your warranty. It’s worth keeping in mind that you can always unroot. If you need to send the device back for repair, simply flash the original backup ROM you made and no one will ever know that it was rooted.
• Bricking your phone: Whenever you tamper too much, you run at least a small risk of bricking your device. This is the big fear everyone has. The obvious way to avoid it happening is to follow instructions carefully. Make sure that the guide you are following works for your device and that any custom ROM you flash is designed specifically for it. If you do your research and pay attention to feedback from others, bricking should never occur.
• Security risks: Rooting may introduce some security risks. Depending on what services or apps you use on your device, rooting could create a security vulnerability. For example, Google refuses to support the Google Wallet service for rooted devices.

How to root your Android

Before you actually try to root your device, make sure that you do some reading. The best place to find discussions about rooting, guides, and custom ROMs is definitely the XDA Developers Forum. Look for a thread on your specific device and you’re sure to find a method that has worked for other people. It’s worth spending some time researching the right method for your device.

Preparation for root

You’ll want to ensure that your device is fully charged before you begin. You’ll also need to turn USB debugging on. On the Galaxy S3 you’ll find it in Menu > Settings > Developer options and then check the box next to USB debugging. You will likely be plugging your device into your computer in order to root it.
Most Android rooting methods require you to install some software on your computer. It’s likely you’ll need to install the Android SDK. You may find other software is required. Make sure you follow the instructions and install all of it before proceeding.

One-click rooting

One of the easiest methods of rooting, which also supports a long list of devices, is SuperOneClick. You’ll find clear instructions, including a video, on how to use it at this XDA Developers SuperOneClick thread. You will need to install some software to prepare, but the actual rooting process is one click. It will only take a few minutes to complete and then you’ll need to restart your Android device.

There is software out there that claims to provide one click rooting with no extra installs, but you should not have to pay to root your device and it’s very important to be wary about the method you choose. If in doubt, do more research. The XDA Developers forum is the most trustworthy source for rooting guides.

Your specific device

The reason rooting isn’t more straightforward is that all Android devices are not created equal. There are significant differences between Android smartphones, between manufacturers, and even between carrier specific versions of the same phone model. Make sure that any rooting guide or custom ROM you intend to use does support your specific device or you are asking for trouble.

Once you have found the right guide for your phone or tablet, it’s simply a case of working through the listed steps methodically. It can be a complicated procedure and it can take a while. Here’s an example guide for rooting the Samsung Galaxy S3. It can appear intimidating at first glance, but provided you follow it step-by-step, it should be a pain-free process. You can post questions in the XDA Developers forum if you run into trouble.

To root or not to root

Gaining full root access to your Android device can be thrilling, especially if you want to tinker with settings and customize your device. How much it changes your experience depends largely on the device you have. If you have a shuttered device, like a Kindle Fire tablet, then it’s a great way to get the full Android experience.

The potential benefits for all Android users include improved battery life, root-only apps, custom ROMs, overclocking, an end to bloatware, improved performance, and the ability to upgrade your phone when you want. If you aren’t excited at the prospect of any of these things, rooting probably isn’t for you.

Thanks to: Digital Trends. :*