According to a Pew survey, more than half of adults in the U.S. own a smartphone.
That isn't to say most people are smartphone experts. Just owning a smartphone doesn't mean you know all the tricks. In fact, here are five that you might not know but really should.
Take a screenshot. Your friend just made a hilarious typo in a text message and you want to share it with your other friends. Capture it as an image with a screenshot.
On an iPhone, press and hold the Home button along with the Sleep/Wake button. You should hear a shutter click and see the screen flash. The screenshot will appear in your Camera Roll or Saved Photos section.
On Androids, hold the Power and Volume Down buttons at the same time. The image is saved to the Captured Images folder in your Gallery app. That only works in Android 4.0 and higher, though. For Android 3.0, 2.3 or earlier, use an app like AirDroid.
Salvage a wet phone. First, and most important, DON'T turn it on. Wipe it down with a dry microfiber cloth. If the phone has a removable battery, take it out. Then fill a container with uncooked rice and submerge the smartphone overnight. The rice will help pull the moisture out of the gadget.
The next day, put the phone back together and turn it on. If it starts up, congratulations! If not, you're off to the store for a new one.
Find a lost or stolen phone. Apple's Find My iPhone app allows you to use a computer or another iPhone to find your missing iOS device using GPS. You can also remotely lock and wipe your phone, as well.
Android gadgets have apps that do the same thing. Where's My Droid?, Lookout Mobile Security and Carbonite Mobile are good ones to check out.
Don't share your location. Smartphone cameras are great for the casual shutterbug, but if you aren't careful, you're also sharing your location with everyone. Smartphones can embed GPS information into photos that anyone can read.
You could turn off GPS when you're taking pictures. To turn it off on your iPhone, go to Settings>>Privacy>>Location Services. You can turn it off for everything or just for the camera.
On an Android, go to Settings>>Location Services and turn GPS off when you don't need it. For Windows Phone, go to Settings>>Location to turn off Location Services.
To see and remove GPS information before posting photos, try an app like PixelGarde.
Creative smartphone uses. Heard for iPhone is always recording using your smartphone's microphone. At any time, you can save audio from up to 5 minutes in the past.
Awareness for Android and iPhone uses your smartphone's microphone to keep track of noise around you while you're listening to music. Any sounds louder than regular background noise gets sent to your headphones.
Instant Heart Rate for iPhone and Android uses the phone's camera to figure out your heart rate. It detects the light passing through your finger and how it changes as your heart beats.
Kim Komando hosts the nation's largest talk radio show about consumer electronics, computers and the Internet. Listen to her show from 1-4 p.m. each Sunday on KRMG am740 or fm102.3. To read more of her columns or sign up for her newsletters, go to
tulsaworld.com/komando
Original Print Headline: Try these 5 tricks on a smartphone
Tech
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