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The most annoying Android features you should switch off right now

androidpit samsung galaxy note 10 front camera close
© nextpit

Let's be honest: among the endless and interesting Android features hide some settings and options that are not so useful and that you wanted to turn off immediately but then, taken by laziness, you left active. Today we're going to show you three features you should get rid of right away!

Disable access to app localization

Battery consumption is a major concern for users. One of the reasons why a smartphone drains faster is because apps can access its location hardware.

By default, whenever an app needs to access your location, it uses GPS, which increases power consumption. However, you can change this for each individual app installed on your smartphone. This way, you will certainly benefit from longer battery life.

To set up access to the location, you just need to:

  1. Accessing your device's settings
  2. Search for the location access submenu (many manufacturers include it in the Privacy and Security menu)
  3. In this screenshot, you can see which apps have access to your location and choose which ones to give permission and which ones not
android turn off location
Deny some apps access to localization to save battery / © NextPit

With Android 10 you have an additional advantage: you can decide whether to give access to a particular app at all times, only while using the app or reject it completely:

  1. Open the Settings menu
  2. Click on Location-based services
  3. Select the app you want to manage the authorization for
  4. Click on Permissions
  5. And select the option that best suits your needs
android turn off location2
Android 10 offers better permission management / © NextPit

Avoid adding new apps to your home page

You may have noticed that whenever you install a new app on your device, the Google Play Store automatically sends a shortcut to the home screen. This feature can be useful when it comes to apps you use every day, such as WhatsApp or Facebook, but as for other apps, it is useless and quite annoying, especially when you find yourself on the home screen covered with icons.

To deactivate this function and have the newly downloaded apps available directly in the appropriate section without filling the home screen with new icons:

  1. Open the Play Store
  2. Access the settings menu by clicking on the three horizontal lines at the top left
  3. Uncheck Add icons to the Home screen.

If you don't find this item in the Play Store, you'll need to look for your launcher's settings, usually by pressing and holding on any empty point on the main screen and then clicking on a gear icon.

home
Free your home screen from unnecessary icons / © NextPit

Disable haptic feedback on your display

That little vibration that your phone does every time you tap the screen is useful for letting you know when you've actually registered an input, but it can also be frustrating if the vibration motor in your phone is not that quiet. It also drains your battery. Most power users turn this off when they pick up a new device. here's how to do it.

  1. Go to Settings
  2. Select Sound & vibration
  3. Look for Touch vibrations and turn it off
  4. It may be called something different depending on the exact device you have
turn off haptic feedback
Turn off that annoying buzzing every time you tap the screen / © NextPit

Now that you know how to disable these three boring Android features you can enjoy the best of your device, taking advantage of it intelligently and limiting battery consumption. What other functions would you like to get rid of?

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Go to comment (24)
Jessica Murgia

Jessica Murgia
Editor

Italian editor and Android lover: with her, all the most intimate secrets of Android will be revealed! Chronic traveler, a lover of good wine and good food, Jessica is crazy for shopping and passionate about technology! What's never missing in her bag? A book, an MP3 player, her Android smartphone and an external battery!

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24 comments
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  • 1
    Brent May 7, 2020 Link to comment

    How to remove Call Back button when you've ended a call. I cant count how many times I've accidentally called back someone after a call.


  • 49
    storm Oct 19, 2019 Link to comment

    Keyboard click must die.

    marco sarliElfynDeactivated Account


  • 46
    Deactivated Account Oct 19, 2019 Link to comment

    Disable every app you do not use , especially Google's apps.

    Elfynstormmarco sarli


  • 1
    Daucuscarota Grapeheart Apr 3, 2018 Link to comment

    I have a tablet with Android 5.1; there is a Google browser bar at the top of the screen and I can't remove it. It's annoying and I want to get rid of it (long tapping doesn't work as it works on icons).


  • 7
    Mel Fox Aug 9, 2015 Link to comment

    If you have updating problems (Sync not working temp) Try turning off the battery saver. I spent 4 weeks with Google techs trying to fix the problem. When I turned off the battery saver the sync works great.


  • GAUTAM rajpal 4
    GAUTAM rajpal Aug 7, 2015 Link to comment

    do anyone know that how to toggle between data enable and disable with a single click?it is so annoying to go every time into settings to disable the data.


    • Mark G. 28
      Mark G. Aug 8, 2015 Link to comment

      Use a 3rd party app - you can get ones like "floating touch" puts a floating button which opens quick settings. There are others that put a widget with quick settings.

      GAUTAM rajpal


      • GAUTAM rajpal 4
        GAUTAM rajpal Aug 9, 2015 Link to comment

        I forgot to mention that I have a lollipop 5.1 Android version.the floating touch app doesn't seem to do anything about data enable problem.thanks for your reply.


      • 2
        Keith Rowcliffe Aug 9, 2015 Link to comment

        I'm using 5.1 as well. If you go to the website on my last post or google "how to put settings shortcuts on Android home screen" you will find out how you can put a shortcut to any of the settings you want. I have about 6 on my home screen.


      • GAUTAM rajpal 4
        GAUTAM rajpal Aug 10, 2015 Link to comment

        settings shortcut is not a problem the only problem I am facing is that I am not able to disable data by the use of notification bar over by other any third party app in a single click.


    • 2
      Keith Rowcliffe Aug 9, 2015 Link to comment

      How to put a shortcut on your home screen go to "howtogeek.com/197501/how-to-add-settings-shortcut-widgets-to-the-home-screen-in-android". As a new user I couldn't post the full link.


  • 16
    Viktor jovanović v. Aug 7, 2015 Link to comment

    Thank you for good suggestionc; abouth locain servis and play store, it's made. For Cofein and Heads of I didn't know before, buth that two apps could be also worth to install it.


  • 16
    Viktor jovanović v. Aug 7, 2015 Link to comment

    Thank you for good suggestionc; abouth locain servis and play store, it's made. For Cofein and Heads of I didn't know before, buth that two apps could be also worth to install it.


  • James Baker 2
    James Baker Aug 6, 2015 Link to comment

    The spell checker should not automatically change my spelling because it often picks the wrong word, and when I am doing my Spanish lesson in duolingo, it drives me crazy by inserting whatever English word that is close in spelling to the Spanish one that I actually intended.

    storm


    • 49
      storm Nov 5, 2019 Link to comment

      This is non trivial to do but I would like it also.


  • Daniel “DazzaJay” Fitzgerald 2
    Daniel “DazzaJay” Fitzgerald Aug 6, 2015 Link to comment

    "sends the data back to Google's sinister tracking lair."
    If by "Sinister Tracking Lair" you mean, A location where you can view your own location history, or even use the location services to locate your device when it it lost or stolen.....

    Disabling or limiting Location Services just ruins your ability to use adroid device manager to locate your own device in the event it becomes lost or stolen. disabling it is very bad advice.

    Mark G.Svein Nordvik


    • GT Ohh 14
      GT Ohh Aug 6, 2015 Link to comment

      Yes Big Brother.... NEVER disable Location Services, you might get lost in the toilet.... LMAO


  • 5
    Ghifari AL Mukhtar Aug 6, 2015 Link to comment

    Thanks Mr.Eric Herrmann for the update on
    4 annoying Android features I switched off right on all our 3 Samsung phones. Especially my Wife's, she was driving me nutts on her Battery drainage.But I wish there was a layman's way in deleting root apps like Facebook and the intrusive apps that i'd like to free of.looking forward Thanks


  • 2
    Donald Watson Aug 6, 2015 Link to comment

    Sounds like sour grapes from a guy that didn't get a big enough bribe from Motorola


  • M. A. Griesser 6
    M. A. Griesser Aug 6, 2015 Link to comment

    I've used SCREEBL for years and don't know what I'd do without it. As long as your phone is held at a certain angle the screen will stay on. It has a stillness timeout so if you set your phone down at the right angle it will still turn off.


  • 2
    Paulie K Aug 6, 2015 Link to comment

    The best part of this article is your mention of "ahem, iPhones."

    Android let's us do what we want. It's open source sports any dev who imagines a useful function for these hand helds.

    iPhone sticks to its incompatible "ecosystem" aka iOS, it doesn't work with any other chargers or USB interfaces on Windows computers, and the app store, sorry... iTunes, is spendy when it comes to apps.

    iPhone & Mac users don't want to think about functionality. They just want "it" to "work"... sans putting any thought into it.

    PEBKAC = Problem Exists Between Keyboard And Chair...

    OR

    PICNIC = Problem In Chair, Not In Computer

    iPhone owners/users/losers just don't want to put in the effort.

    Thanks ;-)

    Mark G.Svein Nordvik


  • Bob visser 14
    Bob visser Aug 5, 2015 Link to comment

    I just set my screen of time on 2 minutes that's enough time to stare at my screen.

    The thing that I find the most annoying is the way the ask wich app you wanna use to open certain links like YouTube


  • Mark G. 28
    Mark G. Aug 5, 2015 Link to comment

    I don't find the heads up notification annoying, though I'm a lonely soul and don't get many txts.
    Though it's extremely easy to just "swipe" it away.

    An DroidSvein NordvikMatthew Carson


    • Bob visser 14
      Bob visser Aug 5, 2015 Link to comment

      It can be really annoying if you have multiple group chats in whatsapp.

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