TECH, BUSINESS AND CAREER INSIGHTS

TSP’s Top Tech Tips for Smartphones

TSP • @myTSPnet

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Smartphones have only been around for a few years, but most people are already hooked on them. However, owning something doesn’t make you an expert. Smartphones are incredible tools, but a tool’s capability is only as strong as your knowledge of how to use it.

TSP exists to make our customers’ lives easier when it comes to all things tech, so this week we’re sharing some of our favorite smartphone tricks and secrets that will make your smartphone time a lot more productive and fun.

Skip other people’s instructions on how to leave a message.
When we call someone and get their voice mail, most of us don’t need instructions on how to “leave a message after the tone,” but lots of people still leave detailed directions on their voice mail recording. To bypass unnecessarily long messages, use your carrier’s interrupt key and skip straight to the beep. Verizon’s skip key is *, AT&T and T-Mobile use #, and Sprint uses 1. Learning the keystrokes for each person you’re calling may not be a time saver, but if you have to chronically sit through the same long message prompt, it might be worth the effort.

Enlarge tiny type on your iPhone.
If text on your iPhone screen is too small, you can enlarge the image by double tapping the screen with three fingers. From there, it’s easy to pan around by dragging three fingers around the screen. To exit zoom mode, double tap with three fingers again. (Note: You may need to turn this feature on in Settings, General, and Accessibility.)

Redial faster.
If you need to reach someone again, don’t worry about scrolling through your phone book or the list of recent calls. To redial the number you dialed most recently, just hit the call button again to bring up the number. Press the call button once more to actually activate the call.

Save time on punctuation.
There’s no need to skip periods at the end of sentences to save time. Instead of swapping screens to find the period, press the spacebar twice, which automatically adds a period, skips a space, and capitalizes the next letter.

Take cool photos while in transit.
If you’re a passenger on a bus, train, or airplane, you can take some stellar shots using your smartphone camera. Turn on the panoramic photo setting and hold your phone still against the window or windowsill before starting the exposure. You’ll get one long, nice shot of whatever passes by.

Turn off auto-correct.
Auto-correct was made to help us, but sometimes it makes things worse. If you’re tired of your phone retyping what you definitely meant to type, you can turn off auto-correct in just a few steps. On Android devices, go to Settings, Language & Input, and Android Keyboard, then uncheck spelling correction. On iOS, open Settings, General, and Keyboard, then flip the switch to the off position on Auto-Correction.

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