The Pixel 4a isn’t only a midranger with pure Android in it but also packs a flagship-level camera. Aside from this, its pure Android 11 out of the box makes it the most interesting Android smartphone experience. With the Android 11 in it, there are some useful features that you can make use of if you haven’t yet, here are the top 7 Pixel 4a tips and tricks running the Android 11.
1) Swipe Fingerprint For Notifications
The Google Pixel 4a comes with a fingerprint scanner onboard and it can be used to lock the phone securely. The fingerprint scanner is not limited to locking the phone, it can also be used via gestures, swiping on the fingerprint scanner opens the notification panel which might come in handy.
Go to the Settings -> System -> Gestures -> Swipe fingerprint for notifications and use the slider to turn on the feature. Now swipe on the fingerprint scanner and the notification panel opens up.
2) Rotate Homescreen In Landscape Mode
Most Android smartphones do not let you use the Homescreen in the landscape mode. Another useful trick that you can try on the Pixel 4a is to rotate the Homescreen. If you want a tablet-like interface on the Pixel 4a, you simply turn on a quick setting to rotate the Homescreen and use it in landscape mode.
- Go to the Homescreen by swiping from the bottom screen.
- Long press the empty area on the Homescreen and tap on Home settings.
- Under that, select the slider Allow Home screen rotation to enable the rotation on the Homescreen.
- That’s all, it’s done. Now turn on the Auto-rotate shortcut from the notification panel and use the Pixel 4a in landscape mode, the Homescreen will rotate along with it.
3) Flip Camera For Selfie
There’s no doubt that the Pixel 4a camera is commendable, you can click some remarkable shots using it. The camera also uses some gesture controls that will give you more control, switching the selfie camera can be as easy as twisting the phone sidewards. Just double twist when you are in the camera app and switch to the selfie mode.
This setting is already turned on for all Pixel 4a devices, to access the camera gesture setting, head to the Settings -> System -> Gestures -> Flip camera for selfie, and use the slider.
4) Enter Dark Mode
Dark mode can be a very useful feature if you are using the phone during the night or under low lighting conditions, by using Dark mode, the interface will go dark, the bright lights will go dim, the text will turn white, the background will use a darker theme instead which is useful for the eyes especially in darker environments, and you can use the phone more conveniently.
To enable dark mode, simply use the notification panel, swipe from the top and swipe left, then tap the shortcut Dark theme. Another way to do this is to head towards the Display Settings and turn on the Dark theme slider.
5) View Battery Percentage In Status Bar
The Pixel 4a uses pure Android and the stock UI has a minimalistic interface. If you haven’t noticed, the battery icon in the status bar doesn’t show you the percentage, just the animated battery icon. But to view the battery percentage in the status bar on the Pixel 4a, you need to turn on a quick setting to do so, no need to check the actual battery percentage under the battery settings.
- Go to Settings -> Battery and turn on the slider Battery percentage to show the battery percentage in the status bar.
6) Make Use Of Screen Record
One of the useful features of the Pixel 4a is the screen recording, the Pixel 4a comes with a built-in Screen Record feature on Android 11. The screen recording helps you record any type of screen activity done on the phone, be it gameplay, video playing, browsing, or any activity, and save it in the gallery.
To record the screen, all you need to do is swipe the notification panel from the top and swipe to left in it, choose Screen Record. This will ask you to start the screen recording, select the appropriate options in the menu, and hit the Start button.
7) Quickly Open Camera
Pixel 4a users, there’s a quick shortcut that allows you to instantly access the camera, you just need to press the power button twice quickly. This shortcut is enabled by default, however, this can be turn off or later turned on from the Settings -> System -> Gestures -> Quickly open camera and turn off or on the slider.
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