Both smartphones that use the Android operating system and iPhones with the iOS system offer more functions than most people think. Many of them are hardly needed by anyone, while others are really practical. They are only rarely used because very few people have ever heard of them.

Practical features for almost every smartphone

Have screen content read aloud

If you're just too lazy to read through text on the screen or are dazzled by the sunlight, you can simply have your smartphone read the content aloud. This can be particularly relaxing for longer PDFs or even eBooks.

Android owners are best advised to download an app such as Voice Aloud Reader. The app can then be used to open a PDF, HTML document or other text file. The app Talk - Text to Speech is also a popular app for having screen content read aloud.

iPhone owners don't even need a separate app to have text read aloud. The function is part of the devices' standard repertoire. However, a default setting must be made in order to have screen content read aloud from now on. To do this, search for the Spoken content menu in the Accessibility section of the settings and click on Speak selection. From now on, any selected text can not only be copied or deleted, but also read aloud using a menu button. The command for this is Speak.

Alternatively, Apple's voice assistant Siri - if activated - can also be given the command Speak screen content.

Set access permissions individually

Smartphones make little sense without apps. The multitude of programs in the app stores allows users to use and customize their devices for all kinds of purposes. Whether for orientation using a map and compass, for completing a full-body fitness program or even for help during pregnancy - there is a suitable app for almost every situation. But apps should not be downloaded and used thoughtlessly. At least not if you don't want to voluntarily turn yourself into a "transparent smartphone user".

Many free apps in particular collect personal data and evaluate the usage behavior of the cell phone. This is done by the app automatically gaining access rights to various services and data stored on the device. This collected data can then be sold profitably by the manufacturing companies as comprehensive user profiles.

If you want to prevent this trade with your data and not completely expose yourself digitally, it is best to set the access permissions for individual apps manually in the settings. In iOS and Google's Android from version 6.0, individual permissions can be granted or blocked for each app. If an app that you would like to deny these permissions to cannot be blocked or its functions are severely restricted as a result, it is important to weigh up whether you absolutely need them.

Use light versions of apps

If you are aware that the access rights of every app can be restricted manually, you can use the advantages of a number of free programs from the app stores with a clear conscience.

The so-called "light versions" of many apps can be downloaded and used at no additional cost. Some additional functions are often restricted, which are unlocked with the purchase of the "Pro version". However, the most important functions can also be selected free of charge.

If you find a convincing app, it is therefore best to first search for the name of this app and add "Light", "Test version" or "Demo" after it - the latter is often found with games in particular. If the store displays this version, it should at least be tested first before investing valuable money in additional functions.

Playing games from outside the app stores

Let's stick to the topic of the games on smartphones mentioned above. There is a general belief that these can only be found in the relevant app stores and often have to be downloaded from there for a few euros. However, this assumption is wrong.

Very few smartphone users are aware that mobile games can also find their way onto devices in other ways - and quite legally. In addition to browser games, which can simply be played in the smartphone's browser, just like on a PC, games can also be streamed from a home computer.

The Steam distribution platform from Valve makes this possible. With the Steam Link app, smartphone games cannot be streamed on the go, but they can at least be conveniently streamed to the smartphone anywhere in the home. Add a suitable Bluetooth controller and you can play games on your cell phone in the kitchen, bathtub or on the balcony that you would otherwise only be able to play on your PC.

Operating the smartphone with a computer keyboard

Smartphones and computers or computer devices can also be combined for other practical functions. For example, physical keyboards, which are otherwise primarily used on a PC, can also be connected to smartphones.

Keyboards with a Bluetooth function are the quickest and easiest method. They are often completely wireless or come with an optional connectable cable. Just as with computers, they can also be connected to most modern cell phones via Bluetooth. To do this, simply search for the keyboard in the Bluetooth settings as soon as its pairing mode is activated. It is then much easier to write longer texts on the smartphone than with the touchscreen keyboard.

If you don't have a wireless keyboard, you can also connect the wired device to your smartphone - provided it is USB OTG-capable (OTG stands for On the Go). This can be found out quickly with the OTG Checker app. If it is compatible, you can purchase a USB OTG adapter, which makes the connection self-explanatory.

The third and final option: simply connect the smartphone to the PC using the WiFi Keyboard app, which is available for iOS and Android. You can then use the keyboard connected to the PC to write on your cell phone.

Sending letters without stamps

Letters and postcards do not necessarily have to be sent with physical stamps if none are available. Here too, the smartphone plays a practical role. An additional printer is also not necessary.

Instead, as Deutsche Post itself explains, franking "is done using a postage code, which is written on the top right of the envelope instead of a regular stamp. The postage code consists of a #PORTO and an 8-digit sequence of numbers and letters."

If you want to frank a shipment with a mobile stamp, simply download the Post & DHL app from the Internet. The desired postage for the letter mail item can then be selected in the app. Clicking on the option " As code for labeling " opens a window in which the corresponding value must be paid. The postage code for franking is displayed directly in the app after payment and can then be written on the letter.

Use different codes for exciting functions

Speaking of codes - codes play a pretty important role when it comes to smartphones (and not just because the whole technology only works with codes). With the help of very specific key codes, "hidden" smartphone functions can be used that everyone should actually know.

• Certain actions can be carried out using specific codes in the telephone area.

  Depending on the network operator, there are various codes that can be used to retrieve your phone number if you have forgotten it, for example when you have a new SIM card. In the Telekom network, the code *135# is entered on the number dialing display. With Vodafone, you dial *#62# instead. Telefonica customers have to dial 0800-9377546.
  
• Another code, which works on any smartphone, can be used to suppress your own phone number. This means that it is not shown on the display of the person being called. Simply enter the code #31# before the desired cell phone number.
  
• Important information about your own device can also be called up quickly using codes. By entering *#06#, for example, the individual identification number of the smartphone can be retrieved. You need this IMEI, for example, if you want to take out insurance for your cell phone. If you want to change your cell phone PIN, you can also do this using a code instead of in the settings. To do this, simply enter the code **04*old PIN*new PIN*new PIN* and then press the call button, which is usually green. Sounds almost too magical to be true, but it really works!

Tricks for Android cell phones

Split the screen

If you use a smartphone with an Android operating system, you can take advantage of the option to display two apps on the screen in split view. For example, you can play a game on the left-hand side while communicating with your best friend in a messenger service on the right-hand side of the screen.

Up to version Android 8 Ore , screen splitting works as follows:

1. Open the view of recently opened apps
2. Press and hold an app and drag it to the blue area at the top of the screen
3. After the app has been minimized, select any second app by clicking on it

From version Android 9 Pie it works like this:

1. Open the view of recently opened apps
2. Click on the app icon at the top of an app
3. Select Open in split screen view to minimize the app
4. Tap on the second app so that both apps are now displayed in parallel

Leave the phone unlocked at home

When you are out and about, you usually feel safer if your smartphone is locked with a code. If you lose it, it is difficult for strangers to gain access to the device. But at home, it is basically superfluous and annoying to have to re-enter the numerical code every time you reach for your cell phone. But that's exactly what Android users don't have to do.

The Smart Lock function, which has been integrated into the operating system since Android Lollipop 5.0, allows the smartphone to be unlocked or unlocked automatically depending on where it is. In the settings under Security under Smart Lock, you can set whether, for example, the Carry detection or Trusted locations function should be used. If the former is selected, the device remains unlocked while the user has it with them. If the latter is selected, the smartphone remains unlocked at a specified location - such as in the home or a friend's home.

Temporarily "fix" apps

If you hand the Android phone to one of these friends to show them a photo, for example, the app that is currently open can be "pinned". This means that the app currently open in the foreground can no longer simply be closed. If you want to prevent someone else who is temporarily holding the device from accessing private data or "poking around" in the chats, you can simply activate this function.

Up to version Android 8 Oreo, simply press the back button and the last used button in the navigation bar at the same time. As soon as this is done, the app is in a fixed state in the foreground.

From Android 9 Pie, the view of recently used apps must be opened. There, the app icon at the top of a recently used program can be pressed. A menu opens in which you can select the practical Fix app function.

Open the camera immediately

If you want to take a quick photo with your Android smartphone, you don't have to manually search for the camera app and open it by tapping on it. Instead, simply press the power button twice in succession on an Android device. Once this is done, the camera opens within a few milliseconds. It sounds simple, and it is. But above all, it's practical.

Save data volume

There are some nice and simple tricks for Android smartphones to use less data volume on the go so that you can consciously and intentionally use it elsewhere:

• If you want to make sure that your smartphone doesn't use any mobile data in the background without consciously doing anything, simply swipe up on the home screen. Mobile data can be switched off completely via the quick access bar.
  
• In the settings under Connections, Data usage and finally Mobile data usage, mobile data usage can be prohibited for certain apps. Messenger services, for example, can be left active while less important apps are deactivated.
  
• Data saving can also be activated under Settings, Connections and Data usage. This automatically regulates and throttles data consumption and background app updates.
  
• Using the Set data limit option in the data consumption settings, a practical red slider can be used to determine the maximum data volume. Once this is reached, the device automatically deactivates mobile data usage. A second, orange-colored slider issues a warning once the data volume has also been set manually.

Tricks for iPhones and iOS

Saving the content of entire websites

If iPhone users previously wanted to save the content of entire websites, for example to read them offline, they sometimes had to take dozens of individual screenshots. This has been easier since iOS 13:

1. First, the desired page is opened in the Safari browser
2. Clicking on the home button or the volume up button and the power button simultaneously creates a screenshot of the current screen content
3. A small preview now opens automatically. Here you will also find the Full page option
4. If you select this, the content of the entire website is saved as a single PDF in the files on the device

Save battery with simple measures

Many iPhone users are dissatisfied with the battery performance of their devices - and not just since the latest generation of cell phones. But there are a few simple measures that can help iPhones last longer:

• If you have the Facebook app installed on your iPhone, it is best to turn off the app's location services in the privacy settings. This can give the battery one to two hours more juice.
  
• Background updates don't just consume data volume when you're on the move. They also drain battery power. These should therefore also be switched off, especially for apps that are rarely used.
  
• Closing apps manually with a swipe upwards consumes more battery power than simply leaving them open. This may sound strange, but the iPhone is smart enough to set the power consumption to 0 for apps that are at the back of the bar.
  
• Push notifications are not only sometimes dangerously addictive for our psyche, they also consume a lot of energy. If they are not absolutely necessary and emails and Facebook messages can be checked manually every few hours, it is better to switch them off.

Position the cursor more easily when writing

If you make a typing mistake while typing on your iPhone - which can easily happen with the small keys without a physical keyboard - you don't have to use your finger to try and place the cursor in the correct position to correct it. Instead, iOS offers the practical function of holding down the space bar and then swiping it from right to left or up and down to place the cursor more conveniently. Hardly anyone knows this, but those who find out are usually more than pleasantly surprised.

Loading apps without entering a password

Codes and passwords have to be entered everywhere when using the iPhone - even in the App Store when downloading free apps. But the latter can be changed.

In the settings on the iPhone, go to the iTunes & App Store section. In the password settings of the Apple ID, you can then click on the switch next to Password required under Free downloads to switch off the prompt. However, if you make in-app purchases, you will still need to enter your Apple ID password.

Living with a defective Home button

This is a problem that many iPhone owners are also familiar with, especially those of older generations of devices that are still equipped with a Home button: This important Home button, which is used constantly and for everything, is suddenly defective. It suddenly only works very irregularly, after several clicks, sometimes not at all for a while.

If you notice the defect in time, you may still be able to access the settings via General to access the operating aids and finally the AssistiveTouch item. This operating aid makes it possible to trigger certain functions of the iPhone's buttons and switches very easily via a menu on the touchscreen. Even the defective home button is then suddenly no longer a nuisance. At some point, however, it is of course still worth having it replaced. It's nice and practical when the device works properly again