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Find your files, adjust settings, and solve common Android problems.
Search this topicOpen Clock, choose Alarm and tap the add button. Set the hour and minutes, checking AM or PM if the phone uses a twelve-hour clock, then confirm. Verify that the alarm’s switch is on and choose an audible sound. Read the displayed next alarm time rather than assuming a saved alarm is automatically enabled.
Open that alarm and check its selected sound, then check alarm volume rather than only media volume. Review any Clock warning about notifications, Do Not Disturb or Battery Saver. A silent sound choice or blocked alarm permission can explain a missed alert. After changing settings, test an alarm a few minutes ahead while you are awake.
On phones with the current Modes settings, open Settings, Modes, then Bedtime. Complete setup and choose a schedule with your preferred start and end times under the automatic activation options. Review its notification filters as well as its hours. Older versions and manufacturer interfaces may place Bedtime under a different settings section.
On supported versions, go to Settings, Modes and choose Create your own mode. Give it a recognizable name and icon, then configure its notification filters, schedule and display options as needed. Test which calls and apps remain allowed before relying on it. A custom mode can differ from Bedtime or the standard Do Not Disturb setup.
Open the Google Home controls shortcut from Quick Settings or the lock screen where supported. Use Edit to choose devices and Reorder to arrange their tiles, then save. These changes also affect the Favorites tab in Google Home. Add and set up the devices in Google Home first; rearranging this panel does not pair new hardware.
Open Settings, Location and change Use location. This is the device-wide control, separate from the permission granted to each app. With location enabled, an app still needs appropriate access to use it. Consider features you rely on, such as finding a lost phone or location-based directions, before switching it off for the whole device.
Enable App pinning in the phone’s security settings. Open the app, enter the recent-apps overview, tap its icon and choose Pin where available. Confirm that unpinning requires your screen-lock credential. The person can still use content inside that app, so open only what you intend to share. Manufacturer menus may use a different name or location.
With gesture navigation, swipe up and hold. With three-button navigation, hold Back and Overview together; older two-button navigation uses Back and Home. Enter your PIN, pattern or password if requested. If your manufacturer uses another gesture, check its app-pinning instructions. Pinning is separate from an app simply being open full screen.
It suggests that a downloaded app may be causing the original freezing, crashing or slowdown. Safe mode is a diagnostic comparison, not a permanent repair. After returning to normal mode, remove recently installed apps one at a time and retest. Use your manufacturer’s safe-mode procedure, and note home-screen widgets first because some may need restoring afterward.
A normal restart usually exits safe mode. Restart the phone and check whether the safe-mode label disappears and your downloaded apps become available again. Exact restart controls vary, so consult the phone maker if it remains stuck. Any missing home-screen widgets may need adding again; their disappearance alone does not mean the apps were deleted.
Open the first app, swipe up and hold to enter Overview, then tap its icon and choose Split Screen. Select the second app in the other area. To return to one app, drag the divider to an edge. App support and controls vary by Android version, so an unavailable option does not necessarily indicate a broken phone.
Open a text field, then Gboard settings. Choose Languages, Add keyboard, select the language and layout, and finish with Done. This changes the keyboard’s available languages rather than the Android interface language. Test the new layout in a draft message. Voice typing support can differ from the languages available for ordinary typing.
Touch and hold the space bar and select the keyboard language you need. You can also enable the language-switch key in Gboard Preferences for quicker access. If that setting is unavailable, Google advises checking the emoji-switch-key setting. Adding a language first is necessary; switching controls cannot select a keyboard you have not configured.
With Gboard active, slide your finger through the letters of one word and lift it at the end. Check the suggested result before continuing. If sliding does nothing, open Gboard settings and review Glide typing, then confirm that the selected language supports it. You do not need to tap a separate space between every letter.
Touch and hold an empty part of the home screen, choose Widgets and find the app’s widget. Hold and drag it into a free space. To resize it, hold it again, release and drag the edge handles if they appear. Not every widget supports resizing, and your launcher may use slightly different controls.
No. Remove usually takes away only the home-screen shortcut, while Uninstall removes the app from the device. Read the actual action before confirming it. If you only removed the shortcut, find the app in the app list and drag it back to the home screen. The exact drag targets vary with the phone’s launcher.
Search Settings for Navigation mode and choose three-button navigation where supported. On current Pixel phones it is under System; other manufacturers may place it under Gestures or another menu. Try the buttons before leaving settings. This is an alternative to swipe gestures, so you do not need to install an extra launcher simply to change navigation style.
Open the settings beside Gesture navigation and adjust the left or right edge sensitivity. Try a modest change and test it with the case fitted. Higher sensitivity can help when a case interferes, but may conflict with an app’s own edge gestures. Use the setting that reliably recognizes your swipe without causing unwanted Back actions.
After copying and using the text, open Gboard’s Clipboard, touch and hold the snippet, then choose Pin. Find it later in the pinned section instead of relying on temporary clipboard history. Review exactly what you saved before sharing it. Pinned snippets are convenient for reusable text, but the clipboard is not a suitable place to store passwords.
For supported languages and regions, Gboard can recognize items such as an address, email or phone number within copied text. Open the destination text field and inspect the suggestions above the keyboard, then tap the specific item you want. Check the result before sending. If no suitable suggestion appears, select and copy that portion manually.
Open the page in Chrome, tap the three-dot menu and choose Share, then Print. Select a compatible printer and review the preview, page range and other settings before printing. The phone must have access to the printer through a supported connection. If no printer appears, check its mobile-printing setup rather than repeatedly tapping the final print button.
On a supported Pixel, open a text field, enter Gboard settings, choose Voice typing and enable Advanced voice typing features. Tap the keyboard microphone to dictate, and tap it again or say Stop when finished. Availability depends on the device and language. Read the resulting message before sending, especially names, numbers and punctuation.
Tap the incorrect word to select it, then type, speak or spell the replacement, or choose a suggested alternative. On supported advanced voice typing, you can continue typing while the microphone is active. Review nearby punctuation after the correction. Fixing the selected word is usually quicker than clearing the whole message and dictating it again.
Source checks for these answers: September 22, 2026. Product instructions and local requirements can vary.