4 brilliant Android features hiding right under your nose

Published Nov 5, 2026, 3:00 PM EST Cory Gunther is a senior author and Newsletter Editor at Valnet, covering cutting-edge tech, Android, and more for How-To Geek. He's covered Android, cars, and technology for over a decade. When he's not reviewing the latest gadget, you can find him off-roading in his Toyota truck, fixing said truck, or doing something outdoors with friends and family. He's covered CES, SEMA, and MWC and reviewed countless phones, TVs, speakers, EVs, e-bikes, and more. Before Valnet, Cory worked for GottaBeMobile. His writing has also appeared on SlashGear, InputMag, and AndroidCentral. He's written over 9,000 articles. Android has come a long way over the years, and these days, no matter what brand you choose, your phone is filled with a wealth of features and controls. Some are well-known, plenty are underrated or forgotten, and many of us use our phones on pure muscle memory, using the same few things all day. But hiding right under your nose are a few helpful features that'll change how you get things done. Tucked behind a few settings menus or announced so long ago that you've long forgotten about them, there are multiple built-in features on basically every Android phone you'll absolutely love. I'm not talking about big features you've heard about before, but smaller ones that fly under the radar. Don't scroll past these small but genuinely helpful controls. Wi-Fi QR code password sharing Making Wi-Fi password sharing easy since 2019 How often do you go to a friend's house or visit family for the holidays, ask them for the Wi-Fi password, and they either don't know what to tell you or it's some long string of numbers, letters, and symbols that's frustratingly difficult to input? We've all been there, but it's a problem that got solved years ago. Did you know you can easily open your Wi-Fi settings, generate a QR code with the password and network name, and let anyone scan it with their camera to instantly connect to your Wi-Fi? It's one of those tiny but wildly helpful features that not enough people take advantage of. Google added this to Android 10 in 2019, iPhone added it in 2024, and it's readily available on most phones. It's actually pretty easy, although different Android versions across brands may have slightly different processes for creating one. In general, though, here's how: head to Settings > Connections, Wi-Fi, or Internet (depending on the brand) > then find your home Wi-Fi name. Tap the gear-shaped icon on the right, then tap Share. Or, on a Samsung device, choose QR code or share the network via Quick Share. Now, any friend or family member can scan that QR code and instantly join your Wi-Fi without all the usual hoopla and hassle. I print my QR code and put it on the fridge during the holidays, and it's great. Cleaner Screenshots Get rid of on-screen controls, status bar, and battery symbols Credit: Google If you're anything like me, you take screenshots on your phone all the time for various reasons. But did you know there's a nifty little option in settings on Pixel, Galaxy phones, and more that'll let you clean up those screenshots, so the image focuses on what's important? Don't be like your uncle or grandma, who screenshots a photo and posts it to Facebook with Android's on-screen navigation buttons or endless icons in the status bar. That's messy. Instead, whatever you take a screenshot of will be only what's on the screen, with all those phone elements invisible. On a Samsung Galaxy phone, go to Settings > Advanced features > Screenshots and screen recordings > and toggle the options to hide status and navigation bars. Interestingly, on Pixel phones, this feature isn't available. Instead, you can do it using AI with the Pixel Screenshots app. Alternatively, you can open the recent apps menu and take a screenshot from there, and the status bar will be gone. Clipboard pins are so useful Save common pastes to your clipboard history Credit: Justin Duino / How-To GeekCredit: Cory Gunther / How-To Geek While Android has a built-in low-level clipboard, most of us likely interact with it through our keyboard app of choice. For many, that'll be Google's Gboard. Here's how to access your clipboard, which is the first step, but then you'll want to pin common or important things to it for easy access. There are certain things I constantly copy and paste on my phone, but as you copy a few, the old ones disappear from your clipboard and are lost forever. They don't have to, though, because you can simply pin them to the clipboard, and they'll stay there forever, ready for use. Open your keyboard, like Gboard, then tap the notepad-shaped icon above the keyboard. This is your clipboard. From here, you'll see anything you've copied recently. If it's something important, long-press the box in your clipboard, then tap Pin. And you're all set. It's a small but very helpful tip you'll probably love. Lock screen security only when you need it Extend Unlock is one of my favorite features Another game-changing feature hiding right under your nose is Extend Unlock, which actually arrived in 2014 with Android 5.0 and was called Smart Lock. So, how does it work, and why is it so cool? As the name suggests, Extend Unlock on your Android device extends the time your phone stays unlocked in situations or locations where you don't constantly need the screen locked. For example, when I'm at home or in a vehicle, I don't really need a fingerprint or password slowing me down. Extend Unlock uses trusted locations or connected devices, such as a stereo or smartwatch, or your home/work, to determine when you actually need security. As soon as you leave the house, the feature disables, and your lock screen security returns to normal. You can find Extend Unlock in the Security & privacy menu on Pixel devices and most other Android phones. Start by going to Settings > Security & privacy > More Security & privacy > Extend Unlock. On a Samsung Galaxy, head to the Lock screen and AOD menu, then select Extend Unlock. Then, simply follow the instructions, and you're all set. Honestly, this is one of Android's most underrated features, and I absolutely love it. And those are only the beginning I could talk forever about small or hidden Android features you'll love. These are just a few of many, but they're the ones I rely on all the time. There are a bunch of neat Samsung features you'll love more than the Pixel's versions, and if you have a Pixel 11, you'll love this all-new feature. Either way, dig around in your phone settings on occasion, and you'll likely find a fun feature you forgot about.