Hacking Emperor

Google has a few hidden tools you might not have discovered yet, and they work in Google Search, in the Google app, and with Google Assistant — on both iPhone and Android phones. We all know smartphones do much more than make phone calls. They serve as cameras, GPS navigators, music players, portable televisions, web browsers, and even flashlights, making other gadgets that serve those singular purposes nearly obsolete. But your phone can replace other tools, such as dice, guitar tuners, and bubble levels, with assistance from Google. And you don't need to install an app to access them... more http://dlvr.it/Sg7g1M

It's easy to copy text from webpages, messages, documents, and other views on your Android device — except when it isn't. Many apps block or prohibit text selection, forcing you to take screenshots or write out the whole excerpt manually. But you don't have to resort to those methods since there's a simple workaround to selecting and copying text from uncooperative apps. With the workaround, you can select and copy text strings, text from within images, and web addresses for any app found in your Recents screen, sometimes referred to as the Overview screen, Android's task-switching interface... more http://dlvr.it/Sg1nWT

YouTube has offered viewers a video queue on desktop browsers for some time, and the world's most popular video site is preparing to finally bring the queue feature to its Android and iOS mobile apps. Here's the rub: the mobile queue for YouTube videos is still in its testing phase. But there is a way you can try it out right now, though, if you don't mind using experimental features before they're ready for prime time. Don't Miss: How to Unlock YouTube's New Ambient Mode for a More Immersive Experience (Or Disable It if You Don't Like It) Step 1: Update the YouTube App You'll need to be a... more http://dlvr.it/SfdjMS

When you expect to take photos of landmarks, buildings, landscapes, and other outdoor scenery with clear blue skies in the background, you may end up with nothing but overcast weather, resulting in a completely different mood in your pictures. Instead of forgetting about all your images with dreary gray skies, try turning those grays to blues for happier, more shareable photos. To brighten the skies in your pictures, we'll use the easy sky editing tools in the Google Photos app for Android and iOS. The sky filters are free if you have a Google Pixel smartphone, but you'll need a Google One... more http://dlvr.it/SfRXVk

If you're doing the same tasks on your Android phone repeatedly each day — like playing a specific playlist at the gym, viewing work documents, or watching your favorite music video — you can save some time by automating your routine, turning each task into a one-tap gesture on your home screen. To perform certain actions or open apps to specific views — even make your phone speak common phrases you use daily — Google has Action Blocks, which can turn any Google Assistant command into a one-tap widget on your home screen. While the app is intended to be an accessibility solution to provide... more http://dlvr.it/SfLdLq

With all the high-tech wizardry available on modern smartphones, the low-key most practical tool is arguably the flashlight. If you own a Google Pixel model, it's finally easier to turn the flashlight on and off from anywhere. On Android 12, you can swipe down from the top of the Lock Screen to open Quick Settings and toggle the flashlight switch. You can do the same from your Home Screen or from within any app, but it may take you two swipes or a two-finger swipe if the flashlight isn't immediately visible. If you don't mind talking to Google Assistant, that may be a more favorable way to... more http://dlvr.it/Sf6vrK

Emoji characters make messaging more fun, and Google has continuously added convenient and fun ways to insert playful symbols into your conversations using Gboard. After getting Emoji Kitchen in early 2020, we now have Emojify, a tool that automatically adds emoji to your message drafts. Like Emoji Kitchen, which lets you cook two different emoji characters into a single sticker, Emojify is for Android devices only, so you won't find the feature in Gboard's app for iPad and iPhone. For many Android devices, Gboard comes preinstalled; You can update it from the Google Play Store if an update... more http://dlvr.it/Sf1WHL

Emoji characters give you a multitude of colorful characters to express yourself with on social media and within messages, and stickers give you even more symbols to play with. While Android and iOS both have a healthy arsenal of emoji and stickers, Android goes a step further for even more emoji madness. If you prefer Google's on-screen keyboard — Gboard — over other keyboards on your Android phone or tablet, you have access to Emoji Kitchen. Google's emoji cooker came out in early 2020, but it keeps improving with each new update. With Emoji Kitchen, you can create unique stickers by... more http://dlvr.it/Sdz4kN

For whatever reason, you may want or need to remove multiple posts from your Instagram grid. If you only have a couple to hide from the public, archiving or deleting posts one by one is fine, but there's a much faster way when you have tens or even hundreds of Instagram posts to purge from your account. Maybe you have too many bar crawl photos and are on the job hunt. Perhaps you need to pull a Lacuna and erase the painful memories of a former significant other. Or it could be that you remembered some memes you posted a while back that could be considered ... uh ... problematic. To archive... more http://dlvr.it/SdxsBH

Google Photos is not only an exceptional cross-platform app for photo storage but also a handy tool for generating and creating collages, movies, and animations from your photos and videos. When it comes to collages, you can now customize them and dress them up with vibrant templates. The new custom collage styles first appeared in September 2022 and featured designs from artists like Shantell Martin and Lisa Congdon. An update on Dec. 1 added designs from more artists, such as DABSMYLA and Yao Cheng Design. Don't Miss: See All the Pictures You've Taken with an Interactive Heat Map in Google... more http://dlvr.it/Sdlg38

It's that time of year again. No, not the holiday season … the "share your year in music listening" season. And no matter which music streaming service you use, there's a way to find and share (or not share) your activity from 2022. Since Spotify unveiled its Wrapped campaign in 2016, social media feeds have been flooded with friends and family eager to show off their music tastes (or lack thereof). But you don't have to be a Spotify listener to participate. If you use Apple Music, YouTube Music, or Deezer, there are yearly reviews for you too. As for Amazon Music and Tidal, you're more... more http://dlvr.it/SdjFv7