Top 5 Tricks You Didn’t Know You Could Do with Smartphones
If you’ve recently purchased the latest smartphone in the Philippines, you’re probably looking forward to trying out all its nifty features. After all, smartphones have developed at an unprecedented rate, bringing cutting-edge technology straight to your fingertips. Besides texting and making calls, you can use your phone to watch all your favorite digital content, access social media accounts, play games, as well as take high-quality photos and videos. With a variety of amazing features and digital applications to download, the possibilities are endless.
In fact, there are so many possibilities that it would be difficult to exhaust them all. There may even be some things you probably didn’t know your phone could do. With the help of digital applications, you can turn your phone into a metal detector, heart monitor, QR code scanner, and leveler with just the press of a button. You can even use your phone camera to check the battery level of your television’s remote control. If you want to learn more about these lesser-known yet extremely useful capabilities, below are five things that you can use your smartphone for:
Detect Metal Objects
Nothing is more frustrating than dropping a small metal object and struggling to look for it. Whether you misplaced a needle in a pile of fabrics, dropped a screw while making some repairs, or lost a small piece of jewelry, searching for them can be a pain. Thankfully, you can easily detect metal objects using your smartphone.
There are a number of downloadable applications that can turn your phone into a mini metal detector. These apps use the pre-installed magnetometer in your phone’s hardware to detect metal. Once an item is detected, your phone will vibrate or emit a sound to alert you. Of course, the use of a magnetometer means that your phone can only detect magnetic materials. However, it still serves its purpose well and can be a big help when you’re searching for common household items.
Check the Battery Level of Your Remote Control
A remote control that runs out of battery can be annoying when you’re binge-watching your favorite TV shows. Sadly, most television remotes don’t come with a clear visual indicator of their current battery levels. They do, however, have an infrared light at their top end, which allows them to wirelessly connect to your television. This infrared light can also inform you of your remote’s battery level, but only if you use the right tool—your smartphone.
More specifically, you can use its built-in camera to detect the battery level. First, point your remote’s infrared light towards your phone’s front-facing camera. Then, press and hold any of your remote’s buttons and carefully observe your phone’s camera screen. If you see a pink-purple light coming from the remote’s infrared, that means it still has enough battery power. If not or if the light is dim, that’s an indication that your remote’s batteries need to be replaced.
Monitor Your Heart Rate
If you frequently exercise, you need to keep track of your heart rate throughout your fitness regimen. You can use a manual heart rate monitor for this, but a smartphone app will offer more convenience.
Some heart rate monitor apps use your phone’s camera to detect color changes caused by your pulses. Others use the sensor on a phone’s home button to identify pulses. Simply place a finger on your smartphone’s camera or home button and let the app do the rest of the work. Besides fitness buffs, people with heart conditions can also benefit from using their smartphones to carefully monitor their health.
Scan and Read QR Codes
Most smartphone cameras can read QR codes without the help of an external application. This will come in handy on more than one occasion, as QR codes have become the norm for accessing specific digital information or materials. You can find them on brochures, tickets, menus, and sign posts, among many others. To scan any QR code, just open your phone’s camera app and point it towards the code. Your camera should instantly read it and give you a prompt to visit a designated website or download information. If it doesn’t, be sure to check your phone’s camera settings and enable its QR code scanning function.
Level Objects
Whether you’re working on a DIY project or simply trying to straighten your picture frames, you’ll need to use a leveler to ensure that everything is balanced. If you don’t have a leveler on hand, don’t fret. You can use your smartphone by downloading an app. Most leveler apps have both a portrait and a landscape mode. You can even go hands-free and place your phone on a stable surface. Now you’ll never have to worry about skewed furniture or unevenly mounted frames again.
The amazing capabilities mentioned above are proof of how versatile your phone can be. Indeed, smartphones have become multi-functional tools that you simply can’t live without. By familiarizing yourself with your phone’s full range of features and capabilities—especially the lesser-known ones—you can ensure that you’re using it to the fullest for years to come.