Android and iphone Tips

Our Android devices hold a large amount of information about the hardware and system that an average user might find difficult to access. But if you know the secret codes that Android uses to bring up this information, you can find out all sorts of hidden stuff about your device. For example, if the IMEI number – used to uniquely identify your device and block its use if stolen - has rubbed off the back of your phone and it isn't printed inside the battery cover, a simple button combination can bring it up on screen.  

The code entry procedure is very simple and only requires you to bring up your dialer keypad and enter the appropriate number sequence. Not every code works on every device or every version of Android, so don't despair if a particular code doesn't work for you: it's not you, it's the code. Here are the best-known codes for Android.

If you want to get your IMEI (International Mobile Station Equipment Identity) number, which is essential in case your device is stolen and you want to block the thief from accessing your network, all you have to do is dial *#06#

Ever wanted your Power button to just turn off your phone without bringing up the menu first? Enter *#*#7594#*#* to enable direct power off.

Maybe you just want to know your country code (Country Services Code or CSC), which is of course useful if you're having any problems displaying notifications or data that's based on your country, like map content. Just enter *#1234# and apparently you can change your CSC with *#272*<insert IMEI number here>* - this may not work for some

If you want your PDA, Phone, CSC, Build Time and Changelist number (useful for flashing Samsung devices in Odin for example), just enter *#*#44336#*#*

However, if you need additional testing information about your device, like phone or battery information, your usage statistics or Wi-Fi information, you can simply enter *#*#4636#*#*

Maybe you just need your Wi-Fi MAC address instead? Just enter *#*#232338#*#*

And if you want to factory reset your device (do not take this lightly – this will erase all of your data and apps) enter *#*#7780#*#* or for a hard reset (all apps, data, full reformatting of your phone, including firmware) enter *2767*3855#

Some others you might want to try:

*#*#8255#*#* to access GTalk Service Monitor
*#*#36245#*#* to access Email debug info Email
*#*#225#*#* events calendar
*#*#426#*#* debug info for Google Play Service
*#*#759#*#* to access Google Partner Setup

The list goes on, there are many other codes for all sorts of tests, resets and more - codes that allow you to quickly reach the farthest corners of your device. Here, in addition to those mentioned above, you'll find a substantial list of codes for Samsung and HTC models.

Maybe you'll never actually need them, but if one day you do you know where to find them!

Coming from the Apple side of things myself, one of the biggest issues I had when I was making the speculations was not really knowing whether Android could live up to the things that I had come to rely on with iOS. Thankfully, a little bit of research made things much simpler. In fact, I found that not only did Android have features that performed the same function as many iOS features, but in many cases, Android did it better. Here’s a list of a few common iOS features that Android can do.

Notification Center

iOS: I think it’s safe to say that Android got it right long before iOS decided to incorporate the Notification Center. While it was a nice addition to give users much more information at-a-glance, providing users with three tabs in which notifications could be sorted: Today, All, and Missed. Sure, it’s a step forward, but still relatively clunky and encumbered.

Android: The notification shade covers most of your notifications, but misses a few items. However, with the addition of Google Now, you have access to all this information and more. Super customizable, it offers you information in regards to reminders, traffic information, sports scores (depending on what you want to see), stock prices, and many more. Plus, it’s got an awesome overload of voice recognition software and the power of Google at its fingertips.

iOS: With the revamp of the Control Center in iOS 7, Apple users finally had access to a ton of quick toggle settings with a flick of their finger. Simply swiping up, you could toggle your WiFI and Bluetooth, change musical tracks, change the brightness of the display, and more.

Android: Beat iOS to the punch a long time ago with their Quick Settings. Simply swiping down from the top right corner of the screen brings up your Quick Settings notification shade that incorporates all the same settings as the iOS control center and more. Get yourself a custom ROM, such as CyanogenMod, and you can customize it even further by adding app icons/shortcuts in this space as well.

AirDrop

iOS: As long as you’ve got an iPhone 5 or later, you can use this “groundbreaking” feature. You can share photos and videos with other friends’ devices, as long as you’re close by.

Android: Available since Android 4.0, Android Beam does the exactly same thing utilizing NFC/Bluetooth. In fact, you can send maps, photos, web links, contacts, and more by just holding two NFC enabled devices back to back. As well, Samsung offers its own version of the same thing via their S Beam feature: while utilizing NFC to create the connection, it jumps over to Wi-Fi to complete the transfer.

Integrated VOIP

iOS: While many people didn’t know about this update (I sure didn’t), you could make audio only calls over Apple’s Facetime using your 4G or Wi-Fi connection. Sure, you can save money when making phone calls and not having to use your minutes, but you needed to make sure that whoever you were calling had an compatible iOS device as well.

Android: Apps. Tons and tons of Apps. While there was no integrated service that allowed for VOIP natively on Android, you could easily get a ton of different software that would do the same thing.Skype and Viber are two of the most popular apps that come to mind when using this service, and I’ve all but switched over to Skype to make long distance calls. Sure, to truly take advantage of the software, you’ll need to make sure that whoever you’re calling has the same software installed, but at least it’s cross compatible across various operating systems: Android, iOS, and Windows Mobile.