Tips n Tricks Android: Ice Cream Sandwich

Ice Cream Sandwich

Android 4.0 (as found on the Galaxy Nexus) is still pretty new, and I’m sure we’ll gather more tips over the next few months, but here’s what we have for now.

8. Tweak Your Home Screens

If you’ve rooted your handset, you can use Trebuchet Launcher to remove the persistent search
bar and adjust the number of homescreens.

Alternatively, you can use Nova Launcher, which doesn’t require root. However, without rooting, you won’t be able to view widgets in the App Drawer.

9. Enable Near Field Communications

Enable NFC by opening Settings > Wireless & Networks > More, then checking NFC. 

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10. Monitor Your Data Usage

Check your data usage by going to Settings > Wireless & Networks > Data Usage. You’ll see a breakdown of all data transfers and you can tap any app to see how much data that specific app is using.

You can also set a 3G limit here; after this point, 3G data will automatically be disabled – useful for anyone on a restricted plan.

11. Easily Create Folders

On any home screen, create a folder by dragging and dropping one app on top of another. To rename the folder, tap it, then tap the name.

12. Resize Your Widgets

For widgets that support resizing, you can long-press the widget on your home screen to make controls appear; drag these to change the width and height.

13. Use the Audio Equalizer

There’s an audio equalizer built in to the stock music player. Just hit Now Playing > Sound Effects to open it.