Google Nexus 4 Tips and Tricks

LG Google Nexus phone was hard to obtain as the Holy Grail at present, as its demand always outnumber its supply.

Now when new Google Nexus 5 few months away from release featuring Android Key Lime Pie, we have enough hand on experience on its predecessor to bring our readers plenty of Google Nexus 4 Tips as well as some wonderful Nexus 4 Tricks.

Since, these Nexus 4 tutorials are based on latest version of Android smartphone operating system software, most of these Nexus 4 tricks will be relevant for other phone devices that are running Android 4.2 Jelly Bean.

Google Nexus 4 Tips and Tricks

Here under are 25 handy Google Nexus 4 tips and tricks, which will enable you to get the most out of your quad-core smartphone device:

1. Trace to type on Nexus 4

   One of Android 4.2's most significant new features is its trace-to-type keyboard. If you've used Swype in the past you'll know what to expect. Instead of tapping on each key to write
   something, you merely draw a line over the letters in sequence and lift your finger from the screen to add a space and move onto the next word. To enable it, go to Settings > Language and Input, and select the Android Keyboard option. Make sure 'Enable Gesture Typing' is ticked, and you're away.
   
   

2. Take a screenshot on Android 4.2

   There are times when you just want to capture what's on your phone's screen, so you can keep a record of it or show it to others at a later date, and thankfully this functionality comes baked into Android these days. Simply hold the Volume Down and Power buttons at the same time.
   
   

3. Share things instantly with Android Beam on Google Nexus 4

   Thanks to the inclusion of a NFC chip inside the Nexus 4, you can share data simply by holding your phone next to a compatible device. If you know someone else with a NFC-packing handset -- such as the Nexus S or the Galaxy Nexus -- you can use this feature to display things directly on their screen. If you're viewing a Web page, for example, or a Google Play listing, you can show your friend by beaming the same page to their device, instantly.
   
   

4. On Android 4.2 Access Quick Settings even more quickly

   Android 4.2 boasts a new Quick Settings menu, which can be accessed from the Notifications pane. By dragging the pane down with two fingers however, you jump straight to the Quick Settings option.
   
   

5. Take 360 degree images with Photo Sphere on Nexus 4

   Panoramic photos are so last year, man. The Nexus 4 can take 360-degree shots, thanks to its unique Photo Sphere option. It takes a while to compose the image as you have to take multiple shots, but the end result is unique to say the least.
   
   

6. Nexus 4 Lock screen Widgets

   Yet another new feature for Android 4.2 is lock screen widgets. From your lock screen you can take photos, browse your emails and check calendar appointments -- all without having to unlock your Nexus 4. This is especially handy if you use a gesture or passcode to secure you phone, as it saves you from having to input it every time you receive an email.
   
   

7. Secure Android phone with Face Unlock

   One of Android's unique functions, Face Unlock allows you to access your device using nothing but your face. To enable it, go to Settings > Security > Screen Lock and select 'Face Unlock'.
   
   

8. Type using your voice on Nexus 4

   Speech-to-text isn't anything new in the world of mobile phones, but its application in Android is possibly the best we've yet seen. Accuracy is very impressive indeed, and text is generated on the fly -- you don't have to wait for the Nexus 4 to convert your speech at the end of each sentence. To access this feature, simply tap the microphone symbol at the bottom of the Android Keyboard.
   
   

9. Monitor Nexus 4 battery life

   Since Android 4.0, Google fans have enjoyed robust battery monitoring features. By visiting Settings > Battery, you can see how long it has been since your Nexus 4 was last charged and spot processes which are consuming a large amount of power. This allows you to take steps to conserve the juice within the phone's 2,100mAh battery, such as dimming your screen or switching off non-essential services.
   
   

10. Charge your Nexus 4 on Qi wireless

    Although it's not available yet, the Nexus 4 has its own wireless charging station, which tops up the phone's battery using induction charging technology. Thankfully, there are alternatives if you're fed up of waiting for Google and LG to get their collective acts together, such as the Philips Qi Charging Pad.
    
    

11. Get traffic reports with Google Now on Nexus 4

    Google Now is Android's answer to Apple's Siri, and is so powerful that it starts offering assistance even if you don't ask it to. Once you 'opt in' to the Google Now experience, it will track your movements and look for patterns. If it sees your regular work trek repeated over a week, it will ask if you wish to mark your place of employment. From that moment onwards, Google Now will offer traffic reports and estimated journey times to and from work, allowing you to plan in advance if you see any potential issues.
    
    

12. Make your Nexus 4 screen smarter

    Screebl is one of the first applications I download whenever I move to a new Android device. It uses your accelerometer to tell when you're holding the phone and looking at the
    screen, and disables the timeout. This means you don't have to keep prodding the display to prevent it from sleeping if you're reading a web page or other content. When you rest the phone down on a flat surface, Screebl quickly puts the display to bed. Genius.
    
    

13. Nexus 4 automatic back up of photos

    Google+ may not have taken the social networking world by a storm, but the Android application has one fantastic use -- it boasts an option, which allows you to automatically upload photos you've taken on your Nexus 4 to your Google+ account in the cloud. Even if you lose your device, you won't lose all those valuable memories.
    
    

14. Expand and collapse notifications on Nexus 4

    Android's notifications menu has become a pretty powerful feature lately, allowing you to seethe contents of individual messages, such as emails or texts. To expand a notification, hold your finger on it and swipe downwards. To collapse, perform the same gesture but after you slide your finger down a little, slide it back up the screen.
    
    

15. Clean up Google Nexus 4 home screens

    Even with five different home screens, things can become crowded on your Nexus 4 if you're download-happy. A way of getting around this is to group apps into folders. All you
    have to do is press and hold down on an app, and then drag and float it over another app -- this will create the folder. Tapping a folder expands it and displays the contents within, and tapping the name of the folder will allow you to give it a more suitable moniker.
    
    

16. Quick Silence Nexus 4 phone

    For those moments when holding down the volume button just isn't a quick enough way of shutting up your phone, you can hold down the Nexus 4's power button briefly to bring up a
    separate menu. From here you can put your phone into silent or vibrate mode with a single tap, saving your blushes during important meetings.
    
    

17. Access your music from the cloud

    Google Music is now available in the UK, and the Nexus 4 is the first phone to benefit from this expansion. You can upload your songs using your PC and then access them from the pre-installed Google Music application on your new Nexus 4 phone. If your music doesn't show, check the app settings to ensure that it's been synced with your relevant Google account.
    
    

18. View your Google Play library from your home screen

    Introduced with the launch of the Nexus 7 tablet earlier this year, the Google Play library widget gives a snapshot of the most recent movies, music and books you've either purchased or accessed recently. As well as looking rather fetching, it allows you to quickly jump back into content you've enjoyed over the past few days. You can place the widget on any of your five home screens by selecting it from the Application Drawer.
    
    

19. Sync your Phone bookmarks with Google Chrome

    The default Android browser has officially been retired in 4.2, and Google's Chrome browser now takes center stage. If you use Chrome on your desktop (or any other device, for that matter) you can sync your web activity with your Nexus 4.
    
    

20. Put your Nexus 4 into a Daydream

    Daydream is another new facet of Android 4.2. It allows you to display content on your Nexus4 screen either when it's docked or simply charging at the mains. You can have it show a
    clock, fancy colors, content pulled from your Google Currents account or even a selection of photos.
    
    

21. Monitor your data usage on Google Nexus 4

    If you're on a contract which stipulates a fair usage policy on your data allowance, then you'll want to make use of this feature as much as possible. Go to Settings > Data Usage and you'll be shown a graph, as well as a list, of the most data-hungry apps. You can disable apps which you feel are eating too many megabytes, and even set a monthly limit to ensure you never blast over your allowance.
    
    

22. Google Nexus 4 Power control

    It's one of Android's most useful widgets and should be on every self-respecting owner's home screen -- the Power Control widget allows you to toggle features such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, auto-sync and screen brightness, all with a single tap.
    
    

23. Easy Voice Dialing with Phonetic names to contacts

    Even though Android's voice recognition is pretty nifty, it can struggle with names, which could lead to some potentially embarrassing accidental calls when you're using voice dialing. Thankfully, you can now add phonetic names to contacts so voice dialing knows the difference between your mum and Mama's Pizza.
    
    

24. Increase Nexus 4 Battery Life by enabling auto-brightness

    When you're using your phone in a darkened room, the brightness of your screen doesn't have to be eye meltingly intense, so it’s a good idea to switch on auto-brightness. By monitoring the level of light in the room, your Nexus 4 can determine how high luminous the screen needs to be, potentially saving your battery from needless drain.
    
    

25. Set Android 4.2 Apps to Auto update

    When you've got a shed-load of applications on your Nexus 4, manually installing updates can be a pain. Thankfully, there’s a way of automatically downloading and installing updates
    without having to lift a finger. Go to the Google Play market and select an app, then check the box which says 'Allow automatic updating'.