Maintaining wood floors is a top priority for homeowners across Canada, from cozy Montreal apartments to spacious Calgary houses. Hardwood and engineered wood floors are durable and stylish, but they can be vulnerable to scratches and dents. With robot vacuums becoming increasingly common, many Canadians wonder: can a robot vacuum damage wood floors? Let’s look at real-world testing, practical scenarios, and how the right vacuum can keep floors safe.
Understanding the Risk
Robot vacuums navigate your home autonomously, sweeping or mopping as they go. While convenient, wood floors are softer than tile or stone, and scratches can occur depending on several factors:
Brush Type – Hard bristles can sometimes scratch delicate floors. Soft or microfiber brushes are gentler.
Wheel Material – Rubberized wheels glide more smoothly than cheap plastic ones.
Weight and Pressure – Heavier robots may press down too hard, causing subtle abrasions over time.
Dirt and Debris – Small particles like sand or pet hair can act like sandpaper if dragged across the floor.
Real-World Testing: What Canadian Homes Reveal
Many Canadian households have put robot vacuums to the test on different types of wood floors, including maple, oak, and bamboo. Here’s what they found:
Daily Dust Cleaning – Robots with soft brushes can clean light dust without leaving marks.
Pet Hair Management – Homes with dogs like Golden Retrievers or Huskies need a vacuum that removes hair efficiently without aggressive brushing.
Furniture Navigation – Units with sensors that detect furniture and adjustable heights prevent accidental scratches on floor edges or furniture legs.
Seasonal Sensitivity – In winter, wood contracts slightly due to dry indoor air, so careful suction adjustment and smooth wheels help prevent damage.
Features That Protect Wood Floors
Modern robot vacuums have evolved to address these concerns. For Canadian homes, the following features are particularly important:
Soft Mop or Brush Options – Interchangeable mop pads designed for wood floors reduce friction and prevent scratches.
Smart Obstacle Handling – Retractable sensors and chassis lift mechanisms allow safe navigation around furniture and thresholds.
Hair and Dirt Removal Efficiency – High-suction, tangle-free systems prevent debris from dragging across the floor.
Recommended Robot Vacuum: MOVA MOBIUS 60
Among Canadian homeowners, the MOVA MOBIUS 60 Robot Vacuum stands out for wood floor safety and effective cleaning. It offers features that directly address the concerns above:
MopSwap System: Three interchangeable pads including Plush for wooden floors, ThermoHold for greasy kitchens, and HyperClean for general use.
Dynamic Suction Retention: Automatically increases suction power when encountering carpets, but gentle on hard floors, lifting dust and hair efficiently.
StepMaster 2.0: Retractable legs allow the vacuum to cross obstacles up to 3.14 inches without scraping the floor.
FlexScope Navigation: Retractable sensors adjust the height to reach under furniture and expand the field of view in open areas.
99.99% Hair Removal: Powerful 30,000Pa suction removes hair, dirt, and debris without dragging or scratching.
All-in-One Base: Automatically refills, empties, and washes mop pads with 212°F hot water, dissolving stains without harsh scrubbing.
These features make it an ideal choice for Canadian homes with mixed flooring, pets, or high traffic areas. Users report minimal risk of scratches while enjoying thorough cleaning across rooms.
Practical Tips for Scratch-Free Wood Floors
Even with a safe robot vacuum, following some precautions ensures your floors stay flawless:
Pre-Clean High-Debris Areas – Remove stones, grit, or excessive dirt before running the vacuum.
Routine Maintenance – Clean brushes, wheels, and sensors regularly to prevent debris buildup.
Use Rugs or Runners in Key Areas – Protect high-traffic zones or delicate finishes.
Smart Scheduling – Run the robot during dry conditions, avoiding damp winter slush or wet spills.
Short Test Runs – Start with small areas to check for any friction marks before full-room cleaning.
User Scenarios in Canadian Homes
Canadian homes face specific challenges that a robot vacuum must handle carefully:
Pet-Friendly Homes – The MOVA MOBIUS 60 excels at removing pet hair from floors and carpets without tangling or dragging debris.
Winter Grit Management – Dynamic suction and floor-specific pads prevent snow or sand from scratching surfaces.
Apartment Living – Flexible navigation ensures the vacuum avoids baseboards, furniture, and edges while cleaning efficiently.
Multi-Room Cleaning – Interchangeable mop pads and adaptive suction allow seamless transition between wood floors, rugs, and tiles.
Conclusion
Robot vacuums can safely maintain wood floors when chosen carefully. The MOVA MOBIUS 60 offers soft, wood-specific mop pads, adaptive suction, and smart navigation to protect your floors while providing powerful cleaning. By combining the right technology with simple precautions, Canadian homeowners can enjoy the convenience of a robot vacuum without worrying about scratches.
After setting up a new Samsung Galaxy, you should think about the apps you use and don’t use.
There are many unnecessary preinstalled apps on your phone that don’t always enhance the user experience. Therefore, it is safe to remove any bloatware and superfluous apps.
These apps clog your home screen, suck up storage space, and slow down your phone.
All of Samsung’s devices, from the most recent high-end Galaxy phones to the most affordable variants, come with these apps.
When setting your Samsung Galaxy device, stay away from adding bloatware.
You are prompted to install extra apps when you set up a new Samsung device.
Take your time and uncheck the apps you don’t need because it automatically chooses the ones on that list. This is a simple method of avoiding additional bloatware.
If not, you’ll have to take them out by hand when you decide they’re useless.
Which apps on your Samsung Galaxy phone are safe to remove or deactivate?
On a Samsung phone, deleting and uninstalling apps is simple. The Settings menu allows you to remove or deactivate the majority of apps; for others, you can use ADB commands.
Many preloaded system-related apps can be securely removed, although we don’t advise the typical user to do so.
Although these apps don’t take up much space, you may need to factory reset your phone in order to restore it if you remove the incorrect one.
Additionally, you are unable to remove or disable apps that are essential to the phone’s operation. Put them in a different folder if you want them hidden.
The popular apps that you can remove or disable from your Samsung Galaxy phone are listed below. You might see different apps than those on this list depending on your area or carrier.
Many of them are Samsung’s substitutes for Google apps like Drive or Chrome. Since they don’t interfere with how your device functions, you can safely uninstall them—especially if you like Google’s app suite.
These are some great alternatives that you can download from the Play Store if you don’t want to utilize Google or Samsung apps.
Get the best possible performance out of your new Samsung Galaxy mobile.
One of the first things you should do when configuring your Samsung Galaxy phone is to remove any unneeded software. Performance can be enhanced, particularly on low-cost Samsung phones.
Additionally, removing bloatware frees up space on your Samsung phone. Installing Good Lock modules will help you take advantage of this.
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and iPhone 17 Pro are two of the greatest phones available right now because of their incredible cameras and powerful processors. Even though these high-end flagships could be the best mobile devices available right now, getting them will cost you a fortune. Even phones that are affordable, like the Google Pixel 9A, are still expensive, and since people’s budgets are getting tighter everywhere, it’s more crucial than ever to get the most out of your purchases. Instead of updating more frequently, the simplest approach to achieve that is to just stay using your phone longer, spreading out that expensive purchase across the years.
Not only is it better for your wallet, but it’s also much better for the environment. If you upgrade your phone less frequently, fewer phones will be made and distributed, and fewer old phones will wind up in landfills. The good news is that manufacturers such as Apple, Google, Samsung, and others are extending the support period for their phones’ software updates, so the phone you purchase today will continue to be safe to use for many years to come.
You are responsible for the remainder. It takes some work, a lot of attention, and a few crucial tactics to keep your phone in good operating order for the seven or eight years of software support it may receive.
Therefore, these are the best ways to extend the life of your phone.
Update the software
Avoid using a phone that isn’t receiving security upgrades since it’s just not safe. Phones like the Google Pixel 9 series now come with seven years of software support, whereas before it was typical for many Android manufacturers to support new phones for only two to three years. Unfortunately, some less expensive phones, such as the recently released OnePlus Nord CE4 Lite, only get upgrades for a few years. When purchasing a new phone, be sure to inquire about its support duration since this will provide you with greater value during the phone’s lifetime.
Keeping your phone up to date with the most recent security update will help prevent hackers and remove any dangerous software that might infiltrate and cause your phone to lag. If you have an older phone, go to the settings menu, scroll down to Software Update, and click to see if there is an update available. Most phones will automatically ask you to install the most recent upgrades, and you sh
This also applies to your apps, which must be updated to stay compatible with the iOS or Android version you’re using. Allowing apps to update automatically in the background is a good idea, but if you don’t, make sure you’re running the most recent versions by going into your preferred app store.
Protect it with a case
If you recently purchased a brand-new iPhone, installing a case right away is the best way to preserve it physically. In addition to protecting it in the event that you drop it, it will also assist prevent it from absorbing tiny scratches from your pocket’s coins or keys.
Since there isn’t much you can do to repair your phone’s screen after it becomes damaged, a screen protector is also a smart option. You can easily change a screen protector if it gets a severe scratch, keeping the phone itself looking brand new for many years to come. When it’s time to update, keeping your phone looking new could help you sell it for more money on the used market, even if you don’t intend to keep it for many years.
Replace the battery
Over time, the battery in your phone will progressively degrade, giving it less life between charges than it did when it was brand-new. All phones are like this. Batteries in certain older phones might only provide 50% of their previous capacity. Your phone may even alert you when it senses that your battery isn’t providing enough power, in which case it may limit your processor to make up for it.
Don’t worry; most phones have a battery that is rather simple to change on your own to give it a fresh lease on life. If your battery is about to die, it could be worth trying to repair it yourself. iFixit offers a wide range of kits and third-party replacement batteries to fit a large number of phones.
If you’re not very confident with your screwdriver skills, this might be a nice alternative to think about. There are a number of places you can take your phone to have your battery replaced, or even other components like a broken screen. However, not all of them are really legitimate.
Remove old apps that you are not using anymore
Your phone is probably cluttered with thousands of pictures of your friends, pets, or the plates of food you’ve consumed over the years if you’ve owned it for a long time. You probably have a number of outdated apps and games that you downloaded on the spur of the moment, played for a few bus rides, and then switched to the newest mobile gaming craze.
In addition to negatively impacting your phone’s general performance, a shortage of storage may also make it more difficult to install important software updates. It’s worthwhile to look through your archives, remove anything from your phone that is wasting space, and backup any pictures and movies you wish to store to the cloud.
It might even be worth backing up all of your crucial data and performing a complete factory reset, starting over, and only installing the necessary apps if your phone has been slow for a long period.
Clean out your ports
Last but not least, cleaning your phone can offer unexpected benefits. Your phone may suffer greatly from pocket fluff, especially when it comes to the charging connector, which frequently becomes clogged with bits of junk. As a result, your phone won’t charge when you plug in your charger because it can’t connect completely.
It’s tempting to assume that something has broken, like the cable or the charging port itself, but it could just be that the port is overflowing with lint. To make sure your charger fits without requiring forceful wriggling, occasionally insert a wooden toothpick into the area and try to ease out any dirt or debris you notice.
To make sure you can clearly hear—and be heard—during your phone calls, it’s also worthwhile to carefully brush away any debris you may discover near the speakers and microphones with an old toothbrush that has been cleaned and dried.
You are not dreaming if your Android phone used to be blazing fast but suddenly feels slow. Android devices naturally slow down over time for a number of reasons, the majority of which are entirely resolvable without the need for third-party apps or technical know-how.
Why Android is getting slower?
📦 1. App Cache Buildup
An application, such as Instagram, YouTube, or your web browser, saves small amounts of temporary data (called cache) each time you use it so that it loads more quickly the following time. Although useful when used sparingly, this cache accumulates over time, depleting storage and occasionally making the program (or even your phone) slow.
Example: Chrome can build up hundreds of MBs in cache after a few weeks of browsing. Clearing it can noticeably improve speed.
⚙️ 2. Background Processes Piling Up
Applications do not simply launch when you use them. Multiple apps keep running in the background, syncing data, giving notifications, and even tracking position. This depletes the battery and RAM (your phone’s memory), which can affect speed.
Tip: Social media and messaging apps are the biggest offenders. If you’ve got 10+ apps running in the background, expect a performance dip.
📲 3. Unused or Pre-installed Apps
Bloatware is the term for the numerous apps that are pre-installed on your phone and frequently continue to run in the background even if you have never used them. You end up with a cluttered, overloaded system when you include the apps you downloaded, used once, and then forgot about.
You don’t have to delete everything, but disabling or uninstalling apps you don’t use makes a big difference.
🔁 4. Software Updates and Feature Overload
Software updates can be bulky, yet they are necessary for security and new functionality. Updates for apps and newer Android versions are gradually tailored for more modern hardware. This implies that all of the new features and animations may be too much for your outdated device to handle.
Ever noticed how a major Android update seems to slow your phone a bit? That’s usually why.
🗄️ 5. Low Internal Storage
For Android to function properly, it requires a buffer of free space. Your phone may begin to crawl if it is overloaded with pictures, movies, downloads, and residual program data for background processing.
Rule of thumb: Keep at least 4 GB free at all times. If you’re below that, expect slowdowns.
✅ The Good News?
You don’t need root access, expensive cleaner apps, or a trip to the repair shop. Most speed issues can be solved in just a few minutes using built-in settings.
📍 In the next section, we’ll walk through the exact steps you can take right now to get your Android device running like new again.
✅ 1. Restart Your Phone
Why it matters: Restarting your phone clears temporary files, ends frozen background processes, and resets system performance. It’s like giving your phone a fresh breath of air.
What to do:
Hold the Power button until the menu appears
Select Restart (or Power Off, then turn it back on)
📌 Do this at least once a week — it can fix lag, crashes, and battery issues instantly.
🧹 2. Clear App Cache (Not Data!)
Apps store cache to improve loading times, but too much of it can cause lag, glitches, or even crashes.
Here’s how to clear cache:
Go to Settings > Apps
Tap on an app like Chrome, TikTok, or Instagram
Tap Storage & Cache
Tap Clear Cache
⚠️ Important: Don’t tap Clear Storage/Data unless you want to log out or reset the app.
🧠 Pro Tip: Clear cache for your most-used apps once every 2–3 weeks.
📦 3. Uninstall or Disable Unused Apps
Apps you never use can:
Take up precious storage
Run silently in the background
Slow down boot times
To remove them:
Long-press the app icon > tap Uninstall
OR go to Settings > Apps > [App Name] > Uninstall
If an app can’t be uninstalled:
Tap Disable — it won’t run or consume resources anymore.
🔇 Example: Carrier apps, pre-installed games, or assistant tools you never asked for.
🛠️ 4. Reduce Animations (Developer Options)
Android’s transitions and animations may look sleek — but they can delay actions on older or budget phones.
Here’s how to disable or reduce animations:
Go to Settings > About Phone
Tap Build Number 7 times to unlock Developer Options
Go back to Settings > System > Developer Options
Scroll down to:
Window Animation Scale
Transition Animation Scale
Animator Duration Scale
Change all three to 0.5x or Animation Off
📈 Expect a noticeable speed boost — especially on devices with less RAM.
🗃️ 5. Free Up Storage Space
Storage nearing full = a major performance killer. Your phone needs free space to install updates, load files, and run background tasks.
Quick ways to free up space:
Open Files by Google > Clean to remove junk, large files, and duplicates
Go to Gallery > Albums > Downloads and delete old files
Offload videos/photos to Google Photos or an SD card
💾 Aim to keep 15–20% of your total storage free (e.g. at least 4–6 GB on a 32 GB phone).
🔋 6. Disable Background Sync & Battery Hogs
Many apps sync data constantly — even when you’re not using them.
To limit background activity:
Go to Settings > Battery > App usage
Tap on heavy apps (Facebook, Gmail, etc.)
Restrict background use or set to “Battery Optimized”
For syncing:
Go to Settings > Accounts > Auto-sync Data
Turn it off for accounts you rarely use
💡 This saves RAM and battery life — a win-win.
🔄 7. Update Android & Your Apps
Updates contain bug fixes and performance improvements. If you’re behind, you could be missing important optimizations.
Update system:
Settings > System > System Update > Check for updates
Update apps:
Open Google Play Store
Tap your profile icon > Manage apps & device
Tap Update All
🔄 Do this monthly, especially if you notice app crashes or slowness.
🧩 8. Use Lite Versions of Apps
Heavy apps = more RAM, more battery, more lag.
Try these alternatives:
Facebook Lite instead of Facebook (saves over 500 MB!)
Messenger Lite instead of Messenger
YouTube Go (lighter on data and resources)
Twitter Web via browser instead of the app
You’ll free up space and speed up daily use.
🖼️ 9. Use Static Wallpapers
Live wallpapers constantly run behind the scenes, draining battery and processing power.
Change it:
Long press on the home screen > Wallpaper & Style
Choose a static image from your gallery or system wallpapers
🌓 Tip: Dark wallpapers also save battery on AMOLED/OLED screens.
🧠 10. Try a Lightweight Launcher
Your phone’s default launcher (like Samsung’s One UI or Xiaomi’s MIUI) can be bloated and animation-heavy.
Better options:
Nova Launcher (fast, customizable)
Niagara Launcher (minimalist & smooth)
Smart Launcher 6 (lightweight & sleek)
Switching to one of these can reduce memory use and simplify your experience.
You are not alone if your Android device has started to lag. Many gadgets have the potential to slow down over time, but there are easy solutions to boost performance. Restarting the device is a quick fix that can resolve a lot of frequent problems. Clearing up cached data from websites and apps is another efficient way to increase speed and free up storage.
With the use of simple steps, you will go through the process of clearing your Android device’s cache. Depending on the manufacturer and software customisation of your Android device, the steps described may differ, but the overall procedure is the same, and this guide should help you get started.
View every application that is installed on your Android smartphone.
To easily view all of the apps on your Android phone or tablet, launch the Settings app. Scroll until you see Storage, then tap on it. Next, check for the Apps option. On some Android devices, Storage may not appear, and you can navigate directly to Apps from the Settings menu.
If you’re having trouble finding the Apps section, you can always use the search bar at the top of the Settings app to help.
When you are in the Apps area, some Android versions make it simple to view which apps use the most space. Simply hit the three-dot menu in the upper right corner and select Sort by Size.
Clear the cache of of the installed apps
Select an app from the list to remove its cache. Just a heads up: I prefer using an app you installed over a system service like Android System Intelligence. I have had inconsistent outcomes with emptying the cache of system apps, thus it is recommended to only delete the cache for apps you added yourself.
When you open an app, you will see facts such as its size, user data, cache size, and total storage usage. At the top of the page, you will find two options: Clear storage and Clear cache.
Tap Clear cache to clear the cache for that app. However, avoid tapping Clear storage because it will reset the app, requiring you to set it up again. Clearing the cache will not cause any problems.
Continue to browse your list of installed apps, checking for any programs that take up a lot of space and removing their cache.
If you are feeling particularly thorough, you might erase the cache for each app on your phone. However, it is a good idea to start with the biggest offenders, such as the Facebook app.
Clear the cache from Chrome
If Chrome is your primary browser, it may have accumulated a large amount of data, which can slow down your device. Here’s how to clear the cache.
Go to History settings in Chrome – Open the Chrome app on your Android device, press the three-dot menu in the top-right corner, click History, and then Clear browsing data.
Choose the data you want to delete – The following screen will display a selection of alternatives, allowing you to select whatever data you want to erase from Chrome.
You can also provide a timeframe for when you want the data cleared. Each option gives a brief explanation of what it does and how it may affect your browsing experience. For example, deleting cookies and site data will log you out of most (if not all) websites. Clearing cached images and files may cause Chrome to load images more slowly the next time you visit a website.
In later versions of Chrome for Android, hitting the menu button displays the option “Clear Browsing Data”. When you select this option, a popup will display, allowing you to erase browsing data for a defined time period.
If you choose More Options, you’ll be taken to the Browsing Data screen, where you can select the data to delete and choose the time range.
What does cached data mean?
Cache is temporary storage that stores data like as photos, files, and scripts from websites or apps you have visited in order to speed up their loading time. Clearing cached data, whether for Chrome or any other app, removes the files that have been kept on your device. For example, on Facebook, cached data could contain profile pictures, photos, and videos.
Deleting cached data from the Facebook app removes these temporary files from your smartphone, which may cause the program to take longer to load content the next time you use it. However, this strategy will have no effect on the accounts you visit, the postings you make, or your personal information.
Will deleting the cache remove all app data?
No, emptying an app’s cache does not destroy crucial data such as login credentials or saved settings. It merely deletes temporary files that help the app load faster, so you do not lose any important data.
Will deleting the cache make your Android device faster?
Yes, clearing the cache can free up storage and remove corrupted or outdated files that may slow down your device, leading to smoother performance.
How often should you clear your cached data?
It depends on how well your equipment performs. If you are experiencing slowdowns or other problems, emptying the cache can be part of the solution. Otherwise, you may only need to perform it once every three to six months.
Is the purpose of clearing the cache only to increase storage space?
No. Clearing the cache is one of the first steps you should take when dealing with bugs or difficulties in an app. Cached files frequently get corrupted or outdated, and removing them causes the app to reload the cache, which can resolve the issue. As a result, deleting the cache can assist solve problems rather than simply free up space.
Can you clear the cache for all Android apps simultaneously?
There is no built-in method to remove the cache for all Android apps at once, but you can browse through the list and clear each app’s cache separately.
Right now, it’s difficult to talk about Pixels without the topic eventually turning to the brand-new Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro. And it’s understandable why: both inside and out, Google’s most recent Pixel smartphones are just incredible. They have a ton of power and exciting new tricks that just ooze out of them.
But what’s this? To reward yourself to new and exciting phone features, you don’t need to be the owner of a Pixel 7. Because your device’s software is always being updated, there are tons of valuable jewels hiding beneath the surface, which is the beauty of the Pixel world. The majority of Pixel owners simply don’t notice them, or perhaps they do but quickly forget afterward.
In order to give several noteworthy Pixel features the attention they merit, today we’re going to take a step back. They should function for you regardless of whether you’re holding a Pixel 7 or an older model—even, in most circumstances, if your Pixel is too old to have received the most recent Android 13 update.
Discover some extraordinary Pixel gems by reading on, then continue the celebration by enrolling in my Pixel Academy e-course. For my favorite Android Police friends, it’s a seven-day email trip that teaches you a ton of time-saving Pixel information and is totally free.
Smarter storage
The following is a further automation-focused intellect built into your Pixel and ready to be cuddled: The technology automatically deletes duplicates of the photos and movies you’ve already backed up to Google Photos when your phone’s local storage starts to run out of room.
Of course, you can always do it on your own, but doing so requires (a) actually remembering to do it frequently and (b) spending the time to complete the process’s several manual phases. And while I don’t know about you, my brain is now made up of about 97% oatmeal, so everything I can automate to reduce the load on myself is a win in my book.
If you’ve got a current Pixel with the snazzy new Android 12 software on it, open up the Files by Google app (or go download it, if it isn’t already on your phone).
Then:
Tap the three-line menu icon in the app’s upper-left corner.
Select “Settings” in the menu that comes up.
Flip the switch next to “Smart Storage” into the on position and confirm that you want to activate the feature.
With Android 11 or earlier
If your Pixel is on an older version of Android (howdy, Pixel 2 partners!), you’ll find the same option within your phone’s system settings:
Open up your settings and tap “Storage.”
Look for the line labeled “Smart Storage.” Tap it — tap it with gusto, damn it!
Choose whether you want your already-backed-up items to be deleted when they’re 30, 60, or 90 days old.
Activate the toggle at the top of the screen.
Either way, you’ll just need to make sure you’re set to sync your photos and videos to Google Photos — by tapping your profile picture in the Google Photos app and then looking for the “Backup” line in the menu that comes up — and you’ll never have to think about your storage running low again.
Image extracting
Save yourself some time and let your Pixel make it simple the next time you need to grab a picture from someplace, whether it’s a website, a text message, a forum for earwig aficionados, or whatever the situation may be.
The Overview screen on your Pixel phone includes a secret feature that lets you take pictures almost anywhere. And all it takes to access its magic is a simple swipe and a few fast taps:\
While you’re viewing any app with a visible image, open up the Overview interface — by swiping up about an inch from the bottom of your screen and then stopping, if you’re using the current Android gestures system, or by tapping the square-shaped icon along your screen’s lower edge, if you’re still using the old legacy button-nav setup.
Touch and hold your finger onto the image within the app’s preview.
Select the option to copy, share, or save the image — or use Google Lens to analyze it, if you really want to get wild.
This will work in most any app where an image is present — even if it’s an app where you couldn’t typically save an image in any easy way (Gmail, Twitter, Earwiggalicious, etc).
Let’s all say it together now: Pixel features can be incredibly beneficial once you remind yourself of their possibilities and then learn to properly take advantage of them! (Okay, so that rallying cry might need a little work.)
Text extraction
Following up on our previous Pixel feature, your fancy Google phone can help you pull text out of practically anywhere imaginable and then copy it, share it, and search for it to your heart’s content.
What’s especially useful here is that just like with the last item, this feature works even in places where you couldn’t typically copy text — your feed in social media apps, parts of the Play Store, or even sections of your system settings.
And it’s right in the same place as the image extractor we just finished exploring:
Head back into your Pixel’s Overview area.
Touch and hold your finger onto any text in the current app’s preview — or, if you’d rather (and if your Pixel is recent enough to be running Android 10 or higher), tap the “Select” text at the bottom of the screen and then highlight the specific text you want from there.
Choose “Copy,” “Share,” or “Search” from the menu that comes up.
Smirk knowingly at any iPhone users in the vicinity.
Simple screenshots
One of the most frequent complaints I get from my fellow Android-loving primates is how difficult it may be to take a screenshot on a Pixel. ‘ See, back then, the system power-button menu on Pixels included a straightforward option to take a screenshot of the screen. But after that, Google, well, Googled. It changed that menu, and then, um, it changed it again a year later, and the choice vanished.
Hold the phone, though: If you aren’t a fan of the old-fashioned physical button mechanism for capturing a screenshot, there is still another way.
It’s right there in plain sight on that same Overview screen we were just gawking at, in fact, and yet hardly anyone seems to notice it.
Yes, that’s it; it’s down there on the screen. As long as you have Android 11 or higher, your Pixel will always offer up a “Screenshot” option directly inside its Overview interface, regardless of the program or area of Android you’re looking at. And selecting that will record whatever is visible on the screen of the active process.
The system status bar, the bottom-of-screen navigation area, and any other extraneous items won’t appear in screenshots you take in this fashion as a bonus; this is a notable and occasionally useful departure from Android’s customary physical-button screenshot-capturing method.
Tap to wake
Pixels have plenty of options for easy screen activation. Maybe you like using the always-on time and info system, for instance. Or maybe you’re more of a lift-to-check kind of Pixel owner.
Whether you’re using any of those features or not, though, your Googley phone has another useful system for waking up its display in a jiff. It harkens back to an earlier Android era, and it’s one of the Pixel’s most overlooked possibilities.
Ready? Simply press the display twice to turn on the screen of your Pixel whenever you want. Just two quick taps are all it takes to wake up your phone. The unknown!
The “Tap to check phone” option should be present on your lock screen by default, but if it isn’t, check your system settings, go to “Display,” then “Lock screen,” and see whether the option is present. If it is, you can verify that it is on and enabled. (On Pixels running previous versions of Android, you’ll need to touch “Advanced” before you can access that option, which is labeled “Double-tap to check phone.”)
Automation
Although there are many chances for advanced automation on Android, your Pixel comes with its own native rules system that can significantly increase the intelligence of your phone with hardly any work.
It’s called, rather fittingly, Rules — and with about 30 seconds of setup, it can allow your phone to change its ringing and notification behavior based on where you are or what Wi-Fi network you’re connected to at any given moment.
Here’s how to get it up and running:
Head into your Pixel’s system settings (by swiping down twice from the top of the screen and then tapping the gear-shaped icon in the lower-right corner of the panel that pops up).
Tap “System” followed by “Rules.”
Make sure the toggle at the top of the screen that says “Always allow location for Rules” is in the on position.
Look for a line that prompts you to allow the feature to run in the background. If you see that, tap it and then tap “Allow” on the confirmation that appears.
Pause to take a sip of the nearest fizzy beverage.
Tap “Add rule” and then consider your options.
Then what? That’s really up to you. For a few ideas, you could instruct your Pixel to vibrate for incoming alerts when you’re at work, make it to go into Do Not Disturb mode whenever you’re at the movies, or configure it to ring whenever you’re connected to your home network.
Smart screens
The last item in our list of overlooked Pixel characteristics is a two-parter that your eyes will like.
The screen-tinting Night Light option can be automatically activated on your Pixel based on the sunrise and sunset times in your current location or a schedule you create. In this manner, your phone’s screen will adopt a softer, less harsh type of coloring that will be easier on your eyes when night falls and the lights get faint. And as soon as morning comes around, it will switch back to the regular daytime mode.
Return to your Pixel’s system settings, select “Display,” then press “Night Light,” then “Schedule,” to configure your automated Night Light activation routine. The options to select the sunset-to-sunrise setup or to enter your own unique hours for dim-environment optimization are displayed there.
While we’re on the subject of screen intelligence, think about if your phone’s theme changing from a lighter theme during the day to a darker one at night might be a good addition to your new Night Light intelligence. For me, the two patterns—standard screen colors and a light theme during the day and Night Light and Android’s dark mode during the night—are a lovely and extremely natural pairing.
If you want to give that double-display whammy a whirl, back out to the main “Display” menu and look for the “Dark theme” line. Tap it, then tap “Schedule,” and you’ll see a selection that’s identical to the one you just configured for the Night Light.
Most people just consider cleaning up their phone when something goes wrong. While Android devices are intelligent enough that routine maintenance isn’t needed, it’s still a good idea to perform a digital tune-up every now and then. Don’t underestimate the power of keeping digitally organized—-it might just keep your phone running longer.
The trick is to find phone cleaner applications that deliver on their promises. A bad cleaner app, at best, wastes storage space; at worst, it can infect you with malware and flood you with ads. However, not all Android cleaner apps are worthless, so we’ll help you find the ones that are.
1. Files by Google
Google’s official Android file manager includes simple tools, making it the first Android junk cleaner someone can try. To access these options, launch the app and navigate to the Clean tab at the bottom.
Here you’ll see several areas that the app identifies as wasting space. These include Junk files, Duplicates, Backed up photos, and Unused apps. Select an option to look at what’s taking up the most space, check what you want to remove, and confirm to have the app take care of the rest.
While you can also use the Browse tab to explore your phone’s storage manually, letting the app weed out the biggest space hogs is more efficient.
As we’ll see, many of the apps on this list have useful cleaning features but also have RAM optimizers and other nonsense you don’t need. Files is a nice solution to these problems; it’s one of the easiest ways to clean up Android with an easy, free app that isn’t bloated with unnecessary extras.
Droid Optimizer is one of the best-known Android cleaner tools, with over a million downloads on the Google Play Store. It’s simple to use, especially for newbies, with an introduction screen that walks you through permissions and features.
It includes a “rating scale” to encourage you to keep your device in good working order. Droid Optimizer is the perfect Android cleaner for you if you don’t mind making your own smartphone shame you into better habits.
One tap is all you need to begin a phone cleanup. You’ll see your stats at the top of the screen; free space and RAM show next to your “rank” score, where you receive points for your cleanup actions.
If you’d rather set it and forget it, Droid Optimizer lets you schedule routine, automatic cleaning. This auto-cleanup will clear your cache, disable background apps, and remove any unused files. It also includes a “good night scheduler” to save energy by automatically disabling features like Wi-Fi while not in use.
Droid Optimizer can also mass-delete apps—useful if you’re looking to quickly make some space.
It’s not the most attractive app, but it works. If you’re looking for the best Android phone cleaner app and don’t want to do much of the work yourself, Droid Optimizer should be on your shortlist.
The same well-known desktop app for reclaiming disk space is also available on Android. We’ve discussed why CCleaner isn’t an essential app for Windows anymore, as it’s gone downhill somewhat since Avast acquired the service. And while the Android app isn’t perfect either, it’s better than a lot of the other spammy cleaner apps for Android.
Indeed, CCleaner on Android is a multifunctional app that does its best to analyze and clean up stray files taking up your precious space. The main function is the cleaner feature that can wipe cache data from apps, purge empty folders, and delete various histories.
It also has an App Manager, which offers a simple interface that lets you pick multiple apps for uninstallation. Lastly, the System Info page monitors your phone’s resources (CPU, RAM, device details) so you can see what’s going on at a quick glance.
There is no need for root, and it is completely free, but you can upgrade to the Pro subscription for a few extras. It may be lacking in functionality, but it does the job if all you need is a fast way to reclaim storage space on your devices.
Cleaning your phone of unwanted files is just one step in the process. What about keeping track of your battery, CPU temperature, or those annoying mobile ads? The All-In-One Toolbox, as the name suggests, will do it all.
It will clean your Android device’s temporary files, wipe your cache, and delete empty folders and orphaned files. It only takes one tap to examine your system, followed by another to uninstall, and you’re done. It’s the same mechanism in other parts of the app.
The Boost function cleans your system cache and closes background apps, again with two taps. You can set this automatically with the Boost+ function if you’d prefer, but doing so requires an in-app purchase. If you’re running out of juice, the Battery Saver section is another background task killer (see below for a warning on this), but it also provides your current battery statistics.
If that wasn’t enough, there’s also a mass app deleter, advanced file cleaning tools, and Wi-Fi analysis. As its name promises, All-In-One Toolbox tries to do it all. Like Droid Optimizer, there’s also a ranking system to encourage regular use.
SD Maid claims to be “at your service” as the digital cleaner for your Android phone. It keeps the experience simple—opening up the app gives you four quick action features you can use to “tidy up” your device.
The first, CorpseFinder, searches for and erases any orphaned files or folders left over from deleting an app. SystemCleaner is another search-and-delete tool, this time looking for common files and folders that SD Maid believes it can safely delete.
If this sounds appealing, AppCleaner does the same thing with your games. To use this feature, you must first upgrade SD Maid Pro. There’s even a Databases section to further simplify any app databases in use—-in our test, this cleared 40MB from Spotify.
There are also tools for storage analysis (to help you find and delete big files) and mass app removal if you’re looking at a bigger phone tune-up.
Aside from CCleaner (owned by Avast), none of these cleaner apps come from top-tier security firms. The search for the best cleaning app for Android can’t conclude without mentioning Norton Clean, the Android little brother of the famous Norton Antivirus from Symantec.
Norton says that it will “clear the clutter” from your Android computer. It will scan for and wipe your cache, delete any junk files, and assist you in quickly removing any unused applications you have installed, just like the other entries. The Manage Apps section lists all of your apps and allows you to group them by last use, installation date, or storage use.
The software takes a straightforward approach. Norton Clean has one of the cleanest, strongest, and most modern-looking user interfaces as compared to the other entries. Anything you need is just a few taps away, so you don’t need to be an Android expert to find it out.
It’s lacking in functionality, consisting only of a file cleaner and app remover, with popular advertisements for other Norton applications. If you’re concerned about space, Norton Clean is simple enough to use to help you reclaim it. There are no in-app purchases or subscriptions to think about.
Regular maintenance isn’t vital for most Android users, but it can help to keep your device running smoothly. Yes, it’s true—your device should keep running even if you don’t spend time clearing out junk. Most modern Android devices have plenty of RAM and device storage to cope with anything you have installed or saved. You shouldn’t need to spend your days clearing app cache, either.
That said, if you notice there’s a problem with your Android device, an Android cleaner could perk it up a little. If that doesn’t work, you might need to try manual cleaning next.
