If you’re lost and don’t know much about your new Nexus 9, then you don’t need to worry. Whenever I buy a new Android device, it takes me several days to get used to the interface and to learn about all its features. If you’re looking to make the most from your Nexus 9, then continue reading to find out the best tips and tricks for Nexus 9.
1. Add Guests
One of my favorite features on Android Lollipop is Guest Mode and if you’re a fan of LG’s Guest Mode feature, then you’ll love this feature even more. Guest Mode lets you create separate guest profiles for others and they can then log into their accounts and use the tablet normally without accessing your personal data. This is a great way to protect your data if people borrow your device often. To enable Guest Mode, tap on the User icon and select the Add guest option. You’ll now be able to create a separate guest profile.
2. Set Up Restricted Users
This feature is similar to Guest mode and you can use this for your kids. You can add a name and photo for the restricted user and can then select the apps that will be accessible to the restricted user. So for instance, you can select certain games for your kids and they won’t be able to do anything else on the device. In order to set up a restricted user, go to Users in Settings and tap on Add user or profile. Select Restricted profile in order to add a new restricted profile.
3. Screen Pinning
Screen Pinning is another great feature that lets you lock the screen to an app, so you can give your tablet to others without worrying that they may use another app or access personal data on your tablet. Tap on Security in Settings, go to Screen Pinning and enable it. Open an app on your tablet, press the Overview button and swipe from the bottom to the centre. Press the Pin button. In order to unpin the screen, you’ll need to press the Back and Overview buttons simultaneously.
4. Manage Notifications
If you’re annoyed of apps notifying you of useless things, then you can easily manage your app notifications and block the notifications that bother you. Go to Settings, select Sound & notification and tap on App notifications.
5. Use Battery Saver
Battery life on some Android devices is probably the biggest issue that most users face. The device can have the best software and hardware features, but if the battery life is poor, you can’t really enjoy those features. Fortunately, you can enable the Battery Saver mode on the Nexus 9 in order to improve your tablet’s battery life. Go to Settings, select Battery, tap on the Menu button and select Battery saver. You can also check out our list of some cool battery saving apps.
6. Smart Lock
Smart Lock is a unique feature that you can enable on your Nexus 9 in order to avoid manually unlocking your tablet every time you want to use it. Smart lock automatically unlocks the device based on your own preferences so your tablet will stay unlocked when it’s safe. You can set up three different options including trusted face, trusted devices and trusted places. Trusted face is similar to the old face unlock feature while trusted places and devices are new features that will unlock your tablet if it is at a safe place or near a safe device. For setting up Smart lock, go to Settings, tap on Security and select Smart lock.
7. Interruptions
If you want your Nexus 9 to stay silent during a specific time period and want to set up certain exceptions, then you can use the interruptions option. This way, you’ll be able to get some good sleep and you will only get interrupted by important notifications. The way this works is that you can set up certain priority notifications that will get through while other notifications will be blocked. Go to Sound & notification in Settings and tap on Interruptions.
8. Restore Apps And Data
One of the coolest features on the Nexus 9 is its restore feature. While setting up your device, you’ll see the Get your apps & data screen after logging into your Google account. You will then be presented with backups of your old Android devices that were backed up using the same Google account. On the Get your apps & data screen, select your previous Android device below the Restore from this backup tab in order to restore the backup from that device.
9. Quickly Disable Notifications
If you want to quickly disable notifications from an app, you can easily do so directly from the notifications panel. Long press on the notification, tap on the icon next to the notification and enable the Block option.
10. Play Hidden Flappy Bird Clone Game
If you’re a fan of the popular Flappy Bird game, then you’ll love the hidden Flappy Bird Clone game on the Nexus 9. The game is quite similar to the original Flappy Bird game and features Lollipops instead of pipes. Go to About tablet in Settings and keep tapping on Android version until you see a Lollipop on the screen. Long press on the Lollipop and the game will automatically begin.
11. Double Tap To Wake
You can double tap on the Nexus 9’s screen in order to turn the screen on. The same double tap also works for sleep.
12. Use Surround Sound
You can enable surround sound in the Google Play Movies & TV app. Swipe from the left in the Google Play Movies & TV app and select Settings. Check Enable surround sound.
13. Set An Account Photo
In order to set up your account photo, tap on the User icon and select More Settings. Go to your account and you’ll see an option to change your picture.
14. Ok Google Always On
Ok Google is a great new feature and you can give a command to your tablet after saying Ok Google. The great thing is that you can enable Ok Google as always on so even when your device is locked, you can still give commands. Go to Voice in Google Settings, select “Ok Google” Detection and enable the Always on option.
15. Access Camera From Lock Screen
If you want to access the camera quickly from the lock screen, simply swipe from the right to the left and this will bring up the camera.
16. Easily Switch Between Launchers
If you have any third party launchers installed on your tablet, go to Home in the Settings app in order to quickly switch to a different launcher. Press the Home button and you’ll see the new launcher.
17. Take A Screenshot
Taking screenshots on the Nexus 9 is exactly the same as taking screenshots on most other Android devices. Go to the screen that you want to capture and hold the Power and Volume Down buttons simultaneously. Once the screenshot is taken, you’ll see a notification on the screen.
18. Change Font Size
In order to change your font size, go to Display in Settings and select Font size.
19. High Contrast
To enable higher contrast in text, go to Accessibility in Settings and enable the High contrast text option.
20. Install APK Files
There are many great apps that are not available on the Google Play Store, but you can still install them on your Nexus 9. Installing the APK file is easy as you just need to open it. Before installing any APK file, go to Security in the Settings app and enable the Unknown sources option.
21. Connect A USB Mouse Or Keyboard
The Nexus 9 is already quite powerful and you can make it more like a PC by connecting a USB mouse or keyboard. You’ll need to buy a USB OTG adapter and you can then connect a USB mouse or keyboard to your tablet.
22. Search In Settings
In order to search in the Settings app rather than browsing through different menus, simply press the magnifying glass button.
Conclusion
There is absolutely no need to worry if you feel lost using your Nexus 9. It might take a while in order to feel comfortable and the tips and tricks mentioned above should help you get started. These tips and tricks for Nexus 9 are not only for users who are using Android for the very first time, but they’ll also benefit users who have been using the Android operating system for a while. If you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below and let us know about your favorite hidden tips and tricks for Nexus 9.
