Phone and Tablet Tips Try apps before installing them
Brilliant things to do on your device
ANDROID & IOS Find the quickest route if you have mobility problems
Google recently added ‘wheelchair support’ as a new category in Google Maps. This feature is great for finding the quickest way to get from A to B if you have limited mobility. At present, the feature is only available in London in the UK, but Google has promised to add more locations soon.
To use the feature, open Google Maps (default on Android; IOS www.snipca. com/27373), type your destination in the search bar at the top, then select the correct autosuggest option in the list. Next, tap the Directions button at the bottom, then Options at the top right.
If your route caters for wheelchairs, you’ll see the option under Routes at the bottom (see screenshot below left). Select that option, then tap Done. You’ll now see the quickest route and the time it takes. Tap the route to get directions.
ANDROID & IOS Check how long an article will take to read
There are several free apps that let you save web articles to read later (offline) at your convenience. Pocket is our particular favourite. The app has now added an indication of how long each article will take you to read beside the name of the article’s source (see screenshot below). This is handy if you’re travelling and would like to know which article (or how many) you’ll have time to read before you reach your destination.
First, install and open the app (Android www.snipca.com/27374; IOS www. snipca.com/27375) and create an account. You can save any web article that’s open in your browser app by tapping the Share menu and selecting Pocket.
You can also save articles on your PC to Pocket with one click by installing the ‘Save to Pocket’ browser extensions in Chrome ( www.snipca.com/ 27376), Firefox (default) and Microsoft Edge ( www.snipca.com/27377).
ANDROID & IOS Delete sent Whatsapp messages for up to an hour
In Issue 515’s Phone and Tablet Tips, we covered Whatsapp Messenger’s (Android www.snipca.com/27378; IOS www.snipca.com/27379) new feature that lets you delete messages that you’ve recently sent. At that time, you could only delete messages within seven minutes of being sent. This limit has now been extended to an hour.
The process for deleting a text you’ve sent is as before. Open the relevant contact/group conversation. Tap and hold the message, tap the bin icon, then tap ‘Delete for Everyone’ (see screenshot above right). The contact/group members will see a ‘This message has been deleted’ notification in place of your message.
ANDROID Try apps and games before installing them
Google’s Play Store now offers a no-commitment trial of some apps (including games) without the need to install them. This is a great way to find out if you like an app before you allow it onto your device. Even better, you won’t need to create an account or enter personal details for the app. You simply start using it, then – if you like it – install it with one tap. Once you’ve installed it, you may be prompted to create an account if the app requires it.
Currently only a few apps support this feature, but more will be added. If you see an app in the Play Store with the Try Now button (see screenshot below), tap this to open the app. The content will load and you’ll be able to use it as normal. The Install button at the top lets you install the app if you like it.
IOS Use the new scrolling feature to read Amazon ebooks
Amazon has added some useful new features to its Kindle app on ipads ( www.snipca.com/27381). You can now scroll through ebooks when reading them and IOS 11’s Split Screen Mode lets you read your ebook while having another app open.
By default, you need to swipe right or left to turn pages in the app, but you can now use the new scrolling mode instead. To enable the mode, tap More at the bottom of the app, then Settings. Here, you’ll see options to switch to Dark Mode, enable page-turn animations and display the time while reading.
Next, tap the Continuous Scrolling slider (see screenshot right), the X icon at the top right, Library at the bottom, then select the ebook you want to read. To switch off scrolling for a particular ebook, tap anywhere on the screen, tap the ‘Aa’ icon at the top right, then tap the Continuous Scrolling slider at the bottom.
To use Split Screen View to open another app while reading, swipe up from the bottom of your screen to see your other apps. Tap and hold the one you want to open, then drag it to the right or left side of your device. You’ll see both apps side by side. You can adjust the position of the divider between both apps depending on how you are using each one.