Ah, the holidays. No matter what manner of winter celebration you prefer (I’m a Festivus man myself), late December is a fine time for kickin’ back and collecting your thoughts for the coming year.
That means it’s also a fine time for contemplating that crazy little computer in your pocket and the steps you can take to make it even more powerful — ’cause guess what? A few minutes of tuning up now will make your life measurably easier throughout all of 2026. Think of it as a gift to yourself — one that keeps on giving and, best of all, doesn’t cost you a single dime.
In case you missed any of ’em the first go-round or maybe just didn’t have the time to try everything out, here are some of my favorite productivity-boosting Android tips from Android Intelligence in 2025.
So pour yourself some cocoa, polish up the ol’ Festivus pole, and give yourself the gift of finely tuned technology — and be sure to sign yourself up for my free Android Intelligence newsletter, too, so you can get my best Android tips in your inbox all year round (and get a free copy of my awesome Android Notification Power-Pack the second you sign up!).
Paste these pro-level time-savers into your personal memory and start flying around your phone like never before.
Google’s Gboard Android keyboard has some spectacular systems for improving your text input experience. Ready to become a total typing pro?
Time to embrace the full power of Android’s voice-to-text intelligence.
These power-user secrets will make it faster than ever to activate Android’s Do Not Disturb mode — anytime, anywhere.
Your device’s Do Not Disturb setup is packing some powerful new punch — but it’s up to you to figure out how to embrace it.
There’s so much more to Android’s split-screen system than what you see on the surface.
Forget all the generative-AI silliness for a second: Gemini has some genuinely practical purposes on Android — if you know what to ask.
Some of the most important Android security settings are also the most buried — and they’re well worth your while to uncover.
Some simple adjustments can make your favorite phone feel even snappier.
Prepare to become a total mobile-tech magician.
We all love getting new gadgets, but what to do with the old ones? Here are 25 clever ways to put all your old Android phones and tablets to good use, too.
Thanks as always for reading, and happy holidays to you and yours!
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JR Raphael is obsessed with productivity and finding clever ways to make the most of modern technology. He’s written about almost everything imaginable at some point — including even construction, crime, and climate in his past life as a TV news producer — but these days, he’s known primarily for his unmatched analysis of Google’s Android and ChromeOS platforms (both of which he’s covered closely since their starts) along with his knack for digging up off-the-beaten-path tech tips and treasures.
JR writes Computerworld’s Android Intelligence column — the internet’s longest-standing Android column and one he’s conducted since its inception way back in 2010 — along with a variety of practical pieces about business productivity. That aside, he’s the founder and editorial director of The Intelligence, where he waxes poetic with his calorie-packed Android Intelligence newsletter (a saucy sibling to the same-named CW column) as well as his cross-platform Cool Tools recommendation station. He is also a contributing editor at Fast Company and has written or been cited in everywhere from The Verge and Mental Floss to The New York Times, ABC World News, and USA Today.
(Random trivia: JR was actually quoted in Walter Isaacson’s best-selling biography of Steve Jobs — for, erm, somewhat salacious and very appropriately Android-related reasons.)
Despite his refusal to comb his hair, JR’s work has been honored with a gaggle of awards over the years — including two Emmys, three Murrows, and a smattering of top distinctions from the Associated Press. He has also received a handful of coveted Azbee Awards for standout business reporting, most recently in recognition of his in-depth exposé of Google’s business-aimed Android phone recommendations.
In his spare time, JR enjoys breathing, chewing, and staring aimlessly into space.
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