There’s more to your favourite software than meets the eye. Wayne Williams reveals secret options in programs and apps that unlock new features and fix problems
Access the hidden Windows Start menu
There’s a second Start menu in Windows 8.1 and Windows 10, which offers instant access to several useful features. To open it. you just right-click rather than left-click the Start button. From here, you can quickly access system tools such as Power Options, Device Manager, Disk Management and Command Prompt (regular and admin mode versions), and also launch the Task Manager, Control Panel, File Explorer, Search and Run functions. You can shut down Windows from here, too, or go straight to the Windows Desktop, minimising all open windows in the process.
Use Shift to unlock more Windows options
The right-click context menu in Windows brings up a lot of different options, depending on where you are in the operating system and what you’re doing (hence the ’context’ part of its name). However, the menu you see may not show all the available options. To display bonus commands, hold down the Shift key when right-clicking the Desktop or in File Explorer (or other places). These extra commands let you carry out a variety of actions such as copy a file path or expand the Send To options to include more destinations.
Open the Battery Settings menu in iOS 9
Apple introduced a new Low Power Mode in iOS 9, which automatically springs into life when your iPhone or iPad battery life drops to 20% (and again at 10%). There is a new, built-in Battery Settings menu, which lets you turn this mode on any time, and also shows which of your installed apps drains the battery the most (it’s probably Facebook or Safari). To access this menu, tap Settings, scroll down and tap Battery. Tap any of the apps in the list, or the small clock icon in the top-right corner, and the menu will reveal how much time each app has been running both onscreen and in the background.
Access Android's hidden Developer Options
There is a secret menu tucked away in Android that lets you access special options that change the way your phone or tablet works. For example, you can force applications to use 2D hardware acceleration; increase the speed of animations to make everything feel snappier; and stop apps running in the background when they’re no longer required. Unlike most mobile menus, this one really is hidden. To access it, go to Settings, choose ‘About phone’ or ‘About tablet' in the System section and scroll down to ‘Build number’. Tap this seven times, then go back to Settings. You’ll see a new Developer Options menu toward the bottom that effectively turns you into an Android power user!
Use Android's secret codes
All Android phones have secret codes built into them that let you perform useful tasks. To use these codes, simply enter the relevant characters on your keypad. Not all codes work with all devices, and there are special codes for Samsung and HTC phones that you can find by searching the web. Try the following to get started:
*#06#
Displays your phone’s IMEI number (International Mobile Station Equipment Identity), which identifies your phone to help you recover it if it’s lost or stolen
*#*#273283*255*663282*#*#*
Backs up all the photos and videos on your device
*#*#7594#*#*
Turns off your device without displaying the Power menu
*#*#4636#*#*
Displays information about your phone, including battery usage and Wi-Fi
*#*#7780#*#*
Performs a factory reset (so be careful!)
*2767*3855#
Wipes the phone completely (so again, be careful!).
*#*#1472365#*#*
Tests your GPS
Reload sites in Safari for iOS 9
Here’s a simple trick you can use for those times when a site doesn’t display as it should on your iPhone or iPad. Press down on the Refresh button in the address bar for a couple of seconds, and a small menu will pop up at the bottom of the screen. From here, you can request the Desktop version of a site (if you’re viewing the mobile one) and reload the page to view all available content.
Access iOS's hidden Field Test settings
There’s a hidden Field Test screen in iOS, which mostly includes baffling advanced settings, but it also offers the useful option to display the signal strength on your iPhone in numbers rather than bars. To access this screen, turn off Wi-Fi, dial *3001#12345#* and press Call. From the Field Test menu, hold down the Power button until you see ‘Slide to Power Off’, then release it. Hold the Home button until you’re returned to the main screen, and you’ll now see numbers showing your signal strength. Tap the numbers to switch back to bars.
Boost Firefox using secret tweaks
There are lots of advanced settings tucked away in Firefox, which change the way the browser behaves and can fix many annoyances. To access these hidden options, type about tconfig into the address bar, and hit Enter. A warning screen will be displayed, alerting you that “Here be dragons!”. Read the details, then click: ‘I’ll be careful I promise!’. You’ll be presented with a long list of preferences that you can configure to perform tasks such as speeding up the browser, customising how it looks and disabling unwanted features. However, it’s far from obvious what each option does, so you should do some research before you make any changes. You can discover the meaning of each entry at bit.ly/aboutconfig385.
Be first in line to try Chrome's future features
Chrome has a selection of experimental features hidden away, which often include useful new tools that Google plans to introduce in future versions of the browser. If you want to try these before everyone else, type 'chrome://flags' into the address bar and press Enter. Google warns that these experiments "may bite”, and also change, break or disappear at any time. Unlike Firefox’s 'about:config' menu, it’s more obvious what each setting on this secret page does because entries are accompanied by short descriptions and the experiments are easily enabled or disabled. That said, it’s important to understand what impact the changes will have on your browser, so don’t alter anything if you aren’t certain of the repercussions.
Get advanced video options in Hyperlapse
Hyperlapse from Instagram (bit.ly/hyperlapse385) lets you shoot impressive timelapse videos on your iPhone or iPad. The app offers digital stabilisation and all you need do is tap a single button to start recording. Although Hyperlapse doesn’t have any settings to tinker with, there is a hidden menu you can summon by tapping the screen four times with four fingers. This lets you switch the recording resolution from 720p (the default) to 1080p, and lower the frame rate from 30fps to 24fps. You can also switch between normal (1x to 12x) and expanded (1x to 40x) speeds.
ACCESS NETFLIX'S SECRET MENU
Netflix automatically manages streaming based on your connection, but you can manually manage buffering via a hidden settings menu, which may fix streaming problems. If you’re watching on a computer, press Shift+Alt on a PC, or Shift+Option on a Mac, and left-click the video. If this doesn’t work in Chrome, press Ctrl+Alt+Shift+S to bring up the Stream Manager. On a Smart TV, Blu-ray Player or game console, you’ll need to enter a special code. On your remote control or games controller, and press: Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, Up, Up, Up, Up. This brings up a secret menu you can use to tweak the settings.