Five Android features that are worth their weight in gold and few people know about: what they are

Android is an increasingly comprehensive operating system, used by nearly 90% of Argentinians on their mobile phones. It's the most popular operating system in the world and the one most popular among major brands. However, many users are only scratching the surface of what their phones can do with this Google operating system.

Beyond the classic features, there are built-in tools that can make your daily life easier, improve your privacy, or simply make using your phone more convenient—all without having to install anything extra , just by digging a little deeper into the service you already have.

Although there are many options available, we'll review a few that range from useful to unusual, and serve to reveal the full potential of Google's mobile operating system. Here are five little-known features you should start using.

This feature is one of the best ways to avoid having to share long passwords. Starting with Android 10, you can quickly share Wi-Fi access with a QR code.

To access it, go to Settings > Network & Internet > Wi-Fi , tap the network you're connected to, and select the Share option. This will generate a QR code that another Android phone can scan directly with the camera or from its Wi-Fi settings.

It is ideal for offices, when you have guests at home or to quickly set up a new device.

Although it's been available for a while, split-screen mode remains one of those forgotten gems. It allows you to use two apps at the same time. For example, YouTube and WhatsApp, or Chrome and the Weather.

To activate it, open the recent apps menu (the multitasking menu), tap the icon of the app you want to pin, and choose the Split Screen option. Then, select the second app.

This tool works especially well on phones with large screens, as well as phablet-type models or foldable phones.

On Android, you can identify a song by humming it using the Google Music app or YouTube Music. The Google app uses an algorithm that converts your humming into a sequence of numbers, which is then compared to an extensive database of songs to identify the most likely song.

To do this, open the Google app > Tap the microphone > Hum the song

If you're using the feature on YouTube Music (which is only available to YouTube Music Premium subscribers):

Open YouTube Music > Use the "Hum to Search" feature > Hum the song to find it

On some models (especially the Pixel, Motorola, and Xiaomi), the fingerprint reader also serves as a quick gesture: swipe down to open notifications, skip forward or backward through songs, or even open the camera. On other brands, like Samsung, it allows you to take screenshots by simply swiping the side of your palm over the device.

This feature is configured from Settings > System > Gestures or from the specific sensor section in brands like Xiaomi (where it may be called "Quick Actions").

Not all users know it, but once you try it, it's hard to put down.

This is perhaps the most useful and least used feature on Android. Every phone includes a set of tools designed to help you manage your screen time and help you avoid being constantly connected and on the go.

From Digital Wellbeing , you can view app usage statistics, set time limits, or activate sleep mode , which dims the screen and turns it black and white at night.

Another interesting feature is Focus Mode , which allows you to block distracting apps for defined periods of time. For example, to study, work, or simply relax without notifications and with few apps in view.

To access it, go to Settings > Digital wellbeing and parental controls .

Many of these tricks don't require installing additional apps or resetting your device. With each update, Android becomes more powerful, but its biggest challenge remains communication: many of its tools go unnoticed.

The availability of new operating system versions doesn't reach all devices at the same time, and each user depends on the announcement made by each brand, depending on the model, that has a new version available. This is one of the main reasons why many users don't have the latest version, and it causes delays in the mass adoption of many new features.

Exploring the settings menu and scrolling down to "Software Update" reveals what's new and may be the first step toward discovering that your phone can do much more than you thought.