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Your Android phone can be a powerful tool while traveling. Several built-in features and handy apps have made my travel experience stress-free. From turn-by-turn navigation to translating languages on the fly, here’s how your Android phone can help you during your trips.
1Conversation Mode in Google Translate to Talk to Locals
If you’re visiting a country where you don’t speak the local language, it can be challenging to get around and talk to locals. Translation apps are useful in such cases, but having to wait for the translation after typing each sentence is very inconvenient. To make speaking to locals seamless,Google Translate has a Conversation mode.
Once active, you and the other person can speak like you normally would in a conversation, and the app will keep translating what you’re saying in real time. You can read the translation on the screen or set the app to read the translation aloud after you finish speaking.
To use this feature, open the Google Translate app, tapConversation, and just start talking. To have the translation read out loud, tap the settings icon and toggle onAuto playback. You can also adjust the text size of the translated speech from the same menu.
2Offline Maps to Navigate Without an Internet Connection
Google Maps allows you to download offline mapsso you can navigate a set area without an internet connection. This is helpful in case you want to save your mobile data or the signal is unreliable. To do this, open the Google Maps app, tap on your profile picture, and then tapOffline Maps.
Here, tapSELECT YOUR OWN MAP, then pinch your screen to zoom in or out and set the area for which you want to download an offline map. You’ll also be able to see an estimate of the amount of storage the offline map will take on your device. The bigger the area you select, the more storage will be required. HitDownloadto begin.
Offline maps expire after a year. Google Maps typically tries to update them automatically, but if that fails, you may manually update them by tapping yourprofile picture > Offline maps > expired or expiring area > Update.
3Location Sharing to Keep Your Loved Ones Updated
Google Maps also allows you to share your real-time location with friends and family to keep them informed of your whereabouts. To share your location, open the Google Maps app, tap yourprofile picture, and then tapLocation Sharing. On the following page, tapShare location.
Here, select if you want to share your location for a fixed amount of time (up to 24 hours) or until you turn off location sharing. Next, tap the contact(s) with whom you want to share your location.
Sharing your location requires you to keep the location service turned on, so the longer you share your location, the more battery your phone consumes.
You can also share your location using a link via Gmail, WhatsApp, Messages, or any other such app if the desired contact doesn’t appear in the suggestions. You can stop sharing your location manually at any time by visiting theLocation Sharingmenu.
4Files App to Store Important Documents
The built-in Files app on your Android phoneallows you to create a separate folder where you can store all your important travel documents in one place to keep everything organized and avoid last-minute panics.
Simply open the Files app, navigate to internal storage or SD card (if you have one mounted), create a new folder here, and give it a name. Now, go back to the main menu and use the search tool to find your important documents and move them to the folder you created.
5Extreme Battery Saver to Preserve Charge
Your phone running out of battery while traveling is not only inconvenient but can even be dangerous. Unless you’re carrying a beefy power bank, not having access to a power outlet can be a challenge, especially if you’re traveling somewhere remote.
For times when you’re unsure if you’ll have power available when needed, you should make use of the Extreme Battery Saver feature on Android devices. Different manufacturers name and implement this feature differently on their devices, but it does essentially the same thing.
Extreme Battery Saver saves more power than the regular battery saver mode by halting all background processes, slowing down processing, turning off non-essential features, and pausing or blocking apps you haven’t permitted.
To enable this on your Samsung device, go toSettings > Battery > Power savingand toggle onLimit apps and Home screen. Now, once the power saving mode is enabled with this feature active, you’ll only be able to use eight apps. Four of these apps are pre-set (Phone, Messages, Gallery, and Settings) but you can set the other four manually.
6Locate a Lost Phone With Find My Device
Google’s Find My Device service is a lifesaverif you lose your Android phone and need help finding it. If you lose your phone, go to theFind My Device websiteon another device and sign in with your Google account.
Here, you will be able to see the current battery percentage of your lost phone, its last seen status, the network it’s connected to, and whether the location service on it is enabled. If location is enabled, you’ll be able to track the device in real time.
Click thePlay soundoption if you’re near the location where you lost your phone. If someone is carrying your lost phone, they won’t be able to turn off the sound. And if you feel your personal data might be at risk, use theSecure deviceoption to lock your device and sign it out of your Google account.
If you’re able to’t recover your lost Android phone for any reason, use theFactory reset deviceto erase all data on it. Once reset, Find My Device won’t be able to track its location.
7Emergency Features
Your Android device comes with several emergency features that can save you when you’re in danger. Firstly, you can add your emergency contacts and medical info on your Lock screen, so if you’re in an emergency, a first responder can inform your loved ones and assist you.
To do this on your Samsung device, go toSettings > Safety and emergency > Emergency contacts. Here, toggle onShow on Lock screenand tapAdd emergency contactto begin selecting your desired contacts. Once finished, tapDone.
Emergency SOS doesn’t need to be set up manually. If you’re in an emergency situation, pressing the power button quickly three times will call the emergency number for your region. On non-Samsung phones, you may need to press the power button five times.
Besides Emergency SOS, you should also know about emergency sharing, which sends your current location and a request for help to your emergency contacts and lets them know if your location changes or your battery runs low.
To enable it on a Samsung phone, go to theSafety and emergencymenu, tapEmergency sharing, and pressContinue. Here, you’ll see the option toStart emergency sharing. Tapping this will activate the feature.
Android offers more features that can come in handy during travel, so it’s worth diving into your device’s settings and peeking around. Smartphone manufacturers often add a slew of additional features on top of Android via their custom skins which might prove to be just as useful.
