4 Things You Didn't Know your Smartphone Could Do

1.Change the launcher on Android

Almost every smartphone maker overlays Android with its own interface, be it Samsung's TouchWiz or HTC's Sense. They spend enormous amounts of time making sure they get it just right, trying to improve on stock Android while standing out from the crowd.

But despite their best efforts they can't please everyone. Features are lacking or forced on you and things just don't look or feel right.

Thankfully there's a solution. Smartphone makers aren't the only ones who can develop an interface (or launcher) for Android and many third parties have unleashed their own creations onto Google Play, allowing you to download new launchers and replace whatever one your phone came with.

A quick search for 'launcher' will turn up many, but some are better than others. Nova Launcher is among the best. It closely resembles stock Android, but gives you a number of powerful tools to further customise it, and there are free and paid versions.

Another option, particularly if you want a launcher you can show off, is Next Launcher 3D. As the name suggests, it uses a 3D effect to make icons pop out of the screen.

Fancy effects aside, it's also got a robust feature set, including the ability to create custom themes and app icons. At £11.49 it's not cheap, but can you really put a price on the sense of satisfaction you'll get from having the showiest launcher around?

2.Control other devices with infrared

More and more Android phones are being released with infrared blasters, particularly high-end handsets like the Samsung Galaxy S6 and HTC One M9.

If your phone has one of these, in theory it can control anything that responds to infrared signals. You'll likely find that your phone already has an app that makes use of it hidden away somewhere, which can be programmed to control your TV or set-top box.

But even if your phone doesn't have a built-in infrared control, or you just don't get on with the one that is included, you'll find that Google Play has a few available to download, such as the Peel Smart Remote, which is often just re-skinned by manufacturers anyway.

3.Use your smartphone as a level

Most smartphones include an accelerometer, which is used to identify your phone's orientation, so that the screen will know when to auto rotate and means your phone can be used as a spirit level.

If you have an Android or BlackBerry phone, you can download apps to do this, but if you have an Apple device running iOS 7 or higher, the function is built in.

Having said that, it can be hard to find it, as you have to launch the compass app and then swipe across to a second screen. It's not the most obvious location, but now you know where it is you can get to work checking your bed/table/sofa/TV/house/cat is level.

4.Speak any language

Even the best linguist can't be expected to rattle off complex sentences in various languages, and many of us struggle to say anything more complicated than 'hello' in another country. Your smartphone can make speaking and understanding other languages a whole lot easier.

If you've got an Android phone you can just ask Google Now to translate a word or phrase for you and get both a spoken and written response, while the app iTranslate, available on iOS, Windows Phone and Android, works similarly.

5.Create Contact-Specific Vibrations

It's easy enough to make custom ringtones, but iPhone users can also customize specific vibrations per user.

For those with iOS 7, it's as simple as modifying a person's contact information. Choose the contact, hit Edit, and scroll down to Ringtone or Text Tone — whichever you'd like to customize. For each of those options, you'll find the Vibration setting. Tap it, and choose from different vibrations or create your own. For older iPhones, the same option is under Accessibility in Settings.

This built-in option is sadly not available for Android, but that doesn't mean it's outside the realm of possibility. Vybe is an app that will create custom vibration for you to assign to contacts.