Non-Root Hacks « Samsung Galaxy Note 2

How To: Control the Auto-Rotate Settings for Apps Individually on Your Samsung Galaxy Note 2

Controlling the screen rotation on your Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is one of the easiest things you can do. Just slide down the Notification tray and you have instant access to the Screen Rotation toggle in the Quick Settings menu. If you want your screen orientation to automatically rotate when you move from vertical to horizontal positions, just make sure it's turned on. To lock the current orientation, turn it off.

How To: Play & Control Music from Anywhere Using This Floating Widget on Your Samsung Galaxy Note 2

I'm constantly browsing the web, taking pictures, and playing games on my Samsung Galaxy Note 2, but there's one thing that I'm always doing—playing music. No matter what I'm doing on my smartphone, I'm always playing my music in the background at the same time.

How To: Open ANY App Instantly & More Securely from the Lock Screen on a Samsung Galaxy Note 2

Nine times out of ten, when you pick up your Samsung Galaxy Note 2, you already know what app you're going to be using. If you only have Swipe to unlock enabled, finding that app is as easy as swiping and locating the app on your Home screen or in the app drawer.

How To: Record High-Quality Audio of Phone Calls on Your Samsung Galaxy Note 2 (No Root Required)

While the legality of secretly recording phone calls varies in each country, sometimes it's useful to have audio documentation of conversations you have on your Samsung Galaxy Note 2.

How To: This Easy Mod Lets You Use Air Gestures in Any App on a Samsung Galaxy Note 2 (No Root Required)

While it may not always be practical, controlling your smartphone with air gestures can be pretty awesome. I would bet that if someone in public saw you using gestures to maneuver through your device, they'd be pretty impressed—and also kind of creepy for watching you.

Emergency Texting 101: How to Set a Secret SMS Code to Bypass Silent Mode on Your Samsung Galaxy Note 2

Just because your Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is on silent doesn't mean that the world stops spinning. Emergencies can pop up at any time, even when your phone is put away during a lecture in class, in the library, or at an important business meeting.

How To: Manage All Your Cloud Storage Accounts from One App on Your Samsung Galaxy Note 2

Cloud storage looks pretty good compared to the heavy restrictions that hard drives and other types of external memory carry. The cloud is not only limitless in what it can hold, but it can also easily be accessed from any device that has Internet—your smartphone, work computer, personal laptop, tablet, and more. While accessing a specific cloud storage system like Dropbox or Google Drive may be easy on your Samsung Galaxy Note 2, managing all of them individually can not only get confusing, ...

How To: Take Animated Selfies & Other Fun GIFs Using Your Samsung Galaxy Note 2

Selfies are on there way out. Not because I said so, but just because I want them to. They're both aberrant and curious. They carefully hobble between the lines of self-exploration and crippling insecurities terribly masked as blatant narcissism.

How To: Automatically Silence Your Samsung Galaxy Note 2 in a Set Location (Or Automate Any Other Task You Want)

Automating tasks on your Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is nothing new. Everything from adjusting screen brightness, to turning on the flashlight, to saving Snapchat pictures can be done automatically with the help of a few function-specific apps. The only problem with task-specific apps is that you have to download a handful of them to get everything you want, which can quickly add up. Now, thanks to AutomateIt, you can clean up your app drawer on your Note 2 and create loads of custom tasks using ju...

How To: Find & Eradicate Android Apps Maliciously Tracking You on Your Samsung Galaxy Note 2

A wave of shock and anger swept across the country after Edward Snowden released private documents recounting the U.S. government's secretive mass surveillance programs. Although some of the fear was unwarranted (they don't read your emails or listen to your calls), many scrambled to find privacy of new heights for protection from the all-watchful eye. While the government may not be tracking you down, there are a myriad of other candidates that fill that Big Brother role—and I'm not talking ...

How To: Secretly Save Snapchat Photos on Your Samsung Galaxy Note 2 Without Notifying the Sender

Saving a Snapchat photo onto your Android device is a simple process, but it always notifies the sender that you took a screenshot of their picture. Some of you may want to remain undetected when taking a screenshot, and where there's a will, there's a way.

How To: Watch YouTube Videos Offline on Your Samsung Galaxy Note 2

With over a billion videos uploaded to YouTube, passing your time browsing through the immense library can be an emotional roller coaster ride. One second you're bawling your eyes out over this devastatingly sad clip of Oden the dog's last minutes with his owner, and the next you're laughing hysterically at Spider-Man falling on his face.

How To: Share Full-Size Photos on Instagram Without Cropping on Your Samsung Galaxy Note 2

Uploading certain pictures to Instagram can be problematic, especially when the dimensions of your picture exceed the dimensions of the square crop that's forced upon you. Why should I be forced to hack up my awesome fisheye picture inside of a lame square? I get the whole square thing, and I love it, but there's just some times when you can't be bound by the rules.

How To: Automatically Connect to Free Wi-Fi Hotspots (That Are Actually Free) on Your Samsung Galaxy Note 2

A free Wi-Fi hotspot can be a lifesaver. Whether it's because you have shitty reception, need faster connectivity, or just don't want to go over your monthly data plan, free Wi-Fi in public areas is greatly appreciated. While connecting to these free hotspots is fairly easy, finding them can become a whole nother issue. I've been in plenty of situations where I wasted my data plan instead of taking a few steps to the right, where free Wi-Fi would have been waiting for me and my Samsung Galaxy...

How To: Get the New Jelly Bean 4.3 Camera & Gallery Apps on Your Samsung Galaxy Note 2 (No Root Required)

What is your Samsung Galaxy Note 2 running? More than likely, you're still rocking Jelly Bean 4.1.2, which is already pretty outdated. My grandma uses 4.1.2.

Never Miss Another Track: Get Daily Reminders for Google Play's Free Song of the Day on Your Samsung Galaxy Note 2

With millions of options to choose from in Google Play's expansive library of songs and albums, it can most definitely take a toll on the wallet after a while. As (slight) consolation, Google offers one free song a day, available for download straight from Google Play onto your Samsung Galaxy Note 2 or other Android device. Google's daily free song sure beats other services' free selections. Apple only offers one free single each week, and Amazon offers a decent selection of free songs from r...

How To: Customize LED Alerts for Specific Notifications on Your Samsung Galaxy Note 2 (No Root Required)

While the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 has an integrated LED for notifications, it only works for a few things, like charging and low battery, and it only flashes two main colors (red and blue) when the screen's off. As someone that usually has their phone on silent or vibrate, it's hard to tell when I receive important messages or notifications. Sure, I could set a specific vibration or ringtone for individual apps, but that can quickly get annoying and distracting, especially at work or school.

How To: Really Auto Adjust the Brightness of Your Samsung Galaxy Note 2's Screen

If you're constantly going from dark to brightly lit areas, you've probably noticed that the stock auto brightness feature on your Samsung Galaxy Note 2 doesn't work that well. Either the screen is really dim and unreadable, or it's just way too damn bright. Sure, you can disable auto brightness, but then you have to manually adjust the brightness all of the time for that perfect comfort level. This isn't really all that bad of an option, but don't be surprised when you see this: However, the...

How To: Enable Single-Swipe Notifications in Full-Screen Apps on Your Samsung Galaxy Note 2

Although the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is a speedy device, one feature that feels a bit slow is swiping down from the Status bar to see the Notification tray when I'm using a full-screen app. When a full-screen app is open, I have to swipe down not once, but TWICE, on the upper portion of the screen in order to bring down the Notification tray.

How To: Take Secret Spy Photos Undetected Using Your Samsung Galaxy Note 2

Sometimes, for whatever reason it may be, we just want to take a photo without anyone noticing. Unfortunately, thanks to the extremely large screen and loud shutter sound, taking a picture discreetly with our Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is a hard thing to do. This chick is so not obvious.

How To: Install Flash Player on Your Samsung Galaxy Note 2 to Stream Amazon Prime Instant Videos & More

If you've tried watching a video that requires Adobe Flash Player installed on your Samsung Galaxy Note 2, then you're probably well acquainted with the "Flash Player is not installed" message. If you try tapping the deceiving Install Flash Player button it takes you directly to the Adobe website, where you're greeted with a message saying:

How To: Turn Your Galaxy Note 2 into a Secretive Photo-Capturing Motion Detector

I know I can't be the only person whose socks go missing in a shroud of mystery, but I'm determined to catch the sock-thieving gnomes in the act. While I have my suspicions, I can't quite prove it. Sure, I could drink a load of Red Bulls and never sleep, guarding my socks—but that's just crazy right? Luckily, I've found a way to set up my phone to catch the culprits.

How To: Monitor Cellular & Wi-Fi Data Speeds from Your Samsung Galaxy Note 2's Status Bar or Notification Tray

Whether you're pressed against your bedroom window, hidden deep inside your linen closet, or lounging on the rooftop, finding that area of maximum Internet speed around your house is usually just trial and error. And when you finally find the sweet spot, apps like Speedtest.net can help you determine how fast your Wi-Fi or cellular connection is overall on your computer or smartphone, so you know your full capabilities. But, if you want to know exactly how fast your Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is u...

How To: Password-Protect Your Apps from Annoying, Nosy Friends on Your Samsung Galaxy Note 2

It starts innocently enough, with a nosy friend hovering over your shoulder to see what you're texting. Somehow, that doesn't satiate their inexplicable thirst for curiosity, so the first chance they get, they're rummaging through all of your super private photos—even though you told them not to.

How To: Turn Your Samsung Galaxy Note 2 into an Intelligent Flashlight That Turns On & Off Automatically

There's absolutely no shortage of flashlight apps on Google Play, so when one comes around that sports uniquely different features than the rest—it should definitely be noted. That's why I bring to you Ambient LED Flashlight, a new app for your Samsung Galaxy Note 2 by Android developer Jie Huang.

How To: Get Floating Chat Head Notifications for All Apps on Your Samsung Galaxy Note 2

The HTC First (aka "Facebook phone") has been a bigger disappointment than Dwyane Wade in this year's NBA playoffs. AT&T even dropped the price to $0.99 (with a contract) a mere month after its release. When they realized that the price drop wasn't enough to increase sales, they decided to just discontinue the damn thing altogether. Although the phone itself isn't doing so well, one feature from the Facebook-centric device that people actually seem to like is Chat Heads. On the HTC First, Cha...

How To: Get the Galaxy S4's Polaris Office 5 to Edit Microsoft Office Docs on Your Samsung Galaxy Note 2

There are a lot of apps in Google Play for your Samsung Galaxy Note 2 that let you create, edit, and view Microsoft Office files on the go, but none match up to the power of an app called Polaris Office for Samsung Galaxy devices.

How To: Make Your Car Read Texts Out Loud the Moment They Arrive on Your Samsung Galaxy Note 2

Last month, Alexander Heit drifted into oncoming traffic after being distracted from the road. His sudden correction forced his vehicle to roll and flip over. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital shortly thereafter. All because of a freaking text message. He was only 22 years old.

How To: Get the Exclusive Awesome Note App from the Galaxy Note 8.0 on Your Samsung Galaxy Note 2

According to WitsView, 8-inch displays will rule the tablet scene this year at 11.9% market share, compared to yesteryear's 2.6% market share. By year's end, it'll be almost 18%.

How To: Make Photo Time-Lapse Videos of Yourself Using Your Samsung Galaxy Note 2 or Other Smartphone

In early 2000, at the age of 19, Noah Kalina began taking a photo of himself with the same facial expression—every single day. Six years and over 2,000 photographs later, Kalina turned his project into a time-lapsed montage on YouTube. In just one day, his video received over a million views.

How To: Control All of Your Music Apps from a Single Widget on Your Samsung Galaxy Note 2

There are a ton of streaming services available at your disposal in the Google Play Store—Spotify, Pandora, TuneIn Radio, Last.fm, and the list goes on and on. These apps help satisfy my day-to-day cravings for good beats, but I tend to do a little too much hopping around from music app to music app (and music widget to music widget) in the process.

How To: Float Any Widget Above an App on Your Samsung Galaxy Note 2

When it comes to multitasking, the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 is the master of all smartphones, thanks to its huge screen size and many features. The phablet's display compliments its multi-window mode, which lets you run two apps simultaneously side by side Another cool feature is floating apps, which makes multitasking even better. So, with all of these cool features, what else could possibly be added to the Note 2's arsenal that it doesn't already have?

How To: Schedule Ringtone Silence for Weekly or One-Time Events on Your Samsung Galaxy Note 2

We've all had that moment when we enter into a classroom, meeting, or theater and completely forget to put our cell phones on silent.

How To: Put Your Samsung Galaxy Note 2 in Deep Sleep Mode to Save Battery Life

Newer smartphones are more power hungry than ever before, and the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 has a mighty appetite for amps that only Jenny Craig could possibly curb. On average, your Note 2 (or other Android device) lasts for what, a day, maybe two days before dying. Mine barely lasts 8 hours! This is thanks to all of the apps running in the background of your phone, even when you're not using them, eating through all of your CPU, leaving nothing but crumbs.

How To: Make the Ringtone on Your Samsung Galaxy Note 2, Galaxy S3, or Other Android Phone Auto Adjust to Your Surroundings

Having your phone ring loudly in a quiet environment could be potentially embarrassing for you, but also quite annoying for everyone else that didn't forget to put their smartphone on silent. Whether it's in class, at work during a meeting, at the library, or a movie screening—you can bet that someone's phone is going to ring loudly, pissing some people off. You don't really want to be that douchebag that interrupts a movie or the middle of a lecture with their annoying ringtone just because ...

How To: Customize the Brightness Settings on Your Samsung Galaxy Note II or Other Android Device

Needing to use your device in bright or low lighting can require an adjustment in the phone's built-in brightness settings. However, there are times when those default settings just don't do the trick.