How to Become a Smartphone Master

We've all seen them. They're the highly productive ones in the office who sit at their computer and dance around their keyboards. They jump between programs with the flick of a finger. They cut and copy. They paste and pivot. All with the greatest of ease.

They're the ones you go to when you're having computer problems and you're a bit envious that they get things done twice as quickly as you. If only you'd learned those tips, tricks and shortcuts...

Iphone Application

Now, imagine you could be like this, but with your smartphone instead. While it may seem like an odd idea, there is a good reason why you should master your phone.

In some ways the smartphone is replacing the PC and is well on its way to being the most-used device in human history. Think how many times you pull your phone out of your pocket to check the time, text someone, make a call, queue up some music, look at a map or check Facebook. The smartphone has replaced the calculator, the diary, the MP3 player, the media player, the GPS and the list is growing.

Think how good it would be if you could master your phone like those computer literate people have mastered their computers. The reason why this is such a good idea is that it saves you time and who isn't short of that these days? Even if you're saving yourself a split second here, a split second there, it all adds up and pretty soon you'll be wanting better tips, quicker shortcuts or more efficient ways of doing things on your phone.

Here are some examples of tips and tricks for your smartphone that you can learn to save you time and illustrate my point:

- On iPhones, did you know you can leave out the.com when entering URLs?

- On Nokia phones running Symbian ^ 3, did you know you can remotely lock your phone if it has been stolen? To do this, go to go to Menu - Settings - Phone - Phone management - Security settings - Phone and SIM card - Remote phone locking.

- On the Blackberry Torch, did you know that while in the Email Application, you can use the keyboard shortcuts rather than go through the menus? For example: R to Reply, L to Reply to all, F to Forward, N to go to the Next Message or P to go to the Previous Message

- On some Samsung phones, did you know you can long-press on any input area to change the input method?

- On many smartphones, did you know you can flip the phone upside down to silence an incoming call?

For the average user, their phones are a bit of mystery and many don't take the time to really get to know the operating system of their phone. Some people are even afraid to poke around the menus or settings in case they break something. Fortunately, with today's smartphones, the operating system is designed so that they're pretty much impossible to break. The worst that you can do is to give your background a funky colour or make it vibrate when it shouldn't vibrate.

There are plenty of ways to learn these hidden tips and tricks, but here is a list to start you off:

- Read the manual. This one can be a bit tedious, but believe it or not, your manual contains a wealth of information containing tips, tricks or shortcuts to help you master your phone

- Browse discussion forums. Go to Google and search for the word "forum" followed by the make and model of your phone. You will often find thousands people sharing tips and tricks or helpful information

- Go to YouTube and search for the words "tips and tricks" followed by the make and model of your phone. You will often find a number of 'how to' videos related to your phone

- Ask as friend that owns the same phone as you. You will find that most people are happy to show off their knowledge phone knowledge

- Simply play with your phone. Explore its menus. Poke around the settings. You are very unlikely to break it!

- The best method however is to browse a dedicated tips and tricks website, like http://www.phonetipsandtricks.com who have compiled hundreds of tips for dozens of smartphones. While the above suggestions will give you the information you need, this site contains all the information in one place and in 5 minutes you can absorb dozens of useful tips, saving you hours of reading and watching YouTube clips.

So, I suggest you give the above list a try. You'll really notice the productivity boost you'll get when you really master your phone and learn to use it properly and efficiently. People may even come to you and ask how you became a Smartphone Master.

How to Become a Smartphone Master