Security is important. That’s obvious, isn’t it?
And despite all the sensational, hilarious headlines suggest the opposite, the most real security threats on Android are not from big, bad malware monster lurking in the shadows and waiting to steal your darkest secrets while drinking all your cocoa.
No – the biggest risk to your security on Android is (blank scroll, please…) Friend. The possibility that you will at some point give your personal information to someone with bad intentions or fail to secure your account properly in some way is undoubtedly the most realistic threat to your virtual well-being. . Malware? Meh. That is rarely scary in anything more than a theoretical meaning.
And guess? The best way to protect yourself, beyond the generally recommended reason, is to secure every account possible with even a strong, unique password. and that extra layer of protection is two-factor authentication. That is especially important for your Google account, but the same steps are recommended for not at all accounts where two-factor authentication is an option.
One problem with two-factor authentication, or 2FA for short, is that it can be a bit tricky in practice (using technical terms). The whole point of 2FA is that it requires a second step to log in to whatever account it’s active with. In many cases, that step is a single-use code generated by a special application and then entered into the login screen. And that usually means you have to stop what you’re doing, go back to the home screen, open the app drawer, then open your 2FA code generator app to get the required code and copy it to any format. what you are doing. face to face.
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It’s a hassle, to say the least. But wait, amigo loves my effect, because there To be A better way.
Android Security Shortcuts, you’ll wonder how you’d live without it
I suddenly thought one day when I opened Authy, generate my two-factor authentication code application of choice on Android, wherever you are. I have every account in places that can be secured with 2FA and that means I’m constantly doing the exact phone-hoppin’ dance we just described – anytime I’m logging into one of those services.
So I thought to myself: “Wow, benevolent, Gertrude, yes Yes to become a smarter way to solve this problem. “Then I thought: ‘Don’t call me Gertrude, you flat-faced idiot. Also, I can actually go eat Jujyfruit right now. “But then I forced myself to put the delicious food and self-contradictions out of my mind and focus entirely on the task at hand.
And here’s what I found: With about 20 seconds of setup, it’s possible to bring an app like Authy – or any other app you use all the time and want quick access from anywhere, without needing to worry. have to do that silly dance – go to your Android device’s Quick Settings Panel.
And then you can access the app at any time just by swiping down once from the top of the screen and tapping the app’s icon in that area.
The secret lies in a simple little app called The person who took the shortcut took the lead. So install that bad boy to your phone, open it up and work your way through the initial setup screens.
When you get to the app’s home screen, tap “Pull down”, then “Custom Tiles”. Next, tap the line that says “Custom Tile 1”, then select “Application” and select Authy (or whatever app you want to use for this purpose) from the list. Tap the same line again, select “Rename” and change its name to “Authy” (or “Schmauthy”, “Gabourey Sidibe” or whatever else you really like).
At that point, all that’s left is to find your newborn tile in the Android Quick Settings area and drag it to the active position. Four quick steps will make it happen:
- Swipe down twice from the top of the screen to open the entire Android Quick Settings panel.
- Edit your Quick Settings by tapping the little pencil-shaped icon at the bottom of the panel (or by tapping the three-dot menu icon and then finding the edit command there, if you’re on a phone) Samsung).
- Scroll to the bottom (or to the right, for Samsung) to find the inactive Quick Settings tiles.
- Find your fancy new custom tile in that area. Touch and hold your finger on it and drag it to the top of the list. If your phone is running Android 12, make sure to place it in one of the first four available locations so it’s accessible with a single swipe down from the top of the screen. With Android 11 and earlier, you can use any six positions to achieve the same effect.
And willya look at that? Now you can just swipe down once from the top of your phone screen, no matter what app you have open or what mischief you’re doing at the time, and bam! Just one more tap and you can have your 2FA app open on top of whatever else you’re doing – no home screen-floppy, android-phone-hoppin’ dancing. Huzzah!
JR Shortcutter is free to use in its basic form, which is all you need for this particular purpose. The app has a premium upgrade for a modest price if you decide you want to unlock some of its more advanced options.
Now, however, you’ve got yourself a smarter, simpler way to stay on top of your security on Android – and that’s my sweet potato, absolutely priceless.
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