Android hidden settings: How secret codes let you explore your device

Your Android phone has much more to offer you than you think as hidden settings can be accessed through secret codes. Though exciting, using the codes could put your device at risk.

You can execute the codes by dialling them on the phone directly. Once done, you will be presented with a menu of options. With a wide range of Android devices available in the market, the codes may not work in uniform manner on all phones. In case that happens, just remove the #* or *#*T from the end of the code and try to see if that helps. The secret codes are shared by the Independent.

If you want to know what happens when you long-press the power button, use code *#*#7594#*#*. You will be presented with a bunch of options such as turn on silent mode, aeroplane mode and turn off phone. Clicking the option, you can turn off the phone directly, without displaying any other screen.

Dialling code *#*#4636#*#* will display hidden information about your Android phone and its battery life and also the network the phone is connected to. If you do not know the hardware key combination or the option in the setting to send your phone back to the factory settings, you can make use of code *#*#7780#*#*. But be very cautious, as performing factory reset will remove all system data, settings and third-party apps that you have installed.

Code *2767*3855#, an extreme version of the above code, does the same function. Dialling this will reset everything on the phone and delete all that you have saved in the phone's internal storage and finally reinstall firmware.

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