HTC U11 Life Tips and Tricks

Android 8 (Oreo)
Phone: HTC U11 Life
Factory OS: Android 8 (Oreo)

Have you updated your Operating System?
Then view tips for the most recent OS version(s): Android 9 (Pie)
Or view tips for all Android versions

To stop the Photo App or the Music player from indexing your files, place a blank text file called .nomedia in the folder containing your photos or music.

The best way to do this is to connect your device to a PC and then navigate to the relevant folder via your PC.

Follow this guide if you want to check the data and WiFi usage on your Htc U11 Life.

In this day and age, staying connected is essential. However, whether we like it or not, most mobile data plans put a limit on our data usage each month.

Browsing through Social Media may be fine, but downloading and streaming content can easily eat up on your monthly data allocation.

Reaching your data cap means that you cannot stay online for the rest of the month. Worse, you may be allowed to go online but it also means a huge bill by month’s end.

  1. Go to Settings → Connections → Data Usage
  2. From there, you can set a limit or data cap for a certain time period or billing cycle (a week, month, etc).
  3. You may also press the Menu option and tap “Restrict Background Data Usage.” This option will help you manage your data usage, especially for apps that run in the background (such as Instagram and Messenger). However, this also means that the apps may stop working properly.

To check WiFi usage on the Htc U11 Life, follow these steps:

  1. Go to Settings → Connections → Data Usage
  2. From there, tap on the Menu button (3 vertical dots on the upper-right corner of the screen).
  3. Tap on “Show WiFi” then “Wi-Fi data usage.”

Alternatively, some Android handsets may need to follow these steps below:

  1. Go to Settings → WiFi & Internet → Data Usage
  2. Tap WiFi Data Usage to view WiFi stats.
  3. From this menu, you can also view data/WiFi usage per app.

The methods above generally work for most Android phone devices. Some handsets may have slight variations, you should just look for something similar Connections, Networks, or Data Usage menus.

Huawei users however have to follow a different process. Below is a short guide to check data and WiFi usage for Huawei phone users:

  1. Go to Optimizer → Data Usage
  2. From there, you can view your data usage for the month.
  3. You also have a Smart Data Saver feature. You may turn that on if you want to.
  4. You can also tap on the apps which are shown to be big data consumers and adjust their usage/consumption accordingly.
  5. You may also set a limit by tapping “More Data Settings” then “Monthly Data Limit.”

You can speed up the page load speed on your browser by disabling JavaScript.

To do this, open your Browser, then press the Menu or More button and then Settings. Then select Advanced and change the Enable JavaScript
option.

Please note that this may affect the functionality of some sites.

The Do Not Disturb is a very useful feature if you are in a meeting or somewhere where you want to block incoming calls or messages.

To enabled Do Not Disturb, drag down your notifications and go into Settings – Sounds and notifications. Then under the Notifications section, press Do Not Disturb.

Once this is setup, you can allow exceptions for certain Apps. To set these up, press Allow Exceptions, then App notifications. You should now see a list of all of your Apps. Choose one and then select Set as priority.

Now, when notifications come in via this App and you have Do Not Disturb enabled, you should see the notifications.

A handy feature of Android is to quickly clear your notifications.

Simply pull down your notifications bar by swiping your finger from the top of your phone downwards.

Then when you see each individual notification, swipe your finger left or right to clear each one. You can do this with your Apps too – press and hold the multitasking button. Then swipe left or right to close Apps.

Android has an interesting new feature called Talkback which is designed for blind and low vision users.

The feature is an interesting way to navigate your phone however.

Simply go to Settings – Personal – Accessibility – Talkback to activate it.

Then your phone will give you an ongoing narration of its various functions.

To delete or remove homescreen widgets, simply press and hold. Then drag the widget to the top-right corner of the screen and into the Trash icon.

If you would prefer to correct your own mistakes, then go to Settings – System – Language and input.

Then select the keyboard you are using and press the Settings icon again.

You should be able to find a predictive text option on this screen.

Looking for a great pair of headphones for your Htc U11 Life? We provide the best deals, brands and information to guide you through the process.

How to decide

When choosing headphones, the main factors to consider are: price, quality and headphone type. Taking a moment to consider these factors will not only ensure you get the best value headphones, but also the best sound quality to listen to your music or movies. Remember that the Htc U11 Life comes with a standard 3.5mm stereo plug meaning all headphones will work on your device.

Price vs quality

As with most things, you get what you pay for and headphones are a very good example of this. A cheap pair of headphones may save you money in the short term, but may cost you when the cable snaps or your music sounds muffled or tinny. It is possible to get some great discounts, but we do recommend that you read the reviews and invest in a quality set of headphones. Beware of brands that you haven’t heard of, but be equally aware of big flashy brands that offer more style than substance.

Headphone types – Below we have listed the types of headphones to choose from:

Ear bud / earphones – These are the smallest type of headphones and are commonly included in the box when you buy phones and tablets. Our advice is to throw these away though, as they’re normally made very cheaply to increase the profit of the phone manufacturer. Invest in a quality pair from a reputable brand and you’ll be amazed at the difference in sound. Portability is the key advantage of ear bud style headphone as they can be stored almost anywhere; although it often means a few seconds of de-tangling before use. Ear buds are ideal for running, commuting or using in the office when you want to avoid distractions. Many people also buy two pairs in case one is temporarily missing down the side of the couch!

On ear headphones
– On ear headphones normally sit on top the ear, but don’t enclose the ear completely like the over ear or closed variety. These are handy if you want to store them in a jacket pocket or bag, but the sound can get a little lost out of the sides of the speaker so if you’re in a noisy environment, you may need turn them up in order to hear properly. If you’re moving around a lot they can also dislodge meaning you may need to frequently reposition them. Some people don’t like the bulk of the over ear style, so on ear headphones provide a good compromise between size and quality.

Over ear / closed headphones
– These are designed to completely cover the ear and are often used by DJs, for listening at home or for people who are a little more serious about their listening experience. Some models can fold up, but they are generally less portable than on ear headphones. Prices range from very cheap, up to the most expensive headphones on the market. Because all sound is directed into the ear, they provide the best quality sound and choosing a really top-end pair can be a truly pleasurable listening experience.


Noise cancelling headphones
– All of the above headphones also come in noise cancelling varieties. This works by filtering out background noises such as airplane engines or train noises. They are perfect for commuting and long distance train or plane travel, however they are often bulkier due to the need for some kind of battery pack. Some cheaper varieties might advertise passive noise cancelling which can simply means the plastic or foam casing naturally blocks out noises, so be careful of that. We recommend you choose active noise cancelling which employ a special technology to generate their own sound waves, which then cancels out the unwanted waves. Again, we recommend reading product reviews to choose the best value options.

Choose the best headphones below:

To help you choose, we’ve listed the best-selling headphones for the Htc U11 Life. Simply click on the categories below to find out more:

 

Shop for: Ear bud / earphones

 

Shop for: On ear headphones

 

Shop for: Over ear / closed headphones

 

Shop for: Noise cancelling headphones

 

Most Android devices come with an alternative way of entering text called Swype. Many prefer this method and believe it is quicker.

When any text entry box appears, press and hold the box. Then select Input method: SWYPE. Once enabled, you simply drag your finger around the keyboard moving over the letters in the correct order to spell a word.