7 Android Features That Will Ease Your Travel Anxiety

Android phones can be a powerful tool when it comes to traveling. A number of built-in features and handy apps have made the travel experience stress-free. From turn-by-turn navigation to quick language translation, here's how your Android phone can help you on your trip.

1. Conversation mode in Google Translate to talk to locals

If you are visiting a country where you don’t speak the local language, getting around and talking to locals can be difficult. Translation apps are helpful in such situations, but having to wait for a translation after typing each sentence is inconvenient. To make talking to locals seamless, Google Translate has a Conversation mode.

Once enabled, you and the other person can speak as normal in a conversation and the app will continue to translate what you're saying in real time. You can read the translation on the screen or set the app to read the translation aloud after you've finished speaking.

To use this feature, open the Google Translate app, tap Conversation , and start speaking. To read the translation aloud, tap the settings icon and turn on Auto playback . You can also adjust the text size of the translated speech from the same menu.

2. Offline maps for navigation without internet connection

Google Maps allows you to download offline maps so you can navigate a certain area without an Internet connection. This is useful if you want to save your mobile data or have an unreliable signal. To do this, open the Google Maps app, tap your profile picture, and then tap Offline Maps .

Here, tap SELECT YOUR OWN MAP , then pinch to zoom in or out and set the area you want to download the offline map to. You can also see an estimate of how much storage the offline map will take up on your device. The larger the area you select, the more storage space it will take up. Tap Download to get started.

Note : Offline maps expire after one year. Google Maps usually tries to update them automatically, but if that fails, you can update them manually by tapping your profile picture > Offline maps > expired or expiring area > Update .

3. Share your location to stay updated with loved ones

Google Maps also lets you share your real-time location with friends and family to let them know where you are. To share your location, open the Google Maps app, tap your profile photo, and select Location Sharing . On the next page, tap Share location .

Here, choose whether you want to share your location for a fixed period of time (up to 24 hours) or until location sharing is turned off. Next, tap the contact(s) you want to share your location with.

Note : Location sharing requires location services to be always on, so the longer you share your location, the more battery your phone will consume.

You can also share your location using a link via Gmail, WhatsApp, Messages, or any other app if the desired contact doesn't appear in the suggestions. You can manually stop sharing your location at any time by going to the Location Sharing menu .

4. Files app to store important documents

The built-in Files app on Android phones lets you create a separate folder where you can store all your important travel documents in one place to keep everything organized and avoid last-minute panic.

Just open the Files app, navigate to your internal storage or SD card (if you have one installed), create a new folder there and name it. Now, go back to the main menu and use the search tool to find important documents and move them into the created folder.

5. Extreme Battery Saver feature to maintain battery power

Running out of battery on your phone while traveling is not only inconvenient, it can even be dangerous. Unless you’re packing a powerful power bank, not having access to a power outlet can be a challenge, especially if you’re traveling somewhere remote.

For those times when you're not sure if you'll have enough battery when you need it, you should use the Extreme Battery Saver feature on your Android device. Each manufacturer names and implements this feature differently on their devices, but the basics are the same.

Extreme Battery Saver saves more power than regular battery saver mode by pausing all background processes, slowing down processing, turning off unnecessary features, and pausing or blocking unauthorized apps.

To enable this feature on your Samsung device, go to Settings > Battery > Power saving and turn on Limit apps and Home screen . Now, when power saving mode is enabled while this feature is active, you will only be able to use 8 apps. 4 of these apps are pre-installed (Phone, Messages, Gallery, and Settings) but the other 4 can be set manually.

6. Locate your lost phone using Find My Device

Google's Find My Device service is a lifesaver if you lose your Android phone and need help finding it. If you lose your phone, visit the Find My Device website on another device and sign in with your Google account.

Here you can see the lost phone's current battery percentage, last seen status, network connection, and whether location services are enabled on the phone. If location is enabled, you will be able to track the device in real time.

Tap Play sound if you're near where your phone was lost. If someone takes your lost phone, they won't be able to turn it off. And if you feel your personal data might be at risk, use Secure device to lock your device and sign out of your Google account.

If you can't recover your lost Android phone for whatever reason, use a Factory reset to erase all of the data on it. After the reset, Find My Device won't be able to track your device's location.

7. Emergency feature

Android devices have a number of emergency features that can save your life in the event of an emergency. First, you can add emergency contacts and medical information to your lock screen so that if you find yourself in an emergency, the first person on your list can notify your loved ones and help you.

To do this on a Samsung device, go to Settings > Safety and emergency > Emergency contacts . Here, turn on Show on Lock screen and tap Add emergency contact to start selecting the contacts you want. Once you're done, tap Done .

Emergency SOS does not require manual setup. If you are in an emergency situation, pressing the power button three times quickly will call your local emergency number. On non-Samsung phones, you may need to press the power button five times.

In addition to Emergency SOS, you should also know about the emergency sharing feature, which sends your current location and request for help to your emergency contacts, and lets them know if your location changes or your battery is running low.

To enable this feature on your Samsung phone, go to the Safety and emergency menu , tap Emergency sharing , and select Continue . Here, you'll see the Start emergency sharing option . Tapping this will enable the feature.

Android offers a lot of features that can be useful when traveling, so it's worth diving into your device's settings and looking around. Smartphone manufacturers often add a bunch of new features to Android through custom skins, which can be very useful.