5 Smartphone Tricks To Make You More Productive

Many people have smartphones but they only use them to surf social media-Facebook, Instagram. What they do not realise is that their smartphone can do much more than surfing the internet. You can use to become more productive. As such, whether you're looking for an easier way to send that signed notice to your boss, or just want to stay focused on work when browsing the web, here are smartphone tricks that will make you more productive.

Use your iPad as a second monitor

Add up the dozens of tabs crowding your web browser and the overflowing email inbox you're catching up on, and there's never enough screen space. It's especially cumbersome if you're trying to do those things on a small laptop. That's where your iPad can come in handy—by doubling as a second monitor by using the Duet Display app, you can turn your iPad into a second screen for your Mac or PC. 

Speed through voicemail with Google Voice transcriptions

Google Voice will automatically convert your voicemails into Gmail emails or text messages that you can read later, at your leisure. You can convert those Gmail messages you receive from Google Voice into to-do list tasks with Gmail plugin.

Use your smartphone to scan documents

Even if you tend to use email for work-related documentation, there may be occasions when sharing hard copy paperwork becomes necessary. Try a free app like Evernote Scannable or Adobe Scan to scan documents, receipts, business cards, forms and more by using your smartphone's camera.

Turn off Notifications

There are lots of things that distract us while working. Your smartphone is the biggest culprit here. Thus, your phone will be buzzing almost every second and it will become a distraction. So, the best way to be productive is to turn off notifications.

Airplane mode isn't just for airplanes

Airplane mode has a number of fantastic benefits that go far beyond the runway. For example, if you're having trouble with your 3/4G signal when you clearly shouldn't, just switch airplane mode on and then off, and your signal should be restored. Also, if you've been on-the-go all day and have 4% battery when you get back to the office, turn your phone on airplane mode and it will charge much faster. Lastly, if you've had a long day and send a text message to the wrong person, quickly turn on airplane mode and when the message fails to deliver, you can delete it and then actually send it to the correct person.