Nexus 7 Features
How To: Turn Your Nexus 7's Screen Off & On Faster Using Gravity
Sometimes... no, most of the time, I don't want to do anything, so I was excited to find a developer teaming up with Sir Isaac Newton to create an application that encouraged my slothfulness.
How To: Convert & Play Your Old PlayStation 1 (PS1) Games on Your Nexus 7 Tablet
After upgrading to a new system, video games for old consoles are usually forgotten about, wasting away in the back of a closet somewhere. Just recently, I found an old stash of PlayStation 1 games boxed up and hidden beneath a pile of clothes.
How To: Install Android L on Your Nexus (Fastboot Method)
Update, November 12, 2014: Android 5.0 Lollipop is officially out now. If you haven't gotten the OTA yet, check out our new guide on installing the official Lollipop builds on any Nexus for download links and instructions, for Mac or Windows.
How To: Find Only the Best Tablet-Specific Apps for Your Nexus 7
Apps sure do run great on Android tablets! If you caught that little whiff of sarcasm, you probably already figured out I was lying. There is a definite lack of good, high-quality apps specifically made for Android tablets. If you've ever tried Facebook or Twitter on a tablet, you know exactly what I mean.
How To: Play Almost Any Retro Video Game on Your Nexus 7 Tablet
Arcades, Nintendo, Sega, and 16-bit graphics ushered in a new level of gaming that was leaps and bounds ahead of the early Pong days. I remember loading quarters into the machines and playing 2D fighting games until all my money ran out. When I wasn’t in school, you could usually find me at the arcade playing Street Fighter, The King of Fighters and Marvel vs. Capcom. At home, I had my Super Nintendo and Super Mario World keeping me glued to the television until the next boss stage.
How To: Remove the Navigation & Status Bars on Your Nexus 7 Tablet to Make the Screen Feel Bigger
The Nexus 7 is a huge jump in screen size when coming from a phone, but obviously this tablet is still smaller than some of the major players such as the Nexus 10, Galaxy Tab, etc. One way to squeeze out a little more space is to eliminate the navigation and status bars.
How To: Stop Android Lag in Its Tracks on Your Nexus 7 for a Super Smooth Tablet
Lag has been a serious issue on Android devices since the very beginning. Even the Nexus 7's quad-core processor can't stop it from happening. That's because the pauses and long responses are coming straight from the Android OS itself, not the hardware.
Extreme Multitasking: How to Run Multiple Apps at the Same Time on Your Nexus 7 (No Root Required)
Recently, I offered a guide detailing how to run two separate windows on a Nexus 7 tablets for better multitasking. While extremely useful, that mod was limited to only two windows, and you also needed root access to use it.
How To: Hide Your Nexus 7's Soft Keys to Maximize Usable Screen Space
I know all of you softModders love these little modifications, like enabling the hidden battery percentage on the Nexus 7 or getting the exclusive Google Launcher on your Nexus, so here's an easy one that lets you hide the soft-keys from your tablet, which will actually expand your screen to look a little bit longer.
How To: Turn Your Nexus 7 Tablet into a Mouse & Keyboard for Your Computer
Like insurance, it's always better to have a computer mouse and not need it than to need it and not have it. Honestly, I don't want to carry around a clunky mouse with my laptop, so I don't. I do something else, something more convenient. I use my Nexus 7. If you want to give it a try, I'll show you how it's done right now. All you need to is a Wi-Fi network and a specific Android app to control your computer with your Android tablet.
How To: Get Samsung's Exclusive "Milk Music" App on Your Nexus 7 or Other Android Device
Samsung's exclusive music streaming service, Milk Music, has been making waves across the web thanks to its peculiar name and ad-free stations.
How To: Get Android L's Navigation Bar on Your Nexus Running 4.0+
If you want to try out some of the new features in Android L, but can't run the developer preview on your Nexus—or simply don't want to—there's still hope. You don't actually need to be running Android L to try out some of the new improvements.
How To: Get BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) on Your Nexus 7 or Other Android Tablet
My friends were extremely excited when BlackBerry made their Messenger available to iOS and Android users. "Neil, get BBM. It's back!" I didn't understand why when there are so many alternatives out there, like Kik and WhatsApp.
How To: Install Sony's PlayStation Mobile (PSM) Store on Your Nexus 7 Tablet for Free Mini-Games
Don't always believe the marketing hype. "PlayStation Certified" does not mean anything to a softModder. All this indicates is that a smartphone or tablet labeled as "PlayStation Certified" has met the guidelines and hardware requirements issued by Sony to display PlayStation Mobile (PSM) content from the PlayStation Mobile Store correctly. No Nexus 7 here.
How To: Back Up Your Nexus 7 Without Rooting or Adding a Custom Recovery
At some point, we all need to back up our device. Maybe it's time to take it in for repairs or maybe you're just cautious and paranoid. Maybe you're trying out a new ROM on your Nexus 7—then you definitely need to back up. The most secure way would be to use a custom recovery like ClockworkMod or TWRP, but if you're not rooted or planning to root, then you'll need an easy alternative.
How To: Make Your Nexus 7's Brightness Auto Adjust to Your Preferred Levels in Different Environments
When it comes to our smartphones and tablets, we're always on the lookout for ways to beat the oh so common rapid battery depletion problem that affects practically every mobile device. We'll do anything and everything to keep our battery life at an optimum, from turning off certain features (Wi-Fi and Bluetooth) to removing widgets and applications that use an exorbitant amount of CPU. One of the most popular and efficient ways of saving battery is to lower the screen brightness. Usually, we...
How To: Record Your Nexus 7 Screen Using ADB & KitKat's Hidden Screen Capture Tool
Whether it's because you want to make a quick tutorial video or want to show off your gameplay skills, recording the screen your Nexus 7 tablet isn't an easy feat. At least, until now. Hidden inside Android 4.4 KitKat is a built-in screen capturing feature, but it takes a little effort to dig it out.
How To: Lock Your Nexus 7 Directly from the Home Screen with an Invisible Locking Shortcut
Overall, I love the Nexus 7 tablet, but one thing that I truly dislike about it is having to press the Power/Lock key to lock my screen.
How To: Customize the Android App Icons on Your Nexus 7 Tablet with Free Themes
Android's stock appearance is easy on the eyes, but after a while, it's outright boring to look at. Unlike other tablets from some manufacturers, the Nexus 7 runs stock Android and is free from any special UI tweaks or customizations. Sure, you can download themes for a third-party launcher, but themes are launcher specific. They will not work for launchers they weren't designed for.
How To: Boost the Stock Volume Levels on Your Nexus 7 for Louder Sounds All Around
The volume is maxed out, but that doesn't stop me from hitting the volume key on my Nexus 7 in hopes that it will magically get louder. This happens to me everyday as I watch videos or play music. The simple fact is that a Nexus 7 tablet just doesn't get very loud. At least, not loud enough for me.
How To: Do Your Nexus 7's Speakers Sound Distorted? Fix Them with Bubble Wrap
One of the issues most commonly complained about with the Google Nexus 7 is speaker defects. Some people have issues with their tablets freezing when using the built-in speakers, others say they were pretty much busted right out of the box.
How To: Enhance the Music Listening Experience on Your Nexus 7 Tablet
When choosing a phone or tablet, I always take in to consideration what my music experience will be. Unfortunately, the Nexus 7 doesn't have Beats by Dre technology, which some may view as overrated, though it's definitely one of the better ways to get perfect-sounding tunes with headphones. But it's not all about the Beats. There are many other ways to make listening to music on your Nexus 7 tablet a better experience, and we'll highlight some of the options and add-ons that you can try out.
How To: Add Menu & Search Soft Keys to the Navigation Bar on Your Nexus 7
Many of our everyday apps include a menu tab or search bar, like Chrome and Twitter. In fact, a lot of times those are the first things we go for, as search is universal in most apps, and app settings are just about always accessible through the menu.
How To: Play Your Favorite Super Nintendo (SNES) Games on Your Nexus 7 Tablet
Some of my favorite games include Super Mario World, Super Mario Kart, Super Punch Out, and Super Metroid. If you still haven't caught on, I'm a big Super Nintendo fan. Growing up in the '90s meant spending Saturday mornings engulfed in front on my TV with the good old SNES running hard.
How To: Set Custom Fonts for Apps, Settings, & More on Your Nexus 7 Tablet
We softModders come from all walks of life, and sooner or later, our devices begin to reflect who we are. Maybe you've followed one of our guides on customizing your Nexus 7, such as getting the exclusive Google Experience Launcher or hiding the navigation buttons for more screen space, or maybe you used one of the various Xposed mods we've covered.
How To: Install the New Facebook Home Launcher on Your Nexus 7 Tablet
Facebook Home was just released in the Google Play Store a couple days ago, and for those of you eagerly waiting to get it on your Nexus 7, you'll unfortunately be stuck with this message: The new Facebook Home launcher app is blocked on the Nexus 7, because Facebook only released it for a few select Android phones. Home for tablets probably won't appear for months, but that's okay, because you don't have to wait that long! In this article, I'm going to show you how to get Facebook Home insta...
How To: Make the Status Bar's Battery Percentage Text Easier to Read on Your Nexus 7
We may all have a Nexus 7 tablet, but we don't all want to have the exact same look and feel, which is why we softMod for a more personalized vibe. There are hundreds of cool mods you can perform on your Nexus 7, whether stock or rooted, but one of my favorites in Android 4.4 KitKat was unlocking the hidden battery percentage icon in the Status bar.
How To: Play Super Mario 64 and Other Popular Nintendo 64 (N64) Games on Your Nexus 7 Tablet
Back in 1996, the Super Nintendo had pretty much reached its end of life, since everyone in the Mario club began switching from 2D to 3D gaming. The third home console by Nintendo, the Nintendo 64 (N64), ushered in the new 3D gaming generation of Nintendo fanatics, paving way for the Wii.
How To: Selectively Enable Immersive Mode for Certain Apps on Your Nexus 7
If you've followed our guide on unlocking KitKat's real full screen capability using the immersive mode mod, then your status and navigation bars will be hidden when not in use, giving you a more expansive full screen experience.
How To: Tame the Clutter on Your Nexus 7 Tablet & Effortlessly Manage Your Files—Even Cloud Storage
If you're always on the go, the Nexus 7 is a godsend for having everything you need at the tip of your fingers—music, videos, text documents, photos, and more. Unfortunately, as good as that is, it also means one hell of a messy tablet.
How To: Play Any Kind of Music or Video File by Modding Your Nexus 7 into a Media Powerhouse
The biggest complaint I have with my Nexus 7 is the lack of support for different types of media files. I have a lot of movies and music that I've downloaded off the web, in many different formats, and I want them on my tablet.
How To: Play Sonic the Hedgehog & Other Classic Sega Genesis Games on Your Nexus 7 Tablet
A blue hedgehog runs at high-speed through fantasy environments collecting rings. Sounds a bit loony, but I’m of course taking about the Sonic adventure series that was made popular on the Sega Genesis. The days of cartridge 16-bit gaming has long been eclipsed, but nostalgia can get the better of the old generation of gamers. Many of you probably don’t even own a working Genesis anymore, but don’t hop on eBay for a used console just yet!
How To: Play Almost Any Old School Arcade Game for Free on Your Nexus 7 Tablet
If you've spent enough time in an arcade like me, you're probably well acquainted with the dreaded "ran out of quarters syndrome." Just when you're about to beat the last boss in Marvel vs. Capcom, or make it to the next level in Donkey Kong, you're all out of quarters to continue the level.
How To: Make Your Nexus 7 Help You Fall Asleep at Night Instead of Keep You Up
Are you staying up longer than you want to? Do you fidget with your tablet late at night before bed? Maybe you're using it to read or to watch something to help you knock out. If so, this may actually be keeping you up.
How To: Running Out of Disk Space? Stream Music & Video Files from Your PC to Your Nexus 7 Tablet Anywhere, Anytime
A single movie download can consume a good ten percent of the storage on your Nexus 7 tablet, unless you went all crazy and opted for the 32GB model. Even then you're bound to run out of space fast, especially if you're like me and have tons of media files you want readily accessible on your tablet.
How To: Unlock and Root Your Google Nexus 7 Tablet
Google's Nexus 7 tablet has just been released, and for only $199, it seems like a great deal. Now, some of you are probably immediately thinking that you're going to want to root this thing as soon as possible to install all of your tweaks. Luckily, some clever hackers have already developed a fairly automated solution to rooting the device. Here's how it works. A word of caution however, rooting your tablet will very much void the warranty and there's no 100% guarantee that this procedure w...
How To: Mod Your Nexus 7 to Make Netflix & YouTube Show You More Video Options on the Screen
Ever use Nexflix and YouTube on Your Nexus 7 tablet? It sucks! The menus are too big and not enough videos are shown on the screen. What gives?!?
How To: Control Music Using the Power & Volume Keys When Your Nexus 7's Screen Is Off
I regularly listen to music on my Nexus 7 while working or playing my Xbox. It's light and easy to carry around, and has basically become an extension of my body. The only thing that bugs me is having to constantly turn the screen on to pause or change music tracks. Even if I can do it from my lock screen instead of the actual music player app—I don't want to.
How To: Get Android 5.0 Lollipop on Your Nexus Today
Google has already started to roll out the over-the-air update of Android 5.0 Lollipop to older Nexus series phones and tablets, but chances are it will take a long time for the OTA to hit your device.
How To: Hack Your Nexus 7 into a Hybrid Android Tablet That Looks & Feels Like Both iOS & TouchWiz
Do you like Samsung's TouchWiz and the iPhone's user interface, but wish you could bring the best of both worlds together onto your device? You can! MIUI (pronounced me-you-eye) is a heavily modded custom ROM that brings a different UI experience never before seen on stock Android devices. Over in the Nexus 7 SoftModder forum, Shashou Jian mentioned MIUI as a ROM every user should try out. The interface is a fresh mix of Apple’s iOS and Samsung’s TouchWiz elements—with a large dose of customi...