Anu Joy-Author

Anu Joy

Author

Contributor Since August, 2019
Qualifications Bachelor’s degree in Electronics and Telecommunications Engineering
Expertise
Android, Google, Smartphones
  • 578
    articles
  • 287
    Features
  • 67
    Lists
  • 223
    Guides
Android Police logo Profile

About Anu Joy

I cover Android with a focus on productivity, automation, and Google’s ecosystem, including Gemini and everyday apps. With a background in engineering and software development, I tend to go beyond surface-level tips and focus on how features fit into real workflows.
Before joining AP, I wrote for tech publications such as Gizbot in 2023 and iJunkie (formerly known as iPhoneHacks) from 2021 to 2022.

How long have you been interested in technology?

I’ve been interested in technology since using a Windows 98 desktop at home, where I spent time exploring system settings, installing random software, and trying to fix things when they broke. That early habit of experimenting and figuring things out has stayed with me over time.

What tech products or categories are you most passionate about?

My interest in Android started when I got my first smartphone, a budget Gionee P1, and began exploring its settings and features out of curiosity. What started as simple tweaks like changing layouts, testing keyboards, and trying different apps turned into a deeper interest in how phones can be customized to work more efficiently.

A man in a suit looks at his smartphone while holding a coffee cup, surrounded by graphics showing progress bars, upward arrows, and the NotebookLM logo

I used NotebookLM to gamify my life — and it actually worked

A woman lying on a sofa using her smartphone, with the Gemini Gems menu behind her and floating Gemini star icons around her

I use Gemini when I'm bored — and it's better than doomscrolling

Latest

Car driving on a highway with a Google Maps route and logo.
Stop tapping through Google Maps: these simple tricks will improve your everyday drive
Google Maps

I stopped ignoring these Google Maps features and completely changed how I use Maps

Smart Action Notch controls and shortcuts displayed around a smartphone’s camera cutout
I turned my phone's camera cutout into a shortcut hub; now I use it constantly
Camera

It is my most-tapped shortcut

Google Wallet logo with a security shield and checkmark
I use Google Wallet every day, but these are the security settings I wouldn't ignore
Google Wallet

I tightened Wallet's security with these changes

Gboard keyboard illustration with the Google logo on a colorful background.
Stop letting Gboard ruin your typing speed; change these settings for smoother typing
Gboard

Gboard is better without these features

Google Photos logo beside a box filled with photos
I finally audited my Google Photos storage and rescued 5GB of wasted space
Google Photos

Quickly find where Google Photos buries massive files to save GBs in minutes

2
Home floor plan showing strong and weak Wi-Fi coverage areas
My Wi-Fi kept buffering until I used this app to track down my network's dead zones
Wi-Fi

I finally found the hidden Wi-Fi interference

OnePlus phone showing its internal battery beside the intact device.
I kept my old phone alive by replacing one part; it cost way less than an upgrade
Battery

Why I check the battery before considering a new phone

1
ScreenZen app with an hourglass and social media icons
This free app helped me reclaim hours of my day without deleting social media
doomscrolling

I stopped mindlessly opening apps

Android shield blocking ads
This overlooked Android setting blocks ads and trackers without installing anything
dns

I wish I hadn't ignored this setting for years

6
Google Chrome showing Vertical Tabs, Split View, and Immersive Reading Mode
These Chrome features turned my browser into a productivity powerhouse
Google Chrome

I finally quit tab switching

Gmail logo held in a hand, with Google Calendar and Tasks icons floating around it
I turned Gmail into my personal command center by pairing it with Calendar and Tasks
Gmail

I'll never handle emails the same way again

Gboard surrounded by colorful Emoji Kitchen mashup stickers
I stopped sending boring emojis after discovering this hidden Gboard feature
Gboard

My chats have never been the same

3
Google Maps route with multiple stops added along the way
Google Maps kept rerouting my road trips until I found this one workaround
Google Maps

Outsmart Maps' rerouting

Gmail inbox with a nearly full 15GB storage bar and a clean-up button.
Stop paying for Google One: These Gmail cleanup steps freed up my inbox instantly
Gmail

I freed up space without deleting important emails

Google Gemini saving a conversation to Google Keep
Google Keep solved my biggest Gemini problem: finding that useful chat months later
Google Keep

I stopped losing old conversations

3
Android phone with a privacy shield and Android mascot
Android's hidden privacy tools caught things I never would have noticed on my own
Security

I should have used them sooner

Google Keep app on a smartphone beside the Google Keep icon on a desk.
I abandoned Google Keep for an open source app to fix one massive note-taking flaw
note taking

This open-source app handles notes so much better

Three custom Google Wallet-style passes
I started making custom passes in Google Wallet; now I use it for almost everything
Google Wallet

These features were hiding in plain sight

2
Google Calendar logo surrounded by scheduling, tasks, and calendar management features
Google Calendar has some seriously underrated productivity features I now use daily
Google Calendar

My schedule isn't chaotic anymore

1
Hand holding a smartphone using WeZoom to magnify text from a book
I stopped squinting at tiny labels after installing this free Android app
accessibility tool

This app turned my phone into a magnifying glass

4
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