Ah, the holidays. No matter what style of winter celebration you prefer (I'm a Festivus man myself), late December is a fine time for kicking back and regrouping for the coming year.

That means it's also a fine time for contemplating that crazy little computer in your pocket and the steps you can take to make it even more powerful — because guess what? A few minutes of tuning up now will make your life infinitely easier throughout all of 2022. Think of it as a gift to yourself — one that keeps on giving and, best of all, doesn't cost you a single dime.

In case you missed any of 'em the first go-round or maybe just didn't have the time to try everything out, here are some of my favorite productivity-boosting Android tips from Android Intelligence columns and other associated articles in 2021. Pour yourself some cocoa, polish up the ol' Festivus pole, and give yourself the gift of finely tuned technology.

Android 12's incredible, but it certainly isn't perfect — so blast away the software's most bothersome buzzkills with these super-simple 60-second solutions.

Pixel pals, prepare for productivity: Some of Android 12's most impressive elements are exclusive to Google's self-made devices, and if you don't know where to look, you just might miss 'em.

[Psst: You can get gooey Googley tips in your inbox all year round with my Android Intelligence newsletter. Endless knowledge awaits!]

No Android 12 yet? No problem. Here's how to recreate some of the more interesting additions from Google's latest and greatest Android software.

Android security doesn't have to be a source of stress. These level-headed steps are all you need to keep the boogeyman at bay.

This tiny-seeming change will make a gigantic difference in your day-to-day Android experience.

Google Assistant can do so much more than you'd realize. Ready to teach your phone a few new tricks?

Speaking of speaking, these oft-forgotten commands can save you some serious time in the Chrome Android browser.

You'll reclaim tons of wasted seconds with these advanced tricks for fasting Android typing.

We couldn't talk about Android typing efficiency without touching on this spectacularly effective little adjustment.

Android is practically overflowing with options, and it's easy to lose track of some useful stuff along the way. Let's correct that, shall we?

Power up your Pixel experience with these productivity-boosting Android extras.

No matter what kind of phone you have, you can take advantage of all Maps has to offer by tapping into these easily overlooked features and options.

Changing the order of messages in your Gmail inbox may seem impossible, but it absolutely isn't. In fact, it's actually quite easy — if you know the trick.

Thanks as always for reading, and happy holidays to you and yours!

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