Android tips #2

Some more Android features you might not be aware of.  My Nexus One has been updated to Android 2.2/Froyo, and I discovered a few of these features recently. So these features might be 2.2-specific.

• You probably know that the Google Search widget on the home screen can search the contents of your phone too, from Android 2.2 onwards.  But did you know that you don't really need the Search widget to be on your home screen to use search?  You can simply press your phone's Search soft key when you are on the home screen, and that would bring the search UI of the widget (even if the widget is not present anywhere in any of your home screens).
• You can type a phone number and dial it directly from your phone's search interface (either from Google Search widget or by pressing Search soft key when in home screen).  You can also type a phone number and create a new contact with that phone number from the search UI itself.
• This is a feature I know I will be using very often, but I know it's not for everyone.  You can press and drag upwards on the soft keyboard to reveal two rows at the top that have numbers and few special characters.  Will be handy when having to type one symbol or a digit in the middle of a phrase.

See also: Android tips.