There's a little known feature most smartphones have hidden inside. It's a common technology that you have in your car or at home. However, most people don't know they have it on their phones. Your smartphone probably has an FM radio receiver built right into it. You just need to activate it, and you'll have an FM tuner on your phone.  It might seem strange that smartphone manufacturers would include an FM receiver and not tell their users about it. There is a reason, though.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       The ability to access the radio comes from the Qualcomm LTE modem in smartphones. They most likely include this capacity because using a smartphone to access the radio is common in the developing world. And it's simpler to deactivate the radio chip than to use completely different modems for phones sold in different areas. Although manufacturers can decide to activate the chip universally, it's on owners to unlock the FM radio on their smartphones. In terms of carriers, many major ones allow for the opportunity already. We don't know for sure why some companies won't activate the chip, but there are several theories kicking around. Some companies say they don't see FM radio as a big selling point or something consumers would actually want. When you consider how easy it is to create your own custom radio stations on YouTube Music, for instance, FM radio can seem far more limiting.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Alternatively, critics argue that the real reason is the financial incentive for not activating them. Because doing so would discourage people from using streaming services, which makes money for everyone involved.  If you have a supported device and carrier, accessing your device's FM radio isn't difficult. You only need two things: an app called NextRadio and wired headphones, wired ear buds, or a speaker to act as an antenna. NextRadio previously kept a list of supported devices and carriers; you'll need to check via the app now. Once you've determined if your phone supports NextRadio, you'll have to use Google Play. Unfortunately, Apple removed NextRadio from its app store in December 2018.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       So if you don't want to check NextRadio's list, download the app to see if your phone is compatible. If it can't find a support chip, the download wasn't a total waste. As an alternative, you can explore these Chrome extensions that let you listen to radio as you browse. If the app detects an activated FM chip, you'll need an antenna next. This is easier than it sounds.Practically anything that plugs into your device and has a wire will work. That means you can use your wired headphones, wired earbuds, or a wired speaker. If you aren't using a speaker, you don't have to listen through the headphones you connected. You can choose to direct the sound to your phone's speakers as well. Simply tap the HAMBURGER MENU in the top left and tap Output to Speaker. Unfortunately, there's no Bluetooth support at the time of writing.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    NextRadio has returned to the basics, with streaming and iOS support no longer supported. This means that the program focuses entirely on being an FM tuner. But if you don't follow the right steps, it'll seem like NextRadio doesn't work at all. When you first start using the app, follow these instructions to access the basic FM tuner for local stations:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      1.  When prompted to allow access to your location, choose DENY.                                                                                                                              2.  If prompted again, select DENY once more again.                                                                                                                                                      3.  When asked to find your local radio station, choose OTHER for your location.                                                                                                        4.  Tap OK to access the basic tuner.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   If you don't do this correctly the first time, you can tap the hamburger menu in the top-left, choose settings, and then REFRESH STATION LIST to change your location. As an alternative, you can uninstall NextRadio to begin the process again. Otherwise, if you enable access to your location by mistake, you'll get locked into an error message until reinstallation.  These are all leftovers from when the app supported streaming and had limited data usage. The search function doesn't properly work either, so just put all your attention onto the basic FM tuner initially. You can still list your favorite stations, so you can create an FM radio playlist over time.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  The benefits of using FM Radio on your phone:  Although you can download several apps to stream radio stations, using an FM tuner has several apps to stream radio stations, using an FM tuner has separate benefits. Probably the biggest advantage is the fact that connecting to the radio doesn't require you to use data. It's free to use, just like it would be in your car or on another device. If you don't have reliable access to Wi-Fi or have limited data, use the radio on your phone.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 While you can access a lot of stations by streaming, streaming devices won't always have access to all of your local stations. If you're accessing them via FM radio, you'll find every station that's available in your area. The FCC recommends having a radio for emergency situations such as tornados or severe storms. This ensures you can stay informed or communicate if the phone lines and the internet both go down. Since home radios aren't as common anymore, turning smartphones into radios makes perfect sense. If you want your battery to last longer, use the radio to listen to music instead of streaming it. Tapping into FM signals requires less energy than using an internet connection and can prove invaluable in an emergency.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    JAMES HIRTZ  -  Senior write - MUO