Steering wheel paddles

[EddieBirmingham]

I have just bought an Audi sportsback 2010 1.6TDi

its a manual gearbox

Why are there paddles on the steering wheel?
what does the button on the steering wheel do with the picture of the face on it and the mode button on the other side?

all that works is the radio volume and the channel changer on other side

[NHN]

I suspect someone's fitted an auto steering wheel to get the controls, as it was cheaper to buy at the time than a manual version.

The mode button only works when BT is fitted, controls the top segment of the DIS & this button toggles between the current audio source & the BT phonebook.

The other is the speech dialogue button which controls systems via voice for such items as BT, Nav & radio when fitted.