Google accounts and Android phones go together just like peanut butter and jelly, or Apples and iClouds. Setting up an Android without connecting it to your Gmail account is extraordinarily difficult. Once you do sign in, your Android phone automatically syncs with your Gmail account, including your contacts.
However, if you're like many business owners, you may have more than one Gmail account – one for personal use and one for work. In this instance, getting a client's new number from your Android device to your work Gmail account may not work, if you've used a different account to register your phone.
The first thing to do is to check your sync settings. This will tell you the last time your Android device was synced with your Google account, and it will tell you which account it is using. If it has synced to the right account, go to Google Contacts on a web browser to ensure that your Gmail contacts list is up-to-date.
Check Your Sync Settings on an Android Phone
To see whether or not your contacts are syncing to your Gmail account from your phone, open Settings. Select Google, then scroll down and tap Restore Contacts.
At the top of the screen you will see your Gmail email address associated with your Android device, as well as the number of contacts on the device, and the last time it was synced with your Gmail account.
If you want to sync contacts with a different Gmail address, tap the address and then select the other address or tap Add Account to add a new one.
If your phone hasn't synced to your Google account recently, plug in your phone and make sure that it's connected to the internet with either WiFi or a strong cellular signal.
Check Your Google Contacts From a Web Browser
On a web browser and log into contacts.google.com. Alternatively, log into your Gmail account and click the Google Apps icon beside your profile picture in the upper-right corner. The icon looks like six dots. Select Contacts.
Compare the contacts with those on your Android phone. Take a look at a recent contact you added. If the name, email address and phone number match, then your contacts have already been synced from your phone to Google Contacts.
The Gmail Android app doesn't let you see your list of contacts directly. If you try, Gmail will direct you to download and install the Google Contacts app.
Using Gmail to Sync Contacts
Simply logging into Gmail is enough to have Google sync your Android contacts with your Google account.
Open Gmail. By default, Gmail should be automatically installed on your Android device. If you don't see it, tap the All Apps icon at the bottom of your Android screen and scroll down to Gmail. Alternatively, go to the Google Play Store, search for Gmail and select "Open."
Log in with your Gmail account, when prompted. If you're using a different Gmail account, you can add a new account by tapping your profile picture and selecting Add Another Account. Follow the onscreen prompts.
Connect your Android to a power source to prompt it to sync. Then log into contacts.google.com on a web browser to see your contacts. If they don't appear, wait a few hours and try again.
Using the Google Contacts App
If you would prefer not to use Gmail on your Android phone, you can use the Google Contacts app instead. Go to the Google Play store and download Google Contacts. The actual name is Contacts by Google LLC. Make sure that this is the developer before downloading, so you don't accidentally download a similar app made by some other developer.
Once Google Contacts is downloaded, open the app and follow the onscreen prompts to log in and sync your contacts.
Adding a New Number to Contacts
Once your Android phone is associated with your Gmail account, any time you add a new contact, or update an existing contact, it will be synced with Google Contacts automatically.
If someone calls you for example and their name isn't listed, tap the Information icon beside the number in the Android phone app, then select Create Contact or Updating Existing. Once the new number is added to your default contacts app on the phone, it should be added to Google Contacts the next time your phone syncs.
That dreaded moment you realise your phone is missing. We've all been there.
Android Device Manager can help you track it down, remotely delete information on it, lock it, and more. It takes a moment to set up, but it's a life saver if you ever need it. Do it now!
Go to Settings > Security to switch it on. Then go to Settings > Security > Device Administrators and check the box next to Android Device Manager so it has the permissions it needs.
2. Make your Android personal.
With Android, you can customise your homescreen however you like. You can choose from a pile of widgets and personalised layouts to quickly fire up your music, check your Inbox or catch up on the latest news.
Just long-press on your homescreen to get started.
3. Keep all of your music in one place.
With Google Play Music, you can upload 50,000 songs from your personal music collection completely free. You no longer need to worry about how much storage your favourite album takes up on your phone.
To upload songs to Google Play Music, install Music Manager for your computer or Google Play Music for Chrome. Then download the app on to your devices and you’re ready to go.
4. Save your battery for when you need it most.
Nothing ruins your day more quickly than running out of juice. Android phones with Lollipop and above have Battery Saver Mode built in. When you're getting low on power, it automatically kicks in, keeping you up and running as long as possible.
Battery saver mode works automatically, so it just comes on when you need it. Switch it on by going to Settings > Battery and finding Battery saver
5. Get helpful information, right when you need it.
The Google app gives you information to help manage your day, before you even ask. It has cards on traffic before work, parcel tracking, news you're interested in, and spots nearby to grab lunch at.
To turn on Google Now cards, go to the Google Settings app > Search & Now > Now cards > Turn Show cards on.
6. Get the power of search everywhere.
"Now on Tap" gives you the things you need, at any time, at the touch of a button.
Just long-press the "home" button on your phone - on any screen - and Android will bring up all the relevant information and actions. For example, if a friend texts you about dinner plans, Now on Tap will give you a review of the restaurant as well as booking details, directions and more.
To use it, just long-press the “home” button on your phone, no matter what app you’re in.
BONUS: Find and play Android's secret, hidden game!
Google always includes an Easter egg or two in most of their products, and Android is no exception. To find the game, go into your system settings, select About phone (or tablet), and then tap the line labeled Android version several times in a row. When you see a large graphic appear on your screen, tap the circle part of the image about five times and then press and hold your finger to it. You'll then be taken into an Android-themed game, with lots of obstacles to jump through and avoid. It's seriously addictive. You've been warned.
You've now got the tips you need to become a pro at your Android device.
Android is the customisable, easy-to-use operating system that powers more than a billion devices across the globe. Android has the best of Google built in, from Maps to Gmail to YouTube.
6 ways to share content from your phone to your TV
New technologies make it easier to share content from your phone to your TV
Mobile phone displays might be better and sharper than ever before, but for most people, the big-screen experience is where the real action is. And while phone displays might have high definition (HD) and even quad HD resolutions, they cannot really match the big displays when it comes to the impact and features like sound. Of course, there are ways to bridge this gap. Simply connect your phone to the TV and view everything from apps to films on the bigger display. This method is called screen mirroring and can be accomplished in a number of ways. The most notable six are:
HDMI
The “grande dame" of connecting your phone to the television or any other large display, the popularity of HDMI, or high-definition multimedia interface,
stems from its availability and sheer ease of use. All you need to do is to connect your phone to the TV using an HDMI cable (if your phone does not have an HDMI port, you can get a micro USB-to-HDMI adaptor to redress the situation). With most devices, you will be able to see the contents of your phone on a big display. Of course, just how far you will be able to sit from your display will depend on the length of the HDMI cable.
It is not as well known as HDMI, but MHL (mobile high-definition link) is perhaps the most useful wired solution to sharing your phone’s content on TV. Like HDMI, it too needs a cable, but it is much more versatile in terms of usage. You can connect your phone to a wireless game controller or a keyboard, and use them to control action on the big screen, giving you a console or a desktop-like environment. It also charges your phone while it is connected to the larger device (a blessing given how fast smartphone batteries drain these days). You would, of course, need a MHL cable (and an adpator for some TVs), which plugs into the micro USB port of your phone at one end and in the bigger display’s HDMI port at the other. You would need both phone and display to support MHL. Samsung, Sony, Toshiba and LG TVs are offering MHL.
Miracast
Miracast is based on Wi-Fi Direct technology. If both your TV and phone support Miracast, all you need to do is go to the phone’s settings and turn on the screen mirroring function, and then sit back and play Angry Birds on the big screen or simply watch the high-definition video you shot on a display better suited to show high quality content. The wireless connection here is directly between your device and the TV—there is no need to be connected to a Wi-Fi network. If your TV is a couple of years old, it is possible that it does not support Miracast, in which case you get an adaptor.
STBs
There are some set-top boxes (STBs) that allow you to mirror your device’s content with your TV wirelessly. This is done by connecting both devices—phone and TV—to the same Wi-Fi network and turning on the mirroring feature.
The most well-known STB perhaps is the Apple TV device, which lets you share content from your iPhone or iPad on to your TV. The transfer takes place wirelessly between the phone and the STB, but the STB and the TV are connected via an HDMI cable, which transfers the audio and video signal. Your experience depends largely on how good the Wi-Fi router is.
Dongles
These operate on the same concept as STBs, connecting your phone or tablet to a TV and letting you see content on a larger screen. There are, however, few wires to tangle with—you do not need to connect your STB to your TV, but instead simply need to insert the dongle into your television’s HDMI port. Both the phone and the TV (through the dongle) need to connect to the same Wi-Fi network and once you launch the supported app or turn on a feature, you are all set to start sharing your phone on the big screen.
The most well-known dongle is Google’s Chromecast, which lets you share your Android device’s content on a bigger display. Teewe, launched by a Bangalore-based company, works on the same principle as Chromecast, but has a better ecosystem of mobile and desktop apps.
Apps
This is potentially an expensive way of mirroring your phone’s content to a TV, as it uses the Internet to send your information to the TV. You won’t get hit by too stiff a bill if all you do is share the odd document or browse a website. But if you play games and streaming video, your bill will hurt. That said, there is no wire or extra device involved in the entire process. You will need a TV with Internet connectivity (through cable or Wi-Fi) and a browser to be able to use this. Just make sure you have a decent Internet connection (512 Kbps or more for documents, 2 Mbps or more for video files—else performance can be choppy). The most famous app is Nokia Beamer, which lets you share whatever is on your phone’s display.
Some of the newer generation smart TVs have built-in Wi-Fi. This lets you connect to the Wi-Fi router without having to pull any wires. If your TV doesn’t have Wi-Fi, then there are two options—connect the TV with the router via a cable, or invest in a Wi-Fi dongle compatible with your TV. This plugs into the USB port, and allows wireless connectivity. These dongles usually cost around 5,000-8,000.
Access the same network
Your phone which is streaming the content, and the device which is receiving the content, need to be connected to the same network.
Powerful Wi-Fi
For standard definition videos and movies, most Wi-Fi routers are more than adequate. However, if you are sending HD files over the network, you will need to invest in a Wireless N router. These routers offer faster transfer speeds and wider bandwidth for high resolution content to stream smoothly. Also, the Wi-Fi signal should be more than 80% on all connected devices.
Monitor the battery
Unless you are using MHL as the connectivity method, the phone’s battery life will discharge quickly while sharing videos and other media, because the screen is powered on the entire time. Keep an eye on this discharge.
Here’s the Right Way to Rescue a Soaking Wet Smartphone
Given the hundreds of ways your phone could come into life-threatening contact with liquid, you should know what to do when it happens (because it will).
IT FELL IN the toilet. Your clumsy partner knocked a glass of water onto it. You forgot it was in your pocket when you jumped into the pool. That's just a few of the hundreds of ways your phone could come into life-threatening contact with liquid.
Fortunately, waterproofing has become mostly standard on modern phones. New iPhones, Samsung Galaxy devices, and Google’s newest Pixel phones all feature some degree of water resistance or waterproofing. How well a phone resists water is measured on an IP (or Ingress Protection) scale. If your phone is rated with a high number, like IP67 or IP68 protection, congratulations, it’s probably going to be fine! But if it’s got a lower rating, or none at all, you should prepare for the worst before you start chilling in the hot tub with your trusty Sidekick.
So when your phone decides to take a dive, as soon as you're done freaking out, you'll probably begin frantically tapping all the buttons, blowing on it, or blasting it with a hair dryer to quickly get rid of all that water. While those are all well-meaning actions, guess what? Totally the wrong approach. Here's the right way to rescue your water-damaged smartphone.
First, retrieve it as quickly as possible. If your phone is still in the bottom of the jacuzzi or the toilet, get it out ASAP. The longer it's in the liquid, the greater the likelihood of damage will be.
Once the device is no longer submerged, power it off right away. Don’t try to press any of the other buttons or load any apps, just switch it off. Remove the case if you have one. If you have a phone with a removable battery, pop the battery out. You want to cut off power in the device as quickly as possible to prevent the possibility of a short circuit. Most of today’s smartphones don’t have removable batteries, but some older models, or new models built with repairability in mind like the Nokia 1.3, let you pop the battery out.
Do not blow-dry your wet phone or stick it in the oven! Heat can damage the delicate electronics inside. What you should do is give the naked, case-free phone a quick wipe with a clean towel, making sure no water accidentally ends up draining into its charging port, SIM or MicroSD slots, or headphone jack (if your phone still has one). If there are traces of water trapped inside cracks or indentations in the case, try carefully and conservatively using compressed air to blow it out. If you don’t have a can of air lying around, you can use your mouth to gently blow it out. Just be careful not to blow the water further inside the phone, or add any of your own spit to the mix.
Next we have a few different options. If you search the internet or ask a friend, a common piece of advice you’ll hear is to stuff your device in a bag of rice. It might work in a pinch, but that method can cause some problems. While rice is absorbent, it’s incapable of collecting all the moisture hidden deep within your phone, so it only serves as a partial fix. Also, the rice gets mushy and sticky as it absorbs the water, and then you could wind up with gummy bits of rice stuck in your phone’s seams and ports, or dust deep in your device's crevices. You can wrap the phone loosely in a paper towel before dropping it into the rice, but this is still not your best option.
You might be better off turning to the pros for help. Some retail stores like Staples offer TekDry wet phone repair services that use specially designed machines to pull the water out. The service isn’t cheap: Repairing a soaked smartphone will cost you $70. Plus, Covid restrictions might mean that a store near you might not be open, so be sure to call and check with the store before you go.
Of course, for the accident-prone and careful alike, it’s a good idea to be prepared for this inevitable phone-soaking well ahead of any actual accidents. The smartest option is to keep synthetic desiccants (drying agents) on hand. These usually take the form of those small, square packets that you find in shoeboxes and packages of beef jerky. You know, the “DO NOT EAT” stuff. These packets typically contain little beads of silica gel, which absorbs moisture around them. They work more quickly and efficiently than rice, and they are far less messy.
You might as well hoard the packets you're already getting for free. Start now: Every time you see a loose desiccant packet in a box with a new hard drive or a shipment of spices or whatever, pull it out and save it in an airtight container. (You can also buy desiccant packets in bulk.) Dump them all into a plastic or glass container you're certain has an air-tight seal. After you've collected a bunch of them, you have an emergency phone-rescue pod ready to go. Just drop the dunked phone into the container so it’s surrounded by packets, seal the container, and wait 24 to 48 hours.
The $15 Nine Lives Wet Phone Fix is a ready-made solution you can order and keep on the shelf at home. You can drop your phone in the airtight plastic pouch periodically (like after your jeans get soaked in a rainstorm) to make sure no lingering moisture starts doing damage inside your handset, or just use it if your phone encounters a full-on liqui-mergency.
Nanoflow X is another option. Same deal as the Nine Lives: You just seal up your phone inside the pouch, which is filled with desiccant, and then wait the specified amount of time (12 to 24 hours) to let your phone dry out. You can grab a pouch for as cheap as $5 on Amazon.
The trick to all of these methods is that for the desiccant to do its magic, it needs to be in a sealed container so that it can absorb water only from your phone, and not from the outside air. Also, you need to have enough of the desiccant present to absorb all the water.
Following these tips, there's a good chance your phone could survive its untimely spill. But if it spends too much time underwater, you could be out of options. In which case, maybe it’s finally time to get yourself a waterproof phone.
10 Best Photo Editing Apps For Android IN 2021 | Above Android
Editing a photo on a smartphone was not a great experience in the past, but that's no longer the case. There are a ton of great apps for photo editing on the Android platform. Best of all, there are a lot of different apps to choose from, so you can get exactly what you want. It doesn't really matter if you're looking to do a quick edit, a semi-automated one, or you want all the possible tools at your disposal.
Decide what you want, find the perfect app for it, and you're good to go. That's actually why we're here, to try and help you find a photo editing app that suits you best. We've listed 10 photo editing Android apps down below. These are our favorite photo editing apps on the platform.
Each of these applications has something different to offer. In other words, each of them shine in one way or the other. There are a lot more, good apps available in the Play Store, of course, these are only our picks. Chances are you'll find what you're looking for here, if not, you can always visit the Google Play Store, and dig further. We've included descriptions for each of these apps, along with more information about each of them.
Top 10 Best Photo Editing Android Apps 2020
Below is a quick overview of the top 10 best photo editing Android apps for 2020, including any download and in-app purchase costs.
Download CostIn-app cost (per item)
Snapseed ✕ ✕
Photo Editor Pro ✕$0.99-$15.99
Adobe Lightroom ✕$1.99-$59.99
Pixlr ✕$0.99-$15.99
PicsArt ✕$0.99-$150
Pixaloop ✕$0.99-$77
Fotor ✕$0.99-$41.99
Photo Grid ✕$0.99-$39.99
LightX ✕$0.99-$31.99
AirBrush ✕ $0.99-$35.99
Below is a little more information on each app, a suggestion for the type of user the app is best suited to, and a direct link for easy downloading.
All download links go to the app's Google Play Store listing. Users are always recommended to download apps from Google Play or an authorized app store.
Best Photo Editing Android App For Most Users
Snapseed
Price: Free to download
In-app purchases: No
Android version: Varies with device
Snapseed kicks off this list, and for a good reason. This is probably the best photo editing app for most users. Snapseed has been purchased by Google a long time ago, and it only got better from that point on. The app is highly intuitive, and it comes with tons of tools that you can utilize. Thanks to its algorithms, some automated edits are also a possibility, in case you don't want to do things manually.
If you do decide to go down the manual route, you'll realize that the experience the app offers is great. Once you select the desired tool or category, you'll be able to use it. In some cases, more tools are packed together, and you can scroll between them vertically by holding down the finger on the display. Tweaking brightness and contrast, for example, can be done by moving your finger left and right, while holding it down on the display. This is an excellent tool for photo editing, and worth trying out.
If you like using filters, chances are you'll love Photo Editor Pro. This app is not all about filters, far from it, but it does have tons of them at your disposal. There are over 100 filters available within this app. Lomo, PINK, Vignette, Natural, Warm, Dew… and many more are included. On top of that, you can access some Glitch Effects here, and also blue the background of your images like a pro.
This app even allows you to mix and blend two images in order to create something truly unique. Dozens of light leak effects are available, while the app also offers tools for body retouching. If collages are more your thing, you can create them here as well. You can remix up to 18 pictures into a photo collage without a problem. 100+ grids are at your disposal. These are only some of the features this app offers.
Best Photo Editing Android App For Adobe Subscribers
Adobe Lightroom
Price: Free to download
In-app purchases: Yes
Android version: 5.0+
If you're an Adobe subscriber, and perhaps already use Adobe Lightroom on desktop, then this is the perfect app for you. This is basically a mobile version of the desktop app. It is packed with features, and one of the more powerful photo editing apps available in the Play Store. This app even comes with presents which will definitely simplify things for you, in case you don't want to manually edit photos.
All the basic tools are available here, along with more advanced ones. The healing brush is, for example, a part of the package, and it works like a charm. The app also has a camera built in, and it comes with its own set of options. Color grading is also a breeze in Lightroom. The app's UI is quite intuitive, and it actually looks quite nice. It's there, and easily visible, and yet not too flashy.
Pixlr is one of the best-looking photo editing apps on Android. Its UI is flat, and it just feels so right to use. The vast majority of options are included in the lower portion of the display, so that they're easy to reach. This app is not all about the looks, though. It's actually quite a powerful photo editing application, that's for sure. In addition to all the basic actions that you'd expect, this app also provides more advanced ones.
It even allows you to create collages. You can choose from a number of presets, and go from there. Adjusting grid styles, rations, and backgrounds for grids is also a possibility. You can create cool photo effects with this app by using the 'Stylize' option. The Color Splash effect is also included, while you can add text to your photos here as well. Pixlr can also remove blemishes, and red-eye, while it can also smoothen skin, and so on.
If your main goal with a photo editing app is to make collages, PicsArt is one of the best options out there. You can choose between a photo grid, freestyle collage, or a scrapbook. Once you do, you'll get quite a few presets, and you'll also be able to further customize the layout. This app is an all-in-one photo editor, though, so it's not focused solely on photo grids, not even close.
There are tons of stickers included in the app, while you can also create your very own ones. A drawing tool is included in the app as well. Various filters are at your disposal, while you can utilize the background eraser tool as well. Removing objects is also a possibility here, while you can also edit videos if you want. This app works best for short-form videos, and there are quite a few features available.
Best Photo Editing Android App For Animating Photos
Pixaloop
Price: Free to download
In-app purchases: Yes
Android version: 7.1+
Pixaloop is a considerably different app than any other application on the list. Why? Well, this app basically delivers a full-fledged photo animator to your device. This app tries to keep things simple in the process, so that basically anyone can use it. The app's goal is to bring your still photos to life, by animating them. You can create 3D photo animation in a number of ways by using this app.
For example, you can make the water move, or you can do the same with your hair. These are only a couple of examples. You can add movements, and adjust the speed with this app. It also allows you to replace a background, and control what moves by using anchors. Animating some images will work better than others, but you can really do wonders with Pixaloop. Still image animation has never been easier.
Fotor is one of the best-designed photo editing apps for Android. This app's UI is based at the bottom of the display, so that you have all the tools readily available. The company did a great job of incorporating elements into that UI as well, everything looks very nice. It's easy to use these tools, as the app is quite intuitive, it's made for beginners and advanced users alike, anyone can use it.
You'll find a ton of options inside this app. Full-featured effects are included, as are border options, and stickers. Over 200 stickers are available in Fotor. You can make personalized collages by using this application, while some professional photo-editing tools are also included. One-click enhancements are also a part of the package, if you'd like to keep things simple.
If you love making photo grids, the app called 'Photo Grid' is an excellent choice. Much like a number of other apps on the list, this app keeps its UI elements in the lower portion of the display. You will find over 20,000 collage templates inside this app, though do note that only a handful of them are free. Over 1,000 text styles and fonts are included, along with over 100 color options.
The app focuses most on grids, but you can also create scrapbooks if you want, with ease. There are a ton of additional options for fine-tuning included. You can choose the aspect ratio of your grids, and also choose to blur some portions. Cropping and rotating tools are a part of the package as well, as are contrast and brightness adjustment options. We're only scratching the surface here, though.
Best Photo Editing Android App For Face Retouching
LightX
Price: Free to download
In-app purchases: Yes
Android version: 4.1+
LightX is an extremely powerful photo editor. This app especially shines when it comes to face-editing. It can smoothen and sharpen up your selfies, both automatically or manually. You can remove spots and marks from your face, like pimples and blemishes. You can also change your hair color inside this app, and apply different hairstyles. Teeth whitening is also a possibility.
This app is not all about face-editing, though. It is a full-fledged photo editing app. It allows you to cut out images, and also change the background in them. Color Splash photo effects are available, and you can also mix photos in order to create some special effects. Basic and professional photo editing tools are also available. You can also use the refine tool to shape your body features, and much more.
Best Photo Editing Android App For Boosting Selfies
AirBrush
Price: Free to download
In-app purchases: Yes
Android version: 4.1+
AirBrush is also an excellent choice when it comes to retouching faces. It can remove blemishes and pimples with ease. Whitening teeth is a breeze for this app, and the same goes for brightening someone's eyes. You can adjust the skin color in photos, and do it in style. If you'd like to slim, reshape, or lengthen someone's shape in a photo, that's easily doable with AirBrush.
Artistic retouching filters are also readily available, as are natural filters that you can use. There are a ton of options included in this app. This app is mostly focused on retouching faces and body shapes, but there are tons of additional features included on the inside. The app's UI is also really easy to use, as it's laid out really well.
If you own an Android smartphone, you'll need some essential apps to sync your files, watch movies, track your sleeping patterns, catch up on your reading, and more. We've collected the best, most useful apps that Google Play Store has to offer.
(You may notice some crossover with our list of essential iPhone apps. Some apps are just that good.)
1. Sleep As Android
Sleep As Android tracks the quality of your shut-eye.Sleep As Android
You don't have to fasten a fitness tracker to your wrist to track your sleeping patterns—use your phone and the Sleep As Android app instead. When you place your phone on your mattress, the app can monitor movement and noise to work out how well you're sleeping and how much shut-eye you bank.
The basics come free, but pay the one-time upgrade free, and you can access a ton of useful extras. These include a smart alarm that wakes you up based on your sleep cycles, and an ad-free experience in the app.
Sleep As Android for Android, free or $5.50 for an upgraded version
2. Evernote
Evernote is one of the best note-taking apps out there.
Evernote lets you scribble memos, schedules, random thoughts, and just about anything you'd want to jot down in digital form. The app has been around for more than a decade now, but despite its advanced age, it's managed to stay fresh and keep pace with newer rivals. Where it really excels is in organization: Evernote lets you sort all your documents into notebooks and label them with categories and custom tags so they'll be easily searchable and accessible. It also syncs seamlessly across multiple devices.
All those features come with the free version of the app. If you buy a $5/month premium account, you also gain the ability to link your Evernote account with third-party apps, as well as better sharing options.
Evernote for Android, free or $5 per month for a premium subscription
3. Nova Launcher
Customize Android's appearance with Nova Launcher.
On an Android, you can customize the appearance pixel-by-pixel in a way that you just can't do on iPhones. Specifically, launcher apps—like the excellent Nova Launcher—let you completely reskin the design of Android, redoing everything from the home screen layout to the details of individual app icons.
Once you install Nova Launcher on your phone, it lets you add more icons to the home screen, change their size, tweak text and label settings, introduce more gesture controls, completely reskin your phone with a new theme, and much more. If you shell out for the Prime upgrade, it piles on even more visual customizations.
Nova Launcher for Android, free or $5 for the prime version
4. IFTTT
IFTTT lets multiple accounts connect with each other.
IFTTT, or If This Then That, ties together different apps: When a trigger happens in one service ("if this"), then an action results in another ("then that"). You can integrate a whole bunch of programs, including social media, web apps, hardware devices, online services, smart home platforms, and more.
The app works particularly well with an Android device: You can use it to change your phone's wallpaper every day, back up your SMS messages to email, post to multiple social networks at the same time, or switch off your Wi-Fi when you leave the house. This is just an idea of what's possible—IFTTT has many more abilities for you to explore.
IFTTT for Android, free
5. CamScanner
Digitize your documents with CamScanner.
Several apps let you use your phone's camera to digitize paper documents, but few are as slick and powerful as CamScanner. It can crop and enhance images in seconds, leaving you with a digital document that's aligned and easy to read—even if your phone's camera isn't the best. You can join documents together, add your own annotations on top, and then share the result as a PDF or JPG.
On top of this basic version, you can sign up for a premium account for $5 per month. With this version, CamScanner will turn images into digital text that you can search through on your phone or via the app's web interface.
CamScanner for Android, free or $5 per month for a premium account
6. Google Podcasts
Google Podcasts is a simple yet powerful podcasting app.
Google's recent foray into podcasting apps hits a nice balance between functionality and simplicity. On top of playing your favorite shows, it also syncs your listening across devices—and supported devices include Google Home speakers. The interface is clean and clutter-free, so searching for and discovering new podcasts is simple. Once you subscribe to a show, new episodes download and join your queue automatically.
Google Podcasts for Android, free
7. SwiftKey
Give your Android keyboard an upgrade with SwiftKey.
You might be happy with the keyboard that came with your Android smartphone, but if you want to take typing to the next level, then you need SwiftKey. It picks up on the phrases, slang, and nicknames you rely on and uses that information to provide more intelligent autocorrect and text predictions. If you prefer swiping to tapping, SwiftKey supports that too. This helps you type faster.
Besides adapting to your own typing style, SwiftKey also gives you easy access to emojis and GIFs, supports multiple languages, and provides lots of color themes to jazz up the keyboard's appearance.
SwiftKey for Android, free
8. VLC Player
VLC Player can cope with audio, videos, and images.
Android devices can play movies and music right out of the box, but it's still worth supplementing your default apps with VLC Player. Think of it as an all-in-one app you can rely on for any media playback job.
VLC Player can handle just about every file format out there. Besides simple playback, it packs in tons of other features: You can play web streams, apply subtitles, tweak sound settings via the built-in equalizer, watch videos in pop-up windows on top of other apps, stream content from computers on your local Wi-Fi network, and more.
VLC Player for Android, free
9. Snapseed
Everything you need from an image editor.Snapseed
You'll find many Android apps for photo editing, but we're big fans of Snapseed. It gives you access to just about every image-tweaking tool you can think of, helping you do everything from adjusting colors to removing objects. You can do intensive work tweaking the effects on a very fine level, or just slap on some filters in seconds. Despite the wealth of features, Snapseed and its tools remain straightforward to use. Once you're done, you can easily share and export the results.
Originally an independent app, Snapseed is now developed by Google. Like many of the tech giant's apps, it's free.
Snapseed for Android, free
10. Pocket
Pocket helps you catch up on your reading.
You never have enough time to catch up on all those online articles. Instead of leaving tabs to proliferate, Pocket lets you save articles from any browser, whether it's on your computer, tablet, or phone. Then read these pieces at your leisure on the Android app. You can even sync the items so they'll be accessible when you're offline. What's more, Pocket strips out all the advertising and other distractions from webpages to give you a clean reading experience that's easy on the eyes.
Extra features, such as advanced search and auto tagging, require a premium $5 per month subscription. It also has the added bonus of removing the ads from the Pocket app.
Pocket for Android, free or $5 per month for a premium subscription
11. Dropbox
Dropbox lets you access your files from anywhere.
Dropbox remains the best app for seamlessly syncing files to and from your portable devices. It works across the web, Windows, macOS, iOS, and of course Android, which means you need never find yourself without access to an important file. You can use Dropbox to automatically back up your photos and videos to the cloud, keep that important set of PDFs with you, or take notes that sync back to your laptop.
On the negative side, the free Dropbox plan only offers a miserly 2GB of storage. However, if you need more space, premium plans start at $10 per month for 1TB of storage.
Dropbox for Android, free or $10 to $20 per month for premium plans
12. Plex
Plex streams your media files to your device.
Plex makes it easy to stream music, movies, TV shows, photos, and more from your computer to your Android device. You need to set up the app on your Windows or macOS computer first, and then you can beam any content stored on the hard drive to your phone—no matter where you happen to be.
That said, there are a couple of caveats. Although you can stream files to other computers for free, to send them to your Android phone—while avoiding limits on your file sizes—you'll need a $5 per month Plex Pass subscription. Also, you must have all your content downloaded to the computer disk, because Plex can't work with protected videos purchased from Google, Apple, or Amazon. Finally, you'll rely on a pretty fast connection to avoid too-long buffering times.
Plex for Android, free or $5 per month for a Plex Pass.
