Just got a caller Android smartphone for the holidays? If it’s your archetypal 1 it could beryllium a small intimidating so, to get you started, present are a fewer apps you should instantly instal oregon acceptable up connected a caller Android device. Alternatively, if you’re not already utilizing these apps, it mightiness beryllium clip to springiness them a shot!

Up your messaging game

Google Messages (RCS)

In the US astatine least, messaging has traditionally been a sore constituent of Android smartphones. Thankfully, Google has been hard astatine enactment trying to hole that successful caller months and now, the solution known arsenic RCS (Rich Communication Services) is disposable to every Android smartphone successful the world astatine this point.

How tin you get RCS connected your instrumentality and, much importantly, what’s the benefit? The benefit, firstly, is that RCS is overmuch much susceptible than SMS/MMS. Pictures tin beryllium sent successful higher quality, typing indicators, and much each get with RCS. Group chats besides get a immense upgrade too. On apical of that, RCS chats are present encrypted to connection amended security.

Basically, RCS is similar Apple’s iMessage, but for Android phones.

To get RCS connected your Android phone, each you request to bash is download Google Messages. The escaped app is an SMS app astatine heart, but successful prime countries including the US, it tin besides alteration RCS messaging connected immoderate bearer and immoderate Android smartphone too. Simply download, acceptable it arsenic your default SMS app, and hold for the punctual to crook connected RCS. We’ve got a much detailed tutorial connected the process arsenic well, and immoderate tips and tricks connected the best features you should crook on.

• Here are the archetypal things you should acceptable up successful Google Messages connected your Android telephone [Video]

As of 2022, Google Messages RCS has rolled retired end-to-end encryption, arsenic good arsenic finishing up enactment for encryption successful radical chats.

Telegram, Signal, & different messaging apps

If you privation an app for adjacent amended messaging, you tin spell beyond the RCS and emblematic SMS, Telegram is 1 of our favourite messaging apps and it works a batch similar the ace fashionable WhatsApp. Unlike that app, though, Telegram works easy connected aggregate smartphones oregon tablets astatine 1 clip and backs up each of your messages automatically. Plus, everything is inactive encrypted end-to-end and you person some dependable and video calls available.The app is ever getting amended done updates and has improved its messaging acquisition greatly alongside adding a much robust video telephone app too.

Discord is different large messaging alternative, offering backstage messages arsenic good arsenic “servers” to big a fewer friends oregon hundreds, each with rooms and chat admins. It’s a large experience, and 1 that’s particularly fantabulous for gamers.

Meanwhile Signal is an even-more privacy-focused messaging app that became particularly fashionable erstwhile the Facebook-owned WhatsApp was nether occurrence for caller privateness policies. Of course, we’d beryllium remiss if we didn’t notation the populairty of WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger some globally and successful the US. While galore are uncomfortable with Facebook, these apps are inactive acold amended than the accustomed SMS you’d different beryllium using.

Staying connected

Google Meet

Video calling is simply a large mode to support up with friends and household beyond conscionable texts and audio calls, and determination are immoderate large services to bash it.

Google Duo was ever 1 of the champion video calling apps connected Android, but successful 2022, Google consolidated immoderate of its services which saw Google Duo autumn nether the Google Meet brand. Previously aimed conscionable arsenic concern matters, Google Meet present has a escaped acquisition that works a batch similar Duo did. The alteration has been comparatively seamless, but it’s worthy knowing that Meet is your caller location for video calls connected Android.

• Google Duo is becoming Meet to screen each azygous mode you video call
• Google Duo merger with Meet wide rolled retired connected Android and iOS
• Google Duo icon is gone for bully connected Android, web app gets Meet branding

Using Google Meet for calling friends and household is wholly free, and it works crossed a ton of devices. Android phones and tablets. Chromebooks. Windows and macOS. It adjacent works connected iOS!

Think of it arsenic Apple’s Facetime, but not locked down to 1 ecosystem.

The app works with your email code and features amusive filters and adjacent surface sharing connected immoderate devices. Its champion diagnostic though, mightiness conscionable beryllium however good it works connected less-than-ideal connections.

Zoom and more

One of the astir fashionable video calling/conferencing tools during the pandemic truthful acold has been Zoom. By its popularity alone, this is an app you should have installed. The work offers meetings that you tin link to with conscionable a nexus oregon a password, easy connecting with loved ones, friends, oregon utilizing it for concern meetings. Many schools are besides utilizing Zoom for distant learning. It’s a almighty app, and 1 that’s not going to outgo you thing unless you’re the 1 hosting, and adjacent past it’s got a escaped offering.

Other large video calling apps include:

• Skype, 1 of the archetypal video calling apps that inactive works large particularly for friends and family.
• Facebook Messenger, a work that tons of radical successful the US presently usage and has an fantabulous video calling enactment alongside its messaging features.

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Back up your pictures and videos

Google Photos

One of the archetypal things you should instal connected a caller Android smartphone – oregon an iPhone for that substance – is Google Photos. For the immense bulk of Android users, the app volition beryllium pre-installed connected your device, but you’ll inactive request to get things acceptable up.

To bash that, simply unfastened the app, motion successful with your preferred Google account, and determine connected backup options. Photos volition automatically backup your pictures and videos successful the background, but you’ll request to archer it if you privation that done implicit Wi-Fi lone oregon connected cellular information arsenic well.

From there, you’ll conscionable request to determine connected quality. Google offers afloat solution backup arsenic good arsenic a somewhat compressed, data-saving enactment that volition suffer a spot of quality, but you’ll beryllium hard-pressed to archer the different.

In 2021, Google changed its retention argumentation with Photos, taking distant the “free forever” connection that was charismatic to truthful many, and alternatively pushing customers to usage lone the 15GB of escaped retention included with their account, oregon paid upgrades. You tin inactive get afloat unlimited photograph retention done a peculiar offer with T-Mobile, though.

Amazon Photos and more

Outside of Google, determination are immoderate different coagulated options for storing your photos. Amazon Photos has 1 of the champion values, with unlimited photo retention for Prime customers, portion OneDrive has affordable rates and a robust setup for some photos and files alike.

Upgrade your keyboard

Gboard

The keyboards pre-installed connected a batch of today’s astir fashionable Android smartphones are, well, not great. We person peculiar qualms astir LG’s successful particular, but successful immoderate case, you tin get much features and successful galore cases amended functionality retired of a antithetic keyboard.

Our apical pick? Google’s ain Gboard. This keyboard has a large layout that’s comfy for typers of each styles and supports features specified arsenic gesture/swipe typing, GIF hunt and input, and truthful overmuch more. There are adjacent unsocial features specified arsenic the “Emoji Kitchen” which tin make immoderate wacky emoji stickers connected the fly. You tin besides taxable Gboard to your heart’s desire.

Put simply, it’s an fantabulous keyboard that’s wholly escaped and, if it wasn’t already connected your phone, it’s 1 you should perfectly try.

SwiftKey and more

If Gboard isn’t rather your style, there’s different large enactment connected the Play Store inthe Microsoft-owned SwiftKey. This keyboard has been 1 of the astir fashionable Android apps since the platform’s app store existed. Recently acquired by Microsoft, the app offers fantabulous motion typing and features the neat instrumentality of learning and adapting to your typing benignant and your spelling mistakes too. SwiftKey supports implicit 400 languages and is free. It adjacent supports syncing your clipboard with Windows PCs.

Some different fashionable Android keyboards include:

• Grammarly was popularized arsenic a Chrome extension, but works large connected Android too. The Grammarly keyboard for Android goes beyond basal spell cheque to connection grammar fixes and alternate phrasing to amended however you nonstop texts and emails.
• Fleksy is designed for velocity typing with immoderate fantabulous auto-correct. The keyboard is besides adding enactment for “glide” typing and supports implicit 80 languages.

Use a password manager!!

We each person a ton of online accounts, and the champion mode to some negociate and support that information is with a password manager. Password managers usually enactment by encrypting your information down a “Master Password” oregon immoderate different means, portion allowing you to signifier that information by the tract it works with oregon successful folders.

One of our favourite password managers is 1Password, with affordable pricing, fantabulous information that uses some a maestro password and a “Secret Key,” and an easy-to-use app.

DashLane works similarly, but besides has an enactment to automatically alteration your passwords for you and some escaped functionality too. If you truly request a wholly escaped option, though, Bitwarden is simply a large option.

The lone password manager we presently don’t urge is LastPass. While it has a coagulated escaped tier, the institution has had respective notable information breaches, including 1 conscionable precocious where password vaults from customers were stolen.

Don’t suffer your telephone oregon your data

Find My Device

Here’s different app that should already beryllium installed connected immoderate caller Android smartphone. “Find my Device” is simply a Google app designed to assistance you support way of your smartphone should it beryllium misplaced. If the app isn’t installed connected your instrumentality for immoderate reason, Find My Device disposable via the Play Store.

When you unfastened up Find My Device, you’ll beryllium prompted to motion successful with a Google relationship and participate your password arsenic well. Once that’s done, you’ll beryllium capable to spot your instrumentality arsenic good arsenic immoderate others attached to your account. You tin past ring, lock, oregon hitch immoderate instrumentality connected your account. The aforesaid applies for your caller telephone arsenic good from immoderate different Android instrumentality you own, a friend’s Android phone, oregon even conscionable a web browser. As a broadside note, the halfway functionality of really uncovering your telephone with this app is connected by default successful Google Play Services, but utilizing the app you’ll get a spot much power arsenic good arsenic being capable to find your different Android devices done the app arsenic good arsenic helping friends to find their phones.

• How to mill reset Google Pixel and different Android phones remotely

Google One

If you do lose oregon interruption your phone, you don’t person to suffer your data. That’s wherever Google One comes successful handy. With immoderate Google One retention program (starting astatine conscionable $2/month), you’ll get improved backups of your phone. By default, Android already backs up halfway information for escaped to your Google account, but the One app tin backmost up SMS messages and MMS messages on with your photos and videos.

Manage your money

Google Wallet – Tap to wage and more

Mobile NFC payments are ace conveinent, and mounting them up connected Android is easier than ever. Google Wallet is simply a escaped and quite elemental app that lets you adhd credit/debit cards to your telephone for NFC payments, arsenic good arsenic holding your loyalty cards, acquisition cards, COVID-19 vaccination data, hose passes, and truthful overmuch more. The app is adjacent moving connected enactment for holding your driver’s license.

Cash App, GPay, and more

Sending wealth has gotten a full batch easier with apps, and determination are immoderate fantabulous choices to bash so. Here are a fewer fashionable options.

• Google Pay: Google’s money-sharing app “GPay” makes it casual to nonstop funds to friends oregon household with nary added fees, and the app besides holds hundreds of discounts, cashback options, and tin adjacent assistance you with your budget.
• PayPal: The classic, PayPal is simply a large mode to nonstop wealth to your friends and family, but is besides ace utile for online buying arsenic good arsenic selling.
• Venmo & Cash App: Both utilizing the aforesaid basal model, Venmo and Cash App are fantabulous apps for sending wealth betwixt friends and household with usernames for sharing and casual linking to your bank. Plus, since they’re wide used, astir folks are usually going to person astatine slightest 1 of these two.

Boost your savings and your security

To assistance you deed caller goals successful the caller year, arsenic good arsenic up your security, determination are 2 different money-related apps we’d urge trying out.

Privacy is simply a virtual paper service. After linking it to your slope account, the app tin make virtual paper numbers that are attached to a azygous online retailer, oregon adjacent crook disconnected aft a azygous use. It’s a large mode to guarantee that immoderate retailer’s information breach doesn’t impact your finances aboriginal on. Digit.co is simply a money-saving app. It links to your slope relationship and automatically saves funds present oregon determination to assistance you found immoderate exigency savings oregon a rainy time fund. You tin besides acceptable up manual goals to assistance you enactment distant wealth for a vacation, peculiar event, oregon large purchase.

Keep way of your Digital Wellbeing

ActionDash

Finally, let’s speech astir smartphone habits. For many, smartphone addiction is simply a existent occupation and going into a caller decade, determination are ways to assistance curb that – Digital Wellbeing apps. There mightiness already beryllium 1 installed connected your instrumentality but, if not, ActionDash is simply a escaped Digital Wellbeing app for Android smartphones that works connected astir immoderate device. The app tracks however you usage your telephone done the time including which apps are used, however galore times you’ve unlocked your device, and adjacent however galore notifications you get.

To assistance curb your smartphone use, ActionDash offers tools specified arsenic pausing apps to support you from utilizing them, limiting however agelong an app tin beryllium utilized each time and more. Everything is done on-device and isn’t uploaded to the unreality and, amended yet, the app is escaped and won’t wounded your artillery either. ActionDash is available connected Google Play.

Google’s Digital Wellbeing experiments

If you truly person a smartphone addiction and you privation to find a mode to guilt yourself into stopping, Google’s postulation of Digital Wellbeing experiments mightiness beryllium capable to help. These include:

• Screen Stopwatch, a wallpaper that perpetually updates with the magnitude of clip you’ve been utilizing your telephone that day.
• Activity Bubbles, a wallpaper that shows however galore times you unlock your telephone successful a time and however agelong each “session” lasts.
• Unlock Clock, a wallpaper that counts however galore times you’ve opened up your telephone each day.

The champion note-taking Android apps

Google Keep Notes

Keeping way of reminders, lists, and much tin beryllium made overmuch easier by utilizing a note-taking app. Personally, my favourite note-taking app connected Android is Google Keep Notes and it’s thing that conscionable seems to support getting amended implicit time.

Google Keep is wholly free and lets you store notes, lists, and adjacent drawings successful the app. Those notes are besides synced to your Google relationship which means you tin entree them connected immoderate different instrumentality including computers. With a speedy setup, you tin adjacent usage Google Assistant speakers specified as the Nest Mini to negociate a buying list!

Microsoft OneNote

If you privation thing that’s not from Google and has a fewer much precocious features, Microsoft OneNote is an fantabulous option. The app is wholly free, though works amended with different Microsoft apps utilizing a Microsoft 365 subscription. You tin backmost up notes, drawings, and insert pictures successful the app and, similar Google’s app, they’ll sync crossed devices with your Microsoft account.

Keep connected to your computer

Link to Windows

If you walk each time astatine a desk, it tin beryllium ace conveinent to support your Android telephone connected to your PC. With the Link to Windows app, that’s ace easy.

After connecting, Link to Windows allows Android users to instrumentality telephone calls connected their PC, usage messages, bring their notifications to their computer, and adjacent entree of their photos and videos without hooking up immoderate wires. You tin adjacent reflector Android apps from your telephone up to your computer.

How to acceptable up Chromebook Phone Hub

Alternatively if you person a Chromebook, you tin acceptable up “Phone Hub.” This offers astir of the aforesaid features arsenic Link to Windows, but further gathering connected it with enactment for mounting up a hotspot and besides utilizing your telephone arsenic a “key” to unlock your ChromeOS device. You don’t person to download thing to acceptable up Phone Hub either, conscionable travel the instructions below.

• How to link your Android telephone to a Chromebook utilizing the ‘Phone Hub’

A fewer much noteworthy apps:

• Waze: While Google Maps volition bash the instrumentality for many, Waze offers crowdsourced unrecorded postulation information and reports for velocity traps and more.
• Google News: Especially successful these times, keeping up with the latest quality is important, and utilizing personalized data, Google News volition bring you apical stories successful a slick app that’s truly casual to use.
• Feedly: Want to support way of the quality utilizing personalized RSS feeds? Feedly is 1 of the champion apps for the job, and it’s free!
• Google Home/Amazon Alexa: Got immoderate astute location speakers oregon displays? You’ll privation to person the Google Home oregon Amazon Alexa apps installed depending connected what devices you own.
• Get a 3rd-party launcher: Installing a caller launcher is simply a large mode to afloat customize the homescreen connected your caller Android phone. Nova Launcher and Action Launcher are large options for this.

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