Five Apps to Get More Out of Your Android

In a sea of Android apps out there, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer amount of apps on offer. So, I’ve compiled a list of apps that can get you a lot more utility out of your Android phone. Without much ado, let’s start with the list. 

WiFi Analyzer

This app is great if you’re someone who has a lot of WiFi issues in their house. 

The app allows you to examine the strength of your surrounding WiFi networks, measure the signal strength, and identify any crowded channels. The developers also address the concerns that a lot of people have with apps these days.

The app is open-source and asks only for the permissions that are used to perform the analysis. Contrary to what the name might suggest, the app doesn’t need access to the internet which means that it can’t send any of your personal information to someone.

I’ve had a great experience with the app since my WiFi used to get disconnected randomly. After using the app, I realized that the WiFi signals became extremely weak (around -71 dBm) which is borderline unusable.

When I found out, I fixed this problem by calling Xfinity customer service and ordering their WiFi Boost Pod which helped eliminate the dead spots in my house.

Tracker Detect

This is an app that comes directly from Apple and can be used to find lost trackers or ones that may have been placed without your knowledge.

Since Apple’s AirTags use the Find My network, they don’t work with Android. This led to a lot of horror stories where AirTags were being used to stalk people. Although Apple has built features that let you know if you’re being tracked, Android doesn’t have any way to track this. 

Since then, Apple released the Tracker Detect app which helps users who don’t own Apple product to detect unexpected AirTags nearby. Tracker Detect is available to download from Google Play Store which is what Android users you should keep on your their phones to ensure AirTags can’t be used to track them!you.

Niagara Launcher

While launchers like Nova and the stock Android launcher have become the standard for how we interact with our phone screens, Niagara Launcher changes the concept entirely.

It’s a minimalistic home screen that places your most- used apps in a list with which you can interact with ease. To find another app, you can search for it or swipe at the far right side of the screen for a scrollable menu.

The app is so intuitive that I was hooked after using it for less than an hour. Every action seems natural and the app doesn’t waste your time with janky gestures.

Niagara Launcher is also responsive meaning that it can display the weather or show the music that’s playing right on your home screen.

You can also customize app names and icons as well as entirely hide the apps you don’t want to display in the list. The free version is great but has a lot of missing features so I recommend using the paid version if you like the launcher.

Chrome Remote Desktop

Although there are a million other remote desktop apps out there, I’ve had the best experience with Google’s Chrome Remote Desktop app.

The app requires you to install the free extension on your browser. Although Google recommends using Chrome, I’ve had a great experience with other browsers like Edge and Brave. The service is supported on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android.

What is loved is the smoothness the app provides with little bandwidth usage. The app can be set up on both your PC and Android in less than five minutes. It supports multiple monitors and is updated often.

On your PC, once you install the client, you don’t even need to keep the browser open. It can even work when you’re logged out which means that I can leave my laptop running with the lid closed and still be able to access it from wherever I want.

F-Droid

If you prefer Android due to its open-source nature, F-Droid can be a great replacement for the Google Play Store, since it allows you to download apps that aren’t available on Google Play Store.

Most of the apps featured on F-Droid are free and open-source. On top of that, apps on this Google Play Store replacement don’t contain malware and will warn you if an app tries to track your location and usage behavior.

Although previous versions were extremely basic, the latest one fits greatly with the current design language of Android and even provides recommendations and categories to help you find apps you might like.

The best part is that if you use F-Droid, you’re probably going to replace the apps you already use with more secure, open-source apps.

Wrapping Up

Chances are, you found an app in this list you haven’t used before. So, give it a go and maybe you’ll find a new way to get more utility out of your phone, or just refresh its look. Do you have more apps you’d like to suggest?

Feel free to let us know about them in the comments below.