What are some of your fav or best Android apps NOT found on iOS?
This thread might help Android neophytes to get started on what apps they might find useful...
Here are mines -
App Backup & Restore - Saved me so many times from apps with bad or bloated updates. I dont like the current look of this app. I have an older apk at 2.1.1. that I saved from using it.
App 2 SD Pro - Dont use this as much anymore since I have a phone with internal storage only. But I still use it to clear app cache, view my leftover storage, and even uninstall apps.
QuickPic - Best photo gallery app for me and I can include my videos on the bottom so it works as both photo/video viewer. Can "hide" folders too.
ES File Explorer - Formerly used ASTRO File Manager but it lacked Bluetooth transferring that this one has.
Notes Lite - The icon looks nearly like the iOS but it does so much more than the simple default iOS version like keeping notes private with a password, sketching, To-Do lists, etc.
TouchPal Contacts - Fav version is 4.7.1. Dont like the current update with WeChat. Very clean contacts/dialer app that I use as default for my old Nexus. I prefer when I first open my contacts app, I see a picture next to their names. I see iOS still lacks that where I have to tap on the name to see their photo. I usually put my contacts by FIRST name only so a picture next to it is much easier for me to differentiate if two of my contacts share the same name.
Holo Launcher - Fav free launcher because you can adjust the speed of the animations and resize fonts. Has many other useful features like locking desktop, hiding apps, changing or resizing icons, etc. I went from the simple Zeam Launcher to Nova to this one.
UberMusic (w/ Metro UI skin) - Stock Android music player app is horrendous and cant play songs by just the artist. It can only play songs from the folder you put it in. And many other 3rd party Android music apps are ugly. UberMusic w/ Metro UI is the closest one at looking slick ala Zune/WP phone. Apple's Music app is still better with CoverFlow. Only Sony's Walkman app looks decent from an OEM but this UberMusic app is my fav from a 3rd party. My only qualm is it sometimes downloads the wrong background picture for an obscure artist with the wrong bio info as well.
Nexus Revamped Live Wallpaper - Still my fav live wallpaper. Simple and looks great on just a clean black background and if the screen is AMOLED.
Notification Toggle - Very easy to use and customizable to the specific toggle switches I want to use.
Screen Off and Lock - Nomore reaching to the power button. This is already below my Notification Toggles for an easy screen off and lock. Fav screen off animation is Zoom Out & Z-shaped Swipe. Looks slick and doesnt lag on my old Nexus One.
No Lock - This is an app I use for my old Nexus as I wanted to avoid using the power button to wake it up and use volume buttons instead.
Motion Actions - This is an app I use now as No Lock doesnt seem to work on my current phone (4.1+) so I cant wake it up using volume buttons. Nowadays, I just shake it for a second. Doesnt always work if phone is in deep sleep but it still does prevent some wear and tear on the power button if you need to wake up the screen.
Du Battery Saver - I dont use this to save battery life. I dont believe in battery saving apps anymore. An app like Deep Sleep Saver caused many wakelocks. I use this more to read my "screen time usage" as my HTC One's batt info doesnt give me that. And this one is more accurate at screen time usage than WakeLock Detector. I also like the sound alert it makes after a charge or if it is at 30% that GSam Battery Monitor doesnt do. If your phone is rooted, it gives you an option to underclock the CPU.
WakeLock Detector - Name says it all. Does its job.
MoboPlayer - If I'm not using the video player from QuickPic, then I'm using this one because of the mini-player that still plays on the homescreen or in another app if I want to jot down notes or do something else.
MovieTube - Solid app to search for entire movies on YouTube.
MIUI Icons Pack - Fav among all icon packs.
Smoked Glass Digital Clock Weather (widget) - I use this along with the Nexus Revamped live wallpaper in the background and small Glass Widget (news ticker) below it. Looks great on AMOLED.This weather widget provides weather,moon cycle, alarm clock, batt temp, batt%, etc.
Glass Widgets - I use the transparent news ticker (4x1 widget) and have GSMArena Blog or PocketNow as my news feed.
Flipboard (widget) - I still prefer the look of BlinkFeed more, but I will likely use this widget onto my next phone if doesnt have BlinkFeed.
big Big BIG 2 - Basically Chinese poker (or Pusoy Dos where I'm from) but this game is actually better than the ones I played on iOS. I used to have Big Dai Di on my iPhone 4 which was very polished. But it can be slow and you have to read annoying comments from the CPU players and that shuffling sound. This game you can change the look of the cards, table, speed it up, and just a game more straight to the point. But the AI can be predictable after awhile.
On my next phone, I will probably use Dash Clock and Disable Services (needs to be rooted).
This thread might help Android neophytes to get started on what apps they might find useful...
Here are mines -
App Backup & Restore - Saved me so many times from apps with bad or bloated updates. I dont like the current look of this app. I have an older apk at 2.1.1. that I saved from using it.
App 2 SD Pro - Dont use this as much anymore since I have a phone with internal storage only. But I still use it to clear app cache, view my leftover storage, and even uninstall apps.
QuickPic - Best photo gallery app for me and I can include my videos on the bottom so it works as both photo/video viewer. Can "hide" folders too.
ES File Explorer - Formerly used ASTRO File Manager but it lacked Bluetooth transferring that this one has.
Notes Lite - The icon looks nearly like the iOS but it does so much more than the simple default iOS version like keeping notes private with a password, sketching, To-Do lists, etc.
TouchPal Contacts - Fav version is 4.7.1. Dont like the current update with WeChat. Very clean contacts/dialer app that I use as default for my old Nexus. I prefer when I first open my contacts app, I see a picture next to their names. I see iOS still lacks that where I have to tap on the name to see their photo. I usually put my contacts by FIRST name only so a picture next to it is much easier for me to differentiate if two of my contacts share the same name.
Holo Launcher - Fav free launcher because you can adjust the speed of the animations and resize fonts. Has many other useful features like locking desktop, hiding apps, changing or resizing icons, etc. I went from the simple Zeam Launcher to Nova to this one.
UberMusic (w/ Metro UI skin) - Stock Android music player app is horrendous and cant play songs by just the artist. It can only play songs from the folder you put it in. And many other 3rd party Android music apps are ugly. UberMusic w/ Metro UI is the closest one at looking slick ala Zune/WP phone. Apple's Music app is still better with CoverFlow. Only Sony's Walkman app looks decent from an OEM but this UberMusic app is my fav from a 3rd party. My only qualm is it sometimes downloads the wrong background picture for an obscure artist with the wrong bio info as well.
Nexus Revamped Live Wallpaper - Still my fav live wallpaper. Simple and looks great on just a clean black background and if the screen is AMOLED.
Notification Toggle - Very easy to use and customizable to the specific toggle switches I want to use.
Screen Off and Lock - Nomore reaching to the power button. This is already below my Notification Toggles for an easy screen off and lock. Fav screen off animation is Zoom Out & Z-shaped Swipe. Looks slick and doesnt lag on my old Nexus One.
No Lock - This is an app I use for my old Nexus as I wanted to avoid using the power button to wake it up and use volume buttons instead.
Motion Actions - This is an app I use now as No Lock doesnt seem to work on my current phone (4.1+) so I cant wake it up using volume buttons. Nowadays, I just shake it for a second. Doesnt always work if phone is in deep sleep but it still does prevent some wear and tear on the power button if you need to wake up the screen.
Du Battery Saver - I dont use this to save battery life. I dont believe in battery saving apps anymore. An app like Deep Sleep Saver caused many wakelocks. I use this more to read my "screen time usage" as my HTC One's batt info doesnt give me that. And this one is more accurate at screen time usage than WakeLock Detector. I also like the sound alert it makes after a charge or if it is at 30% that GSam Battery Monitor doesnt do. If your phone is rooted, it gives you an option to underclock the CPU.
WakeLock Detector - Name says it all. Does its job.
MoboPlayer - If I'm not using the video player from QuickPic, then I'm using this one because of the mini-player that still plays on the homescreen or in another app if I want to jot down notes or do something else.
MovieTube - Solid app to search for entire movies on YouTube.
MIUI Icons Pack - Fav among all icon packs.
Smoked Glass Digital Clock Weather (widget) - I use this along with the Nexus Revamped live wallpaper in the background and small Glass Widget (news ticker) below it. Looks great on AMOLED.This weather widget provides weather,moon cycle, alarm clock, batt temp, batt%, etc.
Glass Widgets - I use the transparent news ticker (4x1 widget) and have GSMArena Blog or PocketNow as my news feed.
Flipboard (widget) - I still prefer the look of BlinkFeed more, but I will likely use this widget onto my next phone if doesnt have BlinkFeed.
big Big BIG 2 - Basically Chinese poker (or Pusoy Dos where I'm from) but this game is actually better than the ones I played on iOS. I used to have Big Dai Di on my iPhone 4 which was very polished. But it can be slow and you have to read annoying comments from the CPU players and that shuffling sound. This game you can change the look of the cards, table, speed it up, and just a game more straight to the point. But the AI can be predictable after awhile.
On my next phone, I will probably use Dash Clock and Disable Services (needs to be rooted).
