You may be familiar with the Google apps that come pre-installed on Android devices, but that's not all. If you like Google services , these lesser-known apps can add surprising value to your device.
There are a lot of useful things you can do with Google Assistant , but what if you could do them with just a tap? That's where Google's Action Blocks app comes in. It lets you create custom shortcuts for common Google Assistant actions, like calling a friend, getting directions, or controlling smart home devices.
Instead of having to say a command each time, you can set up an Action Block once and place it on your home screen. Then all you have to do is tap it to perform the action. You can also create custom buttons that read phrases aloud. This can be especially helpful for people with speech and language disorders.
If you're looking for an easy way to earn Google Play credit, Google Opinion Rewards is a must-have app. This simple app rewards you with Play Store credit for completing short surveys.
Once installed, the app will occasionally send you quick, multiple-choice surveys that typically take less than a minute to complete. These surveys cover topics like shopping habits, travel experiences, and brand preferences. In return, you’ll earn a small amount of Google Play credit, which can range from just a few cents to over $1 per survey.
7. Wallpapers
If you love customizing your Android phone's home screen, you know how difficult it can be to find a beautiful wallpaper app that's both free and ad-free. Google's Wallpapers app solves that problem. It offers a curated collection of beautiful images that can instantly refresh the look of your phone.
Overall, with its clean interface and easy navigation, Google Wallpapers is a great choice for Android users who love a fresh, stylish home screen.
Two-factor authentication (2FA) is available on most popular platforms and should be enabled for added security. This ensures that even if your password is compromised, an attacker still needs access to a generated code that updates every 30 seconds.
Google Authenticator is a lightweight app that generates one-time codes that expire. This adds an extra layer of protection to your account, and you should really switch to 2FA. It supports multiple accounts, so you can use it for everything from Gmail to third-party services like Facebook , Dropbox , and even banking apps.
5. Magnifier
While all Android phones come with a built-in magnifier feature as part of their accessibility kit, Google's Magnifier app makes it even easier to use. As the name suggests, the app turns your smartphone into a powerful magnifying tool so you can take a closer look at small text or intricate details.
You can even freeze images to examine text and objects without holding the phone at an awkward angle. This app is especially useful when setting up an Android phone for seniors.
4. Gallery
While Google Photos is the default photo viewer on most Android phones, it can be a pain for those who prefer a more streamlined, no-frills approach to photo management. Google’s lesser-known Gallery app offers exactly that. Plus, it’s lightweight, fast, and doesn’t have the extra features that Google Photos offers.
Unlike Google Photos, which emphasizes cloud integration and automatic backups, the Gallery app takes a simple approach. You can easily organize your photos into albums or folders, make quick edits, and enjoy a clean interface without being overwhelmed by unnecessary options.
3. SnapSeed
There's no shortage of must-have photo editing apps for Android. However, Google's Snapseed stands out as a favorite for a number of compelling reasons. One of the biggest is that it's completely free — there are no ads, hidden costs, or in-app purchases to worry about.
Snapseed offers a wide range of features that are suitable for both beginners and advanced users. If you are just starting out, you will find basic tools like adjusting brightness, contrast, and saturation.
Have you ever felt the need to access your computer remotely to retrieve an important file? Chrome Remote Desktop is a surprisingly useful tool that lets you use and control your desktop or laptop from your Android phone or even another computer.
The app is easy to set up. All you need is a Google account and the Chrome browser installed on the device you're connecting to and the computer you're accessing. Once set up, you can remotely control the computer as if you were sitting right in front of it.
1. Google Voice
Google Voice isn't available in every country, but if you're in a region where it's available, you should give it a try. It's a cloud-based service that consolidates all of your mobile communications into one platform. With it, you can make and receive calls, send text messages, and manage your voicemail from the same number, no matter what device you're using.
One of the best features of this service is the ability to forward calls and messages to multiple devices, so you never miss an important call, whether you're on your phone, tablet, or computer. This cross-platform support is perfect for users who use multiple devices or work remotely.
ADB is a powerful set of tools that give you more control over your Android device. Although ADB is intended for Android developers, you don't need any programming knowledge to uninstall Android apps with it.
You might think you know how to get the most out of your phone time, but chances are you don't know how big a difference this common setting makes.
The Android System Key Verifier app comes pre-installed as a system app on Android devices running version 8.0 or later.
Despite Apple's tight ecosystem, some people have turned their Android phones into reliable remote controls for their Apple TV.
There are many reasons why your Android phone cannot connect to mobile data, such as incorrect configuration errors causing the problem. Here is a guide to fix mobile data connection errors on Android.
For years, Android gamers have dreamed of running PS3 titles on their phones – now it's a reality. aPS3e, the first PS3 emulator for Android, is now available on the Google Play Store.
If you really want to protect your phone, it's time you started locking your phone to prevent theft as well as protect it from hacks and scams.
Android Picture-in-Picture mode will help you shrink the video and watch it in picture-in-picture mode, watching the video in another interface so you can do other things.
The common point of most of these AI chatbot tools is that they need an Internet connection to use. But with the article below, you will learn more tips for using AI chatbots without the Internet on your phone.
Depending on your needs, you'll likely get a set of Pixel-exclusive features running on your existing Android device.
After years of using Android phones, many people have become familiar with a number of open source Android apps. These apps are better than their closed source counterparts.
Samsung's camera app works well out of the box, but Camera Assistant adds new features that you wish were built in from the start.
Android Debug Bridge (ADB) is a powerful and versatile tool that allows you to do many things like find logs, install and uninstall apps, transfer files, root and flash custom ROMs, create device backups.
Chrome on Android is a great browser out of the box, but you can make it even better. These tips and features will help you browse the web faster.
When you compare smartphones from nearly two decades ago and today, you can't help but notice that they've gotten worse in a variety of ways.
Through your purchase history on the App Store, you will know when you downloaded that app or game, and how much you paid for the paid app.
iPhone mutes iPhone from unknown callers and on iOS 26, iPhone automatically receives incoming calls from an unknown number and asks for the reason for the call. If you want to receive unknown calls on iPhone, follow the instructions below.
Apple makes it easy to find out if a WiFi network is safe before you connect. You don't need any software or other tools to help, just use the built-in settings on your iPhone.
iPhone has a speaker volume limit setting to control the sound. However, in some situations you need to increase the volume on your iPhone to be able to hear the content.
ADB is a powerful set of tools that give you more control over your Android device. Although ADB is intended for Android developers, you don't need any programming knowledge to uninstall Android apps with it.
You might think you know how to get the most out of your phone time, but chances are you don't know how big a difference this common setting makes.
The Android System Key Verifier app comes pre-installed as a system app on Android devices running version 8.0 or later.
Despite Apple's tight ecosystem, some people have turned their Android phones into reliable remote controls for their Apple TV.
There are many reasons why your Android phone cannot connect to mobile data, such as incorrect configuration errors causing the problem. Here is a guide to fix mobile data connection errors on Android.
For years, Android gamers have dreamed of running PS3 titles on their phones – now it's a reality. aPS3e, the first PS3 emulator for Android, is now available on the Google Play Store.
The iPhone iMessage group chat feature helps us text and chat more easily with many people, instead of sending individual messages.
For ebook lovers, having a library of books at your fingertips is a great thing. And if you store your ebooks on your phone, you can enjoy them anytime, anywhere. Check out the best ebook reading apps for iPhone below.
You can use Picture in Picture (PiP) to watch YouTube videos off-screen on iOS 14, but YouTube has locked this feature on the app so you cannot use PiP directly, you have to add a few more small steps that we will guide in detail below.
On iPhone/iPad, there is a Files application to manage all files on the device, including files that users download. The article below will guide readers on how to find downloaded files on iPhone/iPad.
If you really want to protect your phone, it's time you started locking your phone to prevent theft as well as protect it from hacks and scams.
