How to Get the Most out of Your Android Experience
Whether you are running iOS, Android or, (bless your soul), Windows on your mobile device, there are many advantages and disadvantages to each platform. Every operating system has something different to offer to its users. iOS has iMessage, face-unlock and speedy updates whereas Android offers customization, a robust app store and deep Google integration. Even the pretty much extinct Windows phones had some great features to offer though I won’t get into those right now. The point is that each operating system offers a unique experience with different features that cater to individual needs. Right now I want to focus on Android and some of its best features. So without further ado, if you are an Android user or want to be one, here are some features you should be using to get the most out of your device.
Google Photos
One of my favorite apps isn’t even an Android exclusive, but it’s so good that I still wanted to include in on this list. Google Photos is a cloud based, photo synchronization service from Google that lets your back up your photos to the cloud and share them with anyone. Like Apple’s iCloud Photo Library, the app will automatically backup all the pictures on your device. You can also set the app to automatically delete your pictures so they don’t take up unnecessary space. Unlike iCloud though it lets you store an unlimited amount of photos and videos for free in 16MP and 1080p quality respectively.
The app also makes it easier — compared to iCloud — to share pictures and albums with people on different types of devices since the app is available on Android and iOS. There is even a web based version. Google Photos couldn’t make backing up and sharing your pictures any easier. It also has some pretty powerful Ai features like Lens and search. For example you can search the word “dog” and it will show you all of the photos you have that it recognizes as a dog. You can also use the brilliant Lens feature to do things like scan business cards to import information straight to your contacts, or take a picture of a flower to find out what species it is. Google Photos is a great app that if you are not already using, I would highly recommend that you check it out.
Android Messages
On the surface, Android Messages is a pretty standard SMS/MMS application. It lets you send and receive basic texts, it looks pretty, and it works just fine. So why am I including it on this list? Well, not too long ago Google started rolling out a new feature called Chat which uses their new(ish) standard called RCS or Rich Communication Services. In short, RCS is Google’s take on replacing standard SMS/MMS messages. What’s new with RCS is that you can send messages using WIFI (like Apple’s iMessage app), and that you can send messages that are over 160 characters. You can also (if you have the feature turned on), see when someone is typing (again like iMessage). Basically it is an iMessage copycat just without the end-to-end encryption.
Even though Android Messages isn’t as secure as iMessage, Google is still (finally), taking a step in the right direction with its messaging services. Chat is a feature that is available right now with Android Messages on select carriers with select devices and should be available in the coming months and years to many more devices. So if you want the feature now and you are on a carrier and device that supports it already, you can get the updated Android Messages app from the Google Play Store and finally start sending texts over WIFI.
App Drawer
One thing that drives me crazy about iOS is its lack of app organization. Sure you can organize your apps however you want on your home screen, which is fine as long as you remember where you put them. But in the endless amount of folders that just about every iOS user has on their home screen — some of them multiple-page folders — it is more than easy to lose track of apps. I can’t tell you how many times I have borrowed a friend’s iPhone’s to use an app and could not find it. The other day I was trying to find the Notes app on my friend’s iPhone and didn’t see it anywhere. I asked her where the app was on her phone and even she didn’t know. After searching through what seemed like pages of folders we finally found what we were looking for hidden on the second page of one of her folders. This is one thing that Android definitely did right.
Just about every Android Launcher has a clickable icon (or a swipe-up gesture) on the home screen that takes you to the app drawer. Android’s app drawer is very simple, it shows you all of your apps in alphabetical order. This kind of organization ensures that apps are out of the way when you don’t need them and easy to find when you do. It’s such a simple feature but it really makes a big difference when you need it.
Custom Launchers
Every Android phone has a home screen launcher. Most Android OEMs make their own launchers that have their own unique look and feel. Launchers can change things like the look of icons, grid sizes, and the style of the app drawer to name a few. Launchers can even add customized gestures to your home screen. It might not sound that cool but it really can change the whole look and feel of your device.
For example, if you are coming from an iPhone and you really miss the look and feel of your iPhone home screen, you have to option to get one of the various iOS launchers from the Play Store store which can make your phone look surprisingly similar to your old iPhone. Microsoft has a pretty good launcher that almost makes your phone feel like it is running Windows. It even has some pretty cool integration features with your Microsoft account. Google of course has their own set of launchers including the Google Now Launcher (no longer officially available) and the newer Pixel Launcher which is only officially available to Pixel phones. The Pixel Launcher does however have a modified version that will work on any device, and you can get it here. I personally use the Pixel Launcher on my device and really like it. My point is that you have plenty of options to customize the look of your phone using launchers if you’re not happy with the way it looks now. Try playing around with some different launchers, if you don’t like it then you can always just delete the app and go back to your stock launcher.
Google Assistant
Last but not least is Google’s friendly virtual assistant. Not to be confused with Google’s older voice search feature, Google Assistant is a stand-alone voice assistant with a robust set of functions. Not unlike other assistant applications it can set reminders, send texts, change settings, answer questions and do a plethora of other things to help you get things done faster. The more I use Google Assistant the more features I find. Though there are other assistants that are comparably feature-packed, I feel that the Google Assistant really gives you the best experience you can get on Android. It integrates very well with most Google apps and devices, and it is always learning new tricks. If you don’t already use Google Assistant on your phone I would highly recommend that you set it up and use it, it can really save you a lot of time and it makes your phone feel much smarter.
Landon Hatch is a student in the Digital Media program at Utah Valley University, Orem Utah, studying Web & App Development. The following article relates to the (DGM 2271 Course) and representative of the skills learned.
