What Android Apps Do You Use?

[city_zen]

After a (fairly) long hiatus, I'm posting in this great forum again 

Here's a list of most of the interesting Android apps I'm using. I didn't include some I use a lot because they are either too niche or local (country)-specific

These are the ones that I think will be of most interest to other forum members:

• aCalendar+: a different user interface for Gmail calendar (needs Gmail calendar as the back end) with some great additional features
  
• Adobe Acrobat: the Android version of Acrobat Reader. I just prefer to read pdf files with it than with other, more general, readers
  
• Bromite: in their own words "Bromite is Chromium plus ad blocking and privacy enhancements". Not my default browser, though
  
• CPU-Z: the Android version of the program. Lots of information about the smartphone's hardware
  
• Droid Info: similar to CPU-Z, but with some different info reported about the smartphone's hardware
  
• Flipboard: a magazine/RSS reader with a great interface. Can be customized with your own interests/news sources
  
• FolderSync: allows you to sync folders either within the device (including the SD Card, if present) or between the device and a cloud folder (Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, etc.)
  
• Forvo: pronunciation app. Ideal for example for when you're wondering how to pronounce that difficult foreign word
  
• JuiceSSH: a nice SSH app. Can be enhanced with plugins
  
• Keepass2Android: a great app to keep your Keepass database available on your smartphone
  
• LAN drive: allows you to have a SMB server on your phone, accesible by your PC, for example. I use it to transfer files wirelessly between the phone and PC
  
• Moon+ Reader Pro: a wonderful reader app. After trying a few others, I settled for this one to read eBooks on my phone
  
• Movie Mate: an app that connect to your Trakt account and allows you to manage your movies (Watchlist, History, Ratings, etc.). There's alsoSeries Mate for TV series
  
• Network Cell Info Lite: gives you information about the signal strength of both your cell connection and your wifi connection. Lots of other info available (cell towers, maps, etc.)
  
• Nodescope: the best storage usage app I could find. If you're wondering what's using your phone's internal memory, as well as the SD card, this app has a very intuitive way of presenting that information
  
• Nova Launcher: to me, the best launcher for Android. It's a matter of personal preference though as there are a lot of diferent launchers out there (Lawnchair Launcher seems to have good reviews, for example)
  
• Opera: my default browser. I just prefer its user interface to Bromite's. Otherwise, I would use Bromite
  
• Phonograph: a music (/audio) app. Not too different from others, but simple and with a nice interface
  
• Ping Tool: as the name implies, a ping app to check different (customizable) hosts. But also with a lot of other features: DNS lookup, IP scanner, etc
  
• RealCalc: a calculator app. Has the interface of a classic scientific calculator
  
• SD Maid: a maintenance app. Allows you to free some space by deleting unnecessary files and folders and to "vacuum" SQL databases
  
• SkyView Free: just point it to the night sky and discover the names of the stars you're watching. Also planets, the ISS, the different constellations, etc. Wonderful app for those interested in astronomy
  
• Snapseed: a great photo editing app. Bought by Google a while ago. Very powerful, but at the same time not too complex. I just wish it would allow me to use a custom folder to save the edited images
  
• TED: the official TED Talks app for Android. Lots and lots of interesting content there (as those familiar with TED Talks know)
  
• VLC: video player app. I don't do a lot of video viewing on my phone and VLC is more than enough for my needs
  
• Wifi Analyzer: for quickly finding the signal strength of the local and neighboring wifi netwoks
  

List made using List My Apps

I apologize for not including the links to each app. Most of them I install from either Google Play or F-Droid
List updated with the links for each app, thanks to the suggestion of List my Apps by rjbull

[rjbull]

I apologize for not including the links to each app.

-city_zen (January 06, 2020, 12:55 AM)

As they say, "there's an app for that", viz. List My Apps.  I've used it in a simple way here, but there're more features than you'd expect; see under Annotations, and the variables in the Templates.  There was already a template for BB code - I've modified it for DC, though I can't now remember why.

What Android Apps Do You Use? What Android Apps Do You Use? What Android Apps Do You Use? What Android Apps Do You Use? What Android Apps Do You Use?

This generates a list like this;

Alarm Plus Millenium
Package name: com.milleniumapps.milleniumalarmplus


App Search+
Package name: rjt.appsearch


ArsClip Mini
Package name: com.joejoesoft.acmini


BookmarkFolder
Package name: com.coconuts.webnavigator


CalcTape
Package name: de.sfr.calctape


Glance Note
Package name: com.fangleness.glancenote


HalnaOutliner
Package name: jp.blogspot.halnablue.HalnaOutliner


List My Apps
Package name: de.onyxbits.listmyapps


Stopwatch & Timer+
Package name: com.jupiterapps.stopwatch


Total Commander
Package name: com.ghisler.android.TotalCommander


X-plore
Package name: com.lonelycatgames.Xplore

List made using List My Apps

[/list]

[wraith808]

I was using Glance Note, but stopped... it started having problems syncing with SimpleNote.

List My Apps isn't in Google Play though, right?

[4wd]

List My Apps isn't in Google Play though, right?

-wraith808 (January 13, 2020, 05:17 PM)

https://play.google.....onyxbits.listmyapps

Or, if you prefer F-Droid:

https://f-droid.org/...onyxbits.listmyapps/

[4wd]

BTW, I don't know if this is still valid, (it's four days old and I've already upgraded so I can't check), but both the standard free Android and iOS version of City Maps 2Go can be upgraded to the Pro or Premium version for free via an upgrade code. [HotDealsUK]

Android: CityMaps2Go Plan Trips Travel Guide Offline Maps
iOS: CityMaps2Go Offline Map

Codes: PROSUPP or PREMSUPP for Pro or Premium upgrade, respectively.

How to redeem the codes

A bit of blurb:

About the app:
▶ IN-DEPTH CONTENT: Unlike other offline map apps, CityMaps2Go features photos as well as tips and comprehensive in-depth info for millions of places.
▶ WORLDWIDE COVERAGE: CityMaps2Go covers the whole world. More than 150 countries, 60000 destinations, and 50 million places!!
▶ WORKS OFFLINE: CityMaps2Go works online and offline. Saving you from data roaming charges in foreign cities or connectivity problems in national parks.
▶ PLAN TRIPS: Remember and save all the places you would like to visit. Create lists and have your travel ideas ready when you need them.
▶ DETAILED MAPS: Explore your saves on a detailed worldwide map. Navigate streets, footpaths, and bikeways wherever you are.

Differences:

There are 3 versions of CityMaps2Go, namely:
BASIC: The Basic version is free, however severely restricted and has annoying pop-up adverts.
PRO: All the basic features in addition to more functionality including unlimited offline maps & articles plus no adverts!
PREMIUM: Same features as PRO plus ability to customise maps & lists + premium support

[city_zen]

As they say, "there's an app for that", viz. List My Apps.

-rjbull (January 13, 2020, 03:34 PM)

Thank you! I should have thought that there might be an app for that    I'll try it and edit my previous post with the appropriate links

Also, I didn't know the "viz." expression. English is not my native language. So now I know something new (even though it's technically latin, but still)

BTW, I don't know if this is still valid, (it's four days old and I've already upgraded so I can't check), but both the standard free Android and iOS version of City Maps 2Go can be upgraded to the Pro or Premium version for free via an upgrade code. [HotDealsUK]

Android: CityMaps2Go Plan Trips Travel Guide Offline Maps
iOS: CityMaps2Go Offline Map

Codes: PROSUPP or PREMSUPP for Pro or Premium upgrade, respectively.

-4wd (January 13, 2020, 06:02 PM)

Thanks! I've just tried it and it still works

[superboyac]

After a (fairly) long hiatus, I'm posting in this great forum again 

Here's a list of most of the interesting Android apps I'm using. I didn't include some I use a lot because they are either too niche or local (country)-specific

These are the ones that I think will be of most interest to other forum members:

• aCalendar+: a different user interface for Gmail calendar (needs Gmail calendar as the back end) with some great additional features
  

-city_zen (January 06, 2020, 12:55 AM)

question: why did you go with acalendar instead of digical or something else?

[city_zen]

• aCalendar+: a different user interface for Gmail calendar (needs Gmail calendar as the back end) with some great additional features
  

-city_zen (January 06, 2020, 12:55 AM)

question: why did you go with acalendar instead of digical or something else?

-superboyac (January 14, 2020, 04:33 PM)

I honestly don't remember whether I tried DigiCal or not. I know I tried a few calendar apps and finally settled for aCalendar+ (I purchased the premium version)

Digical looks great, but I don't think that what it offers on top of what aCalendar has (eg. weather forecasts) is interesting to me

Both integrate seamlessly with Google Calendar, which is a must for me, and have similar available views. aCalendar has some nice vertical and horizontal swiping actions that I don't know if DigiCal has. Also, aCalendar lets you manage Tasks, which is something that I don't think Digical has

These are the features of aCalendar+, from its publishers:

FEATURES
● intuitive navigation between day, week, month and agenda view
● 7 powerful widgets
● year view
● lots of design and view customizations
● Google Calendar management
● per-event colors (even if not supported by the event's calendar)
● flexible recurrences
● birthdays from your contacts (or without contacts)
● uses Android's native calendar backend and synchronization
● moon phases
● mini month or graphical week overview in day and week view
● free with ads and some one-time IAPs

EXTRA FEATURES (aCalendar+ or as In-App-Purchase)
● Public holidays (and school holidays for some countries) - configurable in the calendar list
● More colors (theme/UI colors, background colors, calendar colors, event colors)
● Business features (Invite attendees, link contacts, free/busy, private, profiles, share as ICS)
● Tasks (manage Google Tasks or tasks from CalDAV/OpenTasks)
● No ads (removes the occasional ad)
♥ Tapir Apps donates 10% of all revenue to rainforest conservation through our friends at World Land Trust

USAGE
● move forward and backward in the calendar by swiping vertically
● switch between calendar views with a horizontal swipe (opens the day or week you start the swipe gesture on) or double-tap for day view
● tap to open a calendar event
● long-press to add new calendar event
● long-press on mini-month to go to today or jump to date
● configurable actions on 3-finger-tap, tap on title, volume buttons
● long press an event in day view to drag to a different time

[MilesAhead]

I get around Miami on the MetroRail.  More than anything I use the MDT Tracker.  The latest update totally destroyed the App.  Instead of an easy to use interface they want you to create an account and set up the ability to buy tickets/passes using the app.  As soon as I found the old v. 1.5 apk I put 1.5 back on.  Adding insult to injury the thing would open and hang!!

Is it just me or are computer programs being deliberately made slower and harder to use?  Stuff that used to be one screen is stretched across three just to slow you down.  In Walgreens to buy something with my EBT Card I have to hit a dozen buttons plus enter the PIN.

In any case the web version of the train tracker seems to still be available in the old format:  MDT Tracker and the 1.5 apk can be downloaded from PureApk here

[BGM]

Codes: PROSUPP or PREMSUPP for Pro or Premium upgrade, respectively.

-4wd (January 13, 2020, 06:02 PM)

@4wd - thank you for the promo codes.  I am going to Quito, Ecquador in a week.  I put this app on my Galaxy and on two iphones that don't have service.  I was able to get the pro version on the iphone 6s, but the version for the 4s didn't work out - I only got the free version for that - no way to get the pro on that one.  But I will have the iphone 6s at least with an offline Quito map and can give it to one of my companions to use.  Thanks for this!

[4wd]

I put this app on my Galaxy and on two iphones that don't have service.  I was able to get the pro version on the iphone 6s, but the version for the 4s didn't work out - I only got the free version for that - no way to get the pro on that one.

-BGM (January 15, 2020, 09:43 PM)

Try the method in this comment in the thread:

Works for ios as well 😁. Buy on android and use code and then register for a profile. Now download the ios free app and login and you have pro after your profile is logged in.

ie. Register an account in the app on the Galaxy or iOS 6s Pro version, then install on the iPhone 4s and login to your profile.

Under the menu, choose to Login and you can create an account.

What Android Apps Do You Use?

[BGM]

I actually did that.  But I restarted my iphone 4s and now it's working.  I've gotten both Ecquador and Columbia so far!

Thanks again!  Very useful for me!

[panzer]

YouTube Vanced is a new modded version of YouTube which contains a lot of features like Ad Blocking, Background Playback and many more:
https://youtubevanced.com/

ReadEra - book reader:
https://readera.org/en/book-reader

Haker's Keyboard:
https://github.com/k...ausw/hackerskeyboard

Save For Offline:
https://f-droid.org/...tool.saveForOffline/

If you want to efficiently block ads, trackers, malware, save on your data plan, speed up your device and protect your privacy with just one application, then Blokada is for you:
https://blokada.org/

MiXplorer free - file manager:
http://mixplorer.com/
https://forum.xda-de...9280&postcount=2

Musicolet Music Player:
https://play.google....sicolet&hl=en_US

[4wd]

Think I'm going to have to remove K-9 Mail from my list of apps if the latest beta is anything to go by.

It's been given a UI design overhaul and now all the navigation buttons are at the top, completely f###ing up single handed usage.
The Back button now drops you out of the app altogether instead of taking you back to a list of your accounts, if you want to switch accounts you now have to open a menu which is ... wait for it ... also at the f###ing top of the screen.
Yes you can also swipe in from the left but the f###ing drop down to select another account is still at the top.

Looks like I'll have to block it from ever upgrading ... just as soon as I work out if I can import all the settings from the beta back into the public release.

How to ruin a good app.

Edit: Oh, now I get the notification dot on the icon and have no idea which account is the one with emails because there's no counter against any account in the list, you have to go into every account until you find which one has new emails.

What a freaking mess.

[Ath]

What a freaking mess.

-4wd (September 13, 2020, 09:46 AM)

Grrrr, I feel your pain. Just like how Firefox for Android (I use that on my tablet) was 'improved', Tabs are behind a button instead of at the top of the screen (they already hid when scrolling down, so why make it 2 taps instead of 1?), and Refresh and Back in the menu 

[Attronarch]

How to ruin a good app.

-4wd (September 13, 2020, 09:46 AM)

Not too thrilled to read this, as I'm also using K-9 Mail. I do like it's minimalism and one-hand use. Why would they do away with that. Either way, I hope there will be an option to turn on "classic" layout.

[4wd]

I hope there will be an option to turn on "classic" layout.

-Attronarch (September 13, 2020, 01:11 PM)

I hope so too, currently I wish I hadn't hit the Join Beta link in the Play Store

They have a new website/forum with a couple of images of the new interface on it, https://k9mail.app/

If you want to try it I suggest it's not on your daily use device because if you need to go back you'll need to know the IMAP passwords to enable your accounts again, (they aren't exported).

[Deozaan]

The tiny, shriveled, severely atrophied hopeful person in me would suggest that you try to provide your feedback with the developer and perhaps they'll take the information into account and shape the beta in such a way as to restore one-handedness to the app.

[4wd]

The tiny, shriveled, severely atrophied hopeful person in me would suggest that you try to provide your feedback with the developer and perhaps they'll take the information into account and shape the beta in such a way as to restore one-handedness to the app.

-Deozaan (September 13, 2020, 10:43 PM)

I did ... then I left the beta program and uninstalled it as it was basically unusable for me.  I went back to the public release.

I don't hold any hope for a change since I only recently decided to join the beta and they've been going this way since late last year by the looks.

It seems like eye-candy has once again trumped functionality judging by the over-abundant use of colour.

[erikts]

I use K-9 Mail. Is it safe not to update/upgrade? IIRC Android will nag me if I don't update certain app.

[4wd]

I use K-9 Mail. Is it safe not to update/upgrade? IIRC Android will nag me if I don't update certain app.

-erikts (September 22, 2020, 10:55 PM)

Whether you update K-9 depends on whether or not you like the changes they're implementing, the complete loss of single-hand usage and dropping out of the app instead of switching back to the account list pretty much killed any idea of updating from its current public release for me.

I just thought there are others here who use K-9 who might like a heads-up and, as I said, this is still the beta version atm.

Unfortunately not really anything you can do about the nagging, I have no auto-updates set anyway - just means I now have to scroll down the list to make sure I don't accidentally tell it to update K-9.

I haven't found any other email app that suits my usage style in the last 10 years so it's a bit ... annoying ... that they've seemingly gone the way of every other mail app I've tried.

[erikts]

Whether you update K-9 depends on whether or not you like the changes they're implementing, the complete loss of single-hand usage and dropping out of the app instead of switching back to the account list pretty much killed any idea of updating from its current public release for me.

-4wd (September 22, 2020, 11:12 PM)

I don't like the up coming change. Thanks for the heads up. 

[rjbull]

If you don't want to use K-9 Mail, what are you going to use?  Most of the alternatives I glanced at wanted an insane number of permissions.

This has come into sharper focus for me because I've used a Yahoo! UK email account for ages.  Now, Yahoo!  are desperate to make users adopt Yahoo!'s own app for 'security' reasons.  They may be offering a work-around, but it would be nice to have alternatives.

[4wd]

If you don't want to use K-9 Mail, what are you going to use?

-rjbull (October 13, 2020, 03:48 PM)

I'll just use the current public release until it doesn't work anymore due to some stupidity on Google's part.
Then I'll have another look around to see what's available, if nothing is suitable I'll just not use email on the phone.
It's convenient but it's not essential, if it was essential they'd ring.

Most of the alternatives I glanced at wanted an insane number of permissions.

This is the fault of Google I think, bundling things together, eg. tying Bluetooth LE scanning to the need for location to be enabled.
What I've found even more annoying/stupid is that some email programs I've tried, instead of adding Gmail account settings within the email program, (as K-9 does), when they see you're adding a Gmail account they switch to the Add Account settings of the phone, get you to add your Google account there, then use them to get OAUTH permission to access the account.
End result is you have multiple Google accounts on your phone where you only originally might have had one - all wanting to sync info.
Some, like Bluemail, store the account info there but it isn't added to the phone as a separate Google account.

[Deozaan]

A new spammer account just tried to post about a fake version of this, which was probably filled with malware, so I figured I'd go on record with the real version, which I just learned about this past week:

YouTube Vanced

YouTube Vanced is the stock Android YouTube app, but better! Includes adblocking, true amoled dark mode and a lot more.

• Features the option of an amoled black theme to reduce eye and battery strain.
• Blocks All videos ads and allows you to play videos in the background or in Picture in Picture (only on android 8.0 and up)
• Swipe controls allow you to control brightness and volume like how it is in other video player apps such as VLC or MX Player (with configurable padding).
• New auto repeat feature allowing you to enjoy videos like tiktoks/vines or simply continue playing a song on loop.
• Not liking the new comments section or miniplayer? Those also can be toggled to the tablet versions which are very similar to the old version (albeit slightly buggy).

-https://vancedapp.com/

If you're wondering about the name, it's "YouTube AdVanced" i.e., without the ads.

It includes even more features, such as options to skip sponsored segments (where the YouTuber talks about some sponsor), skip self-promotional segments (where the YouTuber tells you to like, subscribe, become a patron, etc.), or even skip intro/outro segments.

The problem is that the official version doesn't appear to be on the Play Store, but there are a slew of copycats available that most likely contain spy/adware if not outright malware. So get it here:

https://vancedapp.com/
https://github.com/Y...ncedManager/releases