Author Topic: What Android Apps Do You Use? (Read 196935 times)

tomos · « **Reply #200 on:** November 20, 2020, 11:04 PM »

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/
-Deozaan (November 20, 2020, 06:11 PM)

hmmm. I installed the manager from their website, using that to install Vanced and Music app non-root. I get this -- says they installed but unavailable. Clicking [install] again has no effect.

What Android Apps Do You Use?

have you tried it?

Deozaan · « **Reply #201 on:** November 21, 2020, 01:44 AM »

have you tried it?
-tomos (November 20, 2020, 11:04 PM)

Yes, I have. Also non-root. It worked for me. On multiple devices.

What Android Apps Do You Use?

You have to install the MicroG first before it will let you install the video/music apps.

tomos · « **Reply #202 on:** November 21, 2020, 04:52 AM »

You have to install the MicroG first before it will let you install the video/music apps.
-Deozaan (November 21, 2020, 01:44 AM)

This, and had to give the Vanced Manager app permission to install in settings for apps

Deozaan · « **Reply #203 on:** November 21, 2020, 02:19 PM »

You have to install the MicroG first before it will let you install the video/music apps.
-Deozaan (November 21, 2020, 01:44 AM)
This, and had to give the Vanced Manager app permission to install in settings for apps
-tomos (November 21, 2020, 04:52 AM)

When I tried to install from the app it prompted me to grant permission, so I didn't think about specifying that step.

MilesAhead · « **Reply #204 on:** November 23, 2020, 03:05 PM »

I have been using 1 Tap Cache Cleaner Pro for a few months now. The main function is similar to CCleaner's Deep Clean. I could not get CCleaner to do the deep clean on my phone. Through trial and error and reading reviews I found this one. It is worth spending the few bucks for the Pro because Turbo Mode cache cleaning is about 5 times faster than the one used in the free version.

Plus it comes with a cool widget that shows the current total cache in use. Tapping the widget brings up the main UI so you can refresh and choose how thorough a clean to perform. It has some other functions I have not tried so I cannot speak to how well they work.

The Turbo Mode seems to use the same technique as CCleaner but it hides the details of bringing up each app in the cache by showing its own screen on top. You only see a slight flicker. It appears to be reliable and it is kind of fun to use through the widget.

I think Turbo Mode requires at least Android 8.0 but if it has been improved to accommodate older Android versions that info may be found in the Pro features description.

tomos · « **Reply #205 on:** December 23, 2020, 12:11 PM »

Can anyone recommend an app to connect remotely to another smartphone and to control that phone (as an ageing-relative-discovers-smartphone solution).

Teamviewer seems to be getting very poor reviews of late (seems they are disconnecting very often/quickly and pushing users to pro version)
AnyDesk apparently just allows remote viewing of another device.

Airdroid is an option, but not easy to setup on non-root devices. (I tried before and gave up - maybe I'd have more patience now: for setup you need to connect the destination phone via USB to a PC with Airdroid windows app installed.)
I will try this again if there's no other suggestions.

4wd · « **Reply #206 on:** December 23, 2020, 04:28 PM »

RemoDroid, Inkwire, and Screen Share

I've tried them but RemoDroid requires root for touch to work.
Inkwire and Screen Share needs permission to draw over the screen but even then I couldn't get them to do anything, I was trying to control my tablet from the phone, (or vice versa), both are Android 10.

Who knows, you may have more luck.

c.gingerich · « **Reply #207 on:** December 28, 2020, 10:34 AM »

Google should have called themselves Skynet... seems appropriate for Android

dantheman · « **Reply #208 on:** January 31, 2021, 08:20 AM »

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:

Bromite: in their own words "Bromite is Chromium plus ad blocking and privacy enhancements". Not my default browser, though
-city_zen (January 06, 2020, 12:55 AM)

Bromite is no more?

Update: no more on Google Play but still downloadable from Bromites' website.

4wd · « **Reply #209 on:** July 28, 2021, 01:53 AM »

That'll teach me to update apps at 00:20, didn't notice that K-9 Mail was in the list and now I've got it's new crappy interface.
$:-\$

rjbull · « **Reply #210 on:** July 28, 2021, 03:30 PM »

That'll teach me to update apps at 00:20, didn't notice that K-9 Mail was in the list and now I've got it's new crappy interface.
-4wd (July 28, 2021, 01:53 AM)

Thanks for the heads-up. I usually use my old tablet, which is Android 4.2.2, so that's not affected (minimum for current K-9 Mail is Android 5). But I also saw it on a newer smartphone - and held off, because of the comments earlier in the thread. Is this the 'interface' where backing out of one account to review the others exits the program completely?

4wd · « **Reply #211 on:** July 29, 2021, 07:05 AM »

Is this the 'interface' where backing out of one account to review the others exits the program completely?
-rjbull (July 28, 2021, 03:30 PM)

Yeah, there's no longer an account list like in the old interface, if you hit back you exit. To get to other accounts you have to go through the menu.

People on Play aren't really happy with the new version.

I grabbed 5.6 and reloaded it ... EDIT: Sideloaded apps aren't linked to the Play store so they'll never update, is this correct?

Had a look awhile ago for another email app but all the ones I could find went for the hiding multiple accounts under a menu and trying to get you to use a Unified inbox.

MilesAhead · « **Reply #212 on:** July 29, 2021, 09:21 AM »

That'll teach me to update apps at 00:20, didn't notice that K-9 Mail was in the list and now I've got it's new crappy interface.
$:-\$
-4wd (July 28, 2021, 01:53 AM)

Android play store update's scheme is not my favorite. I use the last 2.x version of the Miami Metro Transit app. Simple to use. But if I do not want to spend my time hacking the version number then I have to let the 4.x update sit in the list forever. I am sick of looking at it. The focus of the app is all about paying for fares and passes rather than when the train is going to arrive. I keep a copy of the 2.x apk in my download folder just in case I inadvertently update.

rjbull · « **Reply #213 on:** July 29, 2021, 04:27 PM »

Yeah, there's no longer an account list like in the old interface, if you hit back you exit. To get to other accounts you have to go through the menu.

People on Play aren't really happy with the new version.
-4wd (July 29, 2021, 07:05 AM)

I wouldn't be, either. I once played a bit with Pegasus Mail, and couldn't for the life of me see how to add a second account, until somebody pointed out a discreet little dropdown. I much prefer TheBat!'s interface with all accounts in a tree.

I grabbed 5.6 and reloaded it ...
-4wd (July 29, 2021, 07:05 AM)

One of the annoyances with Android is they demand you use the 'latest', regardless of whether it fits your needs best, and only put the latest on view. Where did you actually find 5.6?

EDIT: Sideloaded apps aren't linked to the Play store so they'll never update, is this correct?
-4wd (July 29, 2021, 07:05 AM)

Don't know, but doubt it. Google are very keen on their walled garden.

Had a look awhile ago for another email app but all the ones I could find went for the hiding multiple accounts under a menu and trying to get you to use a Unified inbox.
-4wd (July 29, 2021, 07:05 AM)

Does that go for Bluemail, that you mentioned before? I tried it - not the new version - on one account only, so didn't see multi-account behaviour. It's pretty, but I came across a comment that it saves your mail in its cloud, which I would much prefer to avoid.

rjbull · « **Reply #214 on:** July 29, 2021, 04:32 PM »

Android play store update's scheme is not my favorite.
-MilesAhead (July 29, 2021, 09:21 AM)

Mine neither. Worse still with the new UI that doesn't show what apps you've just updated, only the ones you haven't. Hides apps that won't run on your device as if they didn't exist, doesn't keep old versions for older devices. The app store search feature is hopeless too. No way to sort the results by my sort of criteria that I can see, and often pushes irrelevant crap at you. Just like Google.

4wd · « **Reply #215 on:** July 30, 2021, 03:07 AM »

Does that go for Bluemail, that you mentioned before? I tried it - not the new version - on one account only, so didn't see multi-account behaviour. It's pretty, but I came across a comment that it saves your mail in its cloud, which I would much prefer to avoid.
-rjbull (July 29, 2021, 04:27 PM)

Yes, defaults to last email account used but it's a unified one by default, to choose another account you have to go through a menu, (which is at the top left of the display, naturally 🙄).

According to their privacy policy, they don't save emails on their servers.
If you activate the Instant Push facility, emails will transit their servers long enough to grab header info, (1-2 seconds for the Push notification), then they're deleted.
For some of the other optional facilities they'll store enough info to enable them to work but none of them include storing your emails.

Fwiw, I only use BlueMail on my tablet for three 'junk' Gmail accounts, (ones I'd rather not clutter K-9 Mail with).

You can get previous versions, (don't know how many), on F-Droid.

rjbull · « **Reply #216 on:** August 02, 2021, 03:12 PM »

[...] Bluemail [...]came across a comment that it saves your mail in its cloud
-rjbull (July 29, 2021, 04:27 PM)

According to their privacy policy, they don't save emails on their servers.
-4wd (July 30, 2021, 03:07 AM)

Well, that's good, at least.

K-9 Mail:

You can get previous versions, (don't know how many), on F-Droid.
-4wd (July 30, 2021, 03:07 AM)

Thanks, grabbed a copy of the last one that will run on my old tablet.

People on Play aren't really happy with the new version.
-4wd (July 29, 2021, 07:05 AM)

I gave it a quick look, and it seemed about 9 to 1 against the new interface. Seems no point in turning it into another me-too without distinguishing features.

4wd · « **Reply #217 on:** August 03, 2021, 06:21 PM »

Well, it looks like side loading from the F-Droid compiled version has broken whatever Play store link there was, it hasn't tried to update to the latest version.

So I'm stuck with v5.6

EDIT: v5.6 has disappeared from F-Droid, (looks like they only keep the current and previous two versions).

Old versions here: https://k-9-mail.en....com/android/versions

Attronarch · « **Reply #218 on:** August 04, 2021, 12:44 PM »

The whole thing with K-9 Mail is a travesty. And the main dev that took over and busted the app is paid €4000 every month from some German fund. To piss off hundreds of people. Reading his answers on their forum makes me sick.

rjbull · « **Reply #219 on:** August 05, 2021, 03:43 PM »

EDIT: v5.6 has disappeared from F-Droid [...]

Old versions here: https://k-9-mail.en....com/android/versions
-4wd (August 03, 2021, 06:21 PM)

I grabbed in from F-Droid just in time, then. Thanks for the more comprehensive link.

rjbull · « **Reply #220 on:** August 05, 2021, 03:53 PM »

the main dev that took over and busted the app is paid €4000 every month
-Attronarch (August 04, 2021, 12:44 PM)

I began to wonder if the devs had been 'got at' in some way, to make K-9 into just another me-too app that didn't attract users away from big-name and proprietary ones that paid to be in the store, something like that. Not that I'm paranoid or anything.

4wd · « **Reply #221 on:** August 08, 2021, 09:16 PM »

Does that go for Bluemail, that you mentioned before?
-rjbull (July 29, 2021, 04:27 PM)

Try FairEmail, you can get it from the Play store or F-Droid, (the F-Droid version can't use OAuth due to Google policy - F-Droid builds are unsigned), it has a Unified account view but you can also set it to open to a list of your accounts.
It also has a lot of options to set it up how you want, can't seem to find one to move the menu button to the bottom though.

Play
F-Droid

MilesAhead · « **Reply #222 on:** August 11, 2021, 10:36 AM »

Having purchased a OnePlus phone recently I started perusing their community site. I noticed a free Android App called Clipt that looked like it might make moving files between PC and phone easier.

Turns out it does as well as network spanning text copy/paste. I haven't messed with the text pasting yet. But it only took a few minutes to get a file from my phone to PC for the first time. Most android phone service providers include google cloud storage. The app makes the assumption you have Google Drive on your phone and that is the heart of the transfer mechanism. On the PC side you need a chromium derived browser to install the Clipt extension from the Chrome store. I tried it in Edge browser.

If you send a file from your phone using Clipt and are signed into the Clipt extension on your browser, clicking the Clipt button on the toolbar gives an option to download the file to your PC. The idea is to be a bit more convenient than mailing yourself a file as attachment.

Searching Clipt in the Play Store did not get a direct hit until I added OnePlus as a search term. They say they are also working on an IOS client. It could grow into a very useful utility.

Shades · « **Reply #223 on:** August 11, 2021, 03:29 PM »

For transferring files to/from my phone, I just use the Android version of Total Commander. With that I can connect through WiFi with my cabled computer. You can get extra modules for this version of Total Commander to use the LAN directly. Or FTP/SFTP or even directly using just WiFi between 2 devices. All for free.

This works very well for my intents and purposes. But, I don't use my phone for hardly anything else than 2FA, Whatsapp/Skype/texting, calling, playing a Wordament game while waiting and very rarely a photo (in that order).

MilesAhead · « **Reply #224 on:** August 11, 2021, 04:49 PM »

For transferring files to/from my phone, I just use the Android version of Total Commander.
-Shades (August 11, 2021, 03:29 PM)

I remember when I needed to copy my Calibre Library folder onto my phone you told me about TC for Android. This copy paste technique I expect to use for one-offs. Speaking of ebooks I pick up quite a few kindle books from Amazon since many are only $.99. Amazon lets you share the book across all your Android devices connected to the same google account. But they are not so generous when it comes to reading them on my Windows Laptop. I do not think there is a solution to this other than reading the book in the browser instead of the Windows Amazon Kindle App. It would be way nicer to use the app. Perhaps there is a technical reason they cannot control the kindle file once it gets on the PC. Just a minor annoyance.