Author Topic: What Android Apps Do You Use? (Read 296,451 times)

ewemoa · « **on:** March 24, 2011, 05:48 AM »

This topic was inspired by phitsc's Android apps micro reviews

So, Android users, what non-bundled apps do you use?

Below are some free ones I've found handy:

Adv Calculator [AB] - simple calculator with history
AndExplorer [AB]- simple file explorer
APV (Android PDF Viewer) [AB] - for when VuDroid doesn't work
Bluetooth File Transfer [AB] - as the name says
Clipper [AB] - clipboard sniffing and manipulation - insurance for loss of long constructed text strings
ES File Explorer [AB] - multi-feature file explorer (mainly used here for local and LAN (SMB), but also sometimes for backing up apps)
FBReaderJ [AB] - ebook reader - only tested here with epub format
iClock - clone of original iClock - used here mostly for World Clock functionality
Measured Timer [AB] - simple minute-granularity timer - drag around a ring to set
Moon+ Reader [AB] - ebook reader with highlighting - only tested here with epub and html formats
MySettings [AB] - toggling and viewing settings - use it mostly to quickly check remaining battery percentage
RockPlayer [AB] - media player that happens to handle most formats i've been using recently
SAM - app to interface with SlideME
VuDroid [AB] - djvu / pdf viewer

Updated: Added links to AppBrain pages.

Renegade · « **Reply #1 on:** March 24, 2011, 07:10 AM »

News reader
Browser
Facebook (once in a while)
Pirates & Traders (game)

That's about it. I have more installed, but don't use them much.

Deozaan · « **Reply #2 on:** March 24, 2011, 07:34 AM »

I've got an Android G1, which is normally limited to Android 1.6. So, by far the most useful thing I use on my phone is CyanogenMod, which allows me to put Android 2.2 on my phone. Unfortunately the G1 is no longer being supported with newer versions of CM.

As for apps I find most useful (not counting included Google apps like Gmail, Calendar, GTalk, Maps, Navigation, etc.):

AndChat - An IRC client.
Barcode Scanner - Useful for QR codes or to do price checks at local stores (with the Google Shopper app).
Barnacle WiFi Tether - CyanogenMod allows me to tether my phone's internet via USB. Barnacle lets me use my phone as a WiFi access point.
OI File Manager - I really only use this when a song fails to download correctly in Subsonic and I need to delete it to get it to download again.
ING Direct's Free ATM Finder - This helps me find nearby ATMs that don't charge extra fees. (And while searching for this, I just found a new ING Direct app that will let me check my balance(s) and do other banking things. I'll have to check that one out!
Subsonic - Streams music and videos from my Subsonic server running on my computer.
Super BT Mono Pro - Converts all audio to mono so that I can listen to music on my phone via my bluetooth earpiece. This one cost a few dollars, but there's a free trial available. Also, I use the one made for CyanogenMod. If this is something you have a use for, make sure to test the trial version out to verify that it works. It's a bit finicky, and obviously music doesn't sound very good in mono over BT, but it's better than nothing.
Google Voice - This wasn't available (and thus wasn't included) when the G1 came out. It sure is awesome though!
Google Chrome to Phone - Sends a page in your PC's browser to your phone.

My phone has very limited internal storage, so that's about all I can fit on there without running out of space. Here are some other apps I've found useful/fun/interesting but don't currently have installed either due to space constraints or I just don't use them often enough:

uTorrent Remote - Allows you to add/remove/manage your torrents remotely. I don't torrent often enough to really use this, but it's nifty.
Audiobooks - Quick access to LibriVox's entire catalog.
DropBox
SwiftKey Keyboard (free trial available)
Backgrounds
Google Sky Map - Uses gyroscope so you can just hold up your phone in the direction of the sky and it will identify stars in that direction.
Google Listen - Podcast app.
Google Translate.
Facebook for Android - The official app. (I hate how newer phones have Facebook integrated into everything!)
Twitter - The official app.

Oddly enough, I don't use my phone much for games. Probably because it can't handle much of anything on the market, but also because I'm usually within 30 feet of a much more powerful gaming machine should the desire arise. But I have downloaded a couple games/game related apps:

Minecraft Canary
Gurk, the 8Bit RPG
Galcon - (currently on sale for $1)

Also, AppBrain.com is a handy site for searching/tracking/organizing apps you have or want. They even have an app that lets you synchronize your apps on your phone with their website, or automatically download the ones you've marked for installation from their website. This was especially useful before the recent Android Market upgrades that let you search, buy, and install from the official Android Market on your PC, but it still does have a couple of features that are better than the Android Market, such as tracking price history, creating lists to organize apps, etc.

4wd · « **Reply #3 on:** March 24, 2011, 09:27 AM »

Huawei U8150 with UltraJack-Recovery 6.2.2 and FUSIONIdeos 1.9 Experimental.

SuperBox - System info, quick settings (WiFi, GPS, etc), move apps to MicroSD when downloaded (App2SD function) plus a lot more.
WiFi Analyzer - Find hotspots or locate a clear channel for your own WiFi.
GPS Status & Toolbox - Because I'm interested in knowing where I am but not interested in SatNav.
MapDroyd - Offline maps via OpenStreetMaps, (the World only takes up ~5.5GB).
File Expert - Excellent file manager plus one touch HTTP/FTP server for managing via PC.
SpiderOak - Like DropBox only encrypted

KeePassDroid - Logins, etc.

phitsc · « **Reply #4 on:** March 24, 2011, 10:09 AM »

Here's some other apps I'm using. All of them are either free or cheap.

Apps

3 (Cubed) - Cool music player with widget (but lacks EQ)
InstaFetch Lite - Access Instapaper saved pages. There's now also a 'Read it Later' app. Should maybe try it and compare them once.
onTour Free - Concert guide
Springpad - Online information collection and management system
Squeezebox Controller - Control your Logitec Squeezebox from your phone
Sweet Home - Copy photos / videos from your phone to your NAS
WhatsApp - Text messages / MMS replacement that uses your data plan and is also available on iPhone

Switzerland-specific Apps

Codecheck - Check safety of ingredients of food products by scanning their barcode
SBB Mobile - Timetable for the Swiss public transport system
Search.ch - Lookup Swiss phone numbers and addresses
Tages-Anzeiger - Swiss newspaper

Games

Angry Birds - Already the free version has quite some content and is challenging
Bebbled - Pop the bubbles
Fruit Ninja - Slice some fruit
Glow Hockey - Air hockey with nice graphics. But should offer 2 human player mode.
NeuralPlay Reversi Free - My daughter loves it. Play against phone or other human player.
OpenSudoku - Sudoku
Patience Revisited - The best-looking of the free solitaire implementations I have found
The Brickening - Free Arkanoid / Breakout game with a huge amount of levels

My kids love these:

Kids Connect the Dots
Kids Shape Puzzle
Talking Tom

mouser · « **Reply #5 on:** March 24, 2011, 10:10 AM »

ewemoa !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

phitsc · « **Reply #6 on:** March 24, 2011, 10:16 AM »

If my Android apps micro-review only served the purpose of bringing our good friend ewemoa back then I'm already happy

Eóin · « **Reply #7 on:** March 24, 2011, 12:06 PM »

Wow, for someone who absolutely adores their Android phone,I feel like I'm seriously under using it reading after this thread. Well lots of stuff now to play with though

Like Deozaan, I run CyanogenMod. My phone isn't even an Android phone at all, it's the HTC HD2, a WinMo 6.5 phone. But the fantastic hackers over at xda-developers have gotten a host of different OSes running on it. It's incredible really and I've switched to Android full time.

As for applications, well as I said, I feel like a lightweight. but here goes.

AdFree
Swype
SpiderOak
KeePassDroid
reddit is fun
Chandroid
Titanium Backup

I didn't include links as all but the Swype beta are on the Market. Since my phone is a custom ROM I should also give credit to the particular one I run, it's TyphooN CyanogenMod 7, a ROM which tracks the daily updates to CyanogenMods upcoming version 7 which is based on Gingerbread.

Deozaan, you should check out G1 at xda-developers. There are alternative ROMs being developed there. I notice one for Gingerbread.

Indeed anyone who wants to start playing with custom ROMs should check out xda-dev

Deozaan · « **Reply #8 on:** March 24, 2011, 12:19 PM »

Wow! The Swype beta is finally available for anyone! I never thought I'd get Swype on my phone. Thanks for posting that.

Quote from: Eóin on March 24, 2011, 12:06 PM

Deozaan, you should check out G1 at xda-developers. There are alternative ROMs being developed there. I notice one for Gingerbread.

My phone is seriously underpowered for Android 2.2. It's so sluggish. . . I'm considering going back but I don't want to lose all the cool features. Maybe there's a nice speedy Gingerbread ROM for the G1 at xda-dev. Hey, I can dream right? Thanks for reminding me about this great resource.

EDIT: HOLY CARP! My dream came true! I found this great Gingerbread Yoshi ROM that is super speedy! I dare say my phone is now faster than my wife's! We both have G1s, but hers is still on the "Stock" Android 1.6. I seriously can't believe how fast this thing is.

Renegade · « **Reply #9 on:** March 24, 2011, 01:04 PM »

Wow. You all really use all that?

I've abandoned a lot of software because my carrier's network is so bad. It's just too painful to try using networked software. It's more like being in space - 0G instead of 3G. Loading a news article can sometimes take several minutes and is sometimes just futile. I've tried using Google Maps on my phone, and it's simply impossible. I could chart the land myself before a map loaded.

Sometimes network speeds are fast enough if I'm using Wi-Fi, but my ISP is similarly poor.

A friend of mine is a sys admin at Princeton and has used Skype on his phone for video conferencing while driving and said it worked well. I'm envious.

Stoic Joker · « **Reply #10 on:** March 24, 2011, 04:43 PM »

Quote from: Renegade on March 24, 2011, 01:04 PM

video conferencing while driving

?!?

?!? ...That hardly seems wise...

bob99 · « **Reply #11 on:** March 24, 2011, 05:16 PM »

Before I changed to a different platform these were two of my favorites:

Swiftkey Keyboard - Keyboard app that uses AI to make typing on your Android device smart, fast and personal. It almost always knew what word I was going to type next. And there have been a few updates since then.

Edit: I also received a notice they have developed a version for Android tablets.

Gemini Calendar - Easy to use calendar application that synchronizes data with Google Calendar. The developer is very responsive and offers the app as donationware. Also has quite a long forum thread on Android Forums

Renegade · « **Reply #12 on:** March 24, 2011, 05:19 PM »

Quote from: Stoic Joker on March 24, 2011, 04:43 PM

Quote from: Renegade on March 24, 2011, 01:04 PM
video conferencing while driving

?!? ?!? ...That hardly seems wise...

I'm not sure whether he was driving or a passenger, but I know that he was testing it out to see how things worked and if they worked well. It went flawlessly for him.

But that's the thing -- If you have decent infrastructure where you live, your mobile experience is completely different. Here where I live it's like the dark ages in comparison. (I'm still very much frustrated by being spoiled with the best networking infrastructure in the world in Seoul -- anything else is a massive drop and the problems here are relatively well known.)

4wd · « **Reply #13 on:** March 24, 2011, 05:53 PM »

Quote from: Renegade on March 24, 2011, 01:04 PM

Wow. You all really use all that?

I've abandoned a lot of software because my carrier's network is so bad.

Well, you did choose arguably one of the most forked 3G networks in Australia

Lesson #1: Never, ever buy a locked mobile in Australia. (Or don't buy where you're locked into a contract.)
Lesson #2: The lower the frequency, the better the solid object penetration.

eg. Telstra: 850MHz everywhere + a lot more towers.
Optus/Vodafone: 900MHz Rural & 2100MHz Metro (Although they are starting to install 850MHz - bit late me thinks.)

Renegade · « **Reply #14 on:** March 24, 2011, 06:22 PM »

Quote from: 4wd on March 24, 2011, 05:53 PM

Quote from: Renegade on March 24, 2011, 01:04 PM
Wow. You all really use all that?

I've abandoned a lot of software because my carrier's network is so bad.

Well, you did choose arguably one of the most forked 3G networks in Australia

Lesson #1: Never, ever buy a locked mobile in Australia. (Or don't buy where you're locked into a contract.)
Lesson #2: The lower the frequency, the better the solid object penetration.

eg. Telstra: 850MHz everywhere + a lot more towers.
Optus/Vodafone: 900MHz Rural & 2100MHz Metro (Although they are starting to install 850MHz - bit late me thinks.)

Yeah... Vodafone sucks beyond comprehension. My phone isn't locked, but I have a contract.

I wanted the HTC Desire HD, and that's all I could get.

But even when I'm outside, it's pathetic. Vodafone is really much worse than simply "bad". Not 3G, but 0G. Most data transmission is not 3G. Horribly miserable.

Live & learn I suppose.

ewemoa · « **Reply #15 on:** March 24, 2011, 11:39 PM »

Thanks for the contributions and welcomes

Perhaps I'll add links to relevant AppBrain pages in the original post -- thanks Deozaan!

phitsc · « **Reply #16 on:** March 25, 2011, 06:51 AM »

Is anyone of you (except Renegade, haha) using an alternative Web Browser? I've tried Dolphin HD once but found it slow compared to the stock browser. I think what I miss most in the stock browser is better tab handling (although I'm obviously not using tabs as extensively as on a PC).

phitsc · « **Reply #17 on:** March 25, 2011, 06:52 AM »

Quote from: Renegade on March 24, 2011, 01:04 PM

Wow. You all really use all that?

I've abandoned a lot of software because my carrier's network is so bad. It's just too painful to try using networked software. It's more like being in space - 0G instead of 3G. Loading a news article can sometimes take several minutes and is sometimes just futile. I've tried using Google Maps on my phone, and it's simply impossible. I could chart the land myself before a map loaded.

Sometimes network speeds are fast enough if I'm using Wi-Fi, but my ISP is similarly poor.

A friend of mine is a sys admin at Princeton and has used Skype on his phone for video conferencing while driving and said it worked well. I'm envious.

For people like me who hardly ever use the phone to actually make phone calls with it

without 3G these phones are next to useless.

Renegade · « **Reply #18 on:** March 26, 2011, 05:09 AM »

Quote from: phitsc on March 25, 2011, 06:51 AM

Is anyone of you (except Renegade, haha) using an alternative Web Browser? I've tried Dolphin HD once but found it slow compared to the stock browser. I think what I miss most in the stock browser is better tab handling (although I'm obviously not using tabs as extensively as on a PC).

Actually, I installed Opera immediately, but had problems viewing pages. The default browser formatted them better for reading. With Opera, text was scrolling off to the side, which made it basically unusable. It might have been just a few sites doing that, but it was enough to drive me back to the default and forget about Opera.

xtabber · « **Reply #19 on:** March 26, 2011, 06:16 PM »

These are some of the apps I use on a regular basis. Except for Teamviewer, they are all available from the Android Market.

Jorte (free): A calendar app that can work as a front end to Google Calendar and makes it half-way decent.
Weatherbug Elite ($1.99) 2 bucks changes a so-so weather app into a really great one, with vast amounts of information made easy to access. My favorite feature: continually updated local weather radar as wallpaper.
RealCalc (free/donation): A calculator that does it all, including conversions.
Aldiko (free): Excellent ePub and pdf reader. I have several others of each, but find I now use this one almost exclusively.
Documents to Go Full Version ($14.99): The free version is a good viewer, but the editing capabilities of the full version are well worth the extra 15 bucks.
Evernote (free or $45/year): I'll eventually have to plop down the 45 bucks, but so far, I've been able to get by with the free version.
Wifi Analyzer (free): Essential for locating and evalutaing hotspots.
Locale ($9.99): Worth 10 bucks to know that my ringtone won't ever interrupt a concert, even if I forget to turn it off.
My Tracks (free): Google app designed for hikers and croos-country runners that works for many other tracking purposes.
System Panel ($2.99): Everything I want to know about my phone and a good app manager too. The free Lite version is nearly as capable.
Teamviewer Android app (free - from http://www.teamviewer.com)

I also regularly use some (expensive) reference works, such as Oxford English and French dictionaries, apps for several newspapers and my bank.

Darwin · « **Reply #20 on:** March 26, 2011, 06:39 PM »

Well... here goes:

Co-Pilot Live NA
Thinkfree Office Full version
Angry Birds
Angry Birds Seasons
Fruit Ninja
Battery Indicator Pro
Switch Pro Widget
JuiceDefender Ultimate
Auto Memory Manager
K9 email client
NewsRob Pro (RSS reader)
Astro File Manager
Amazon Kindle
EDIT: forgot Smart Keyboard Pro

EDIT 2: should mention that these apps are spread over two Andriod devices, one with 1.6 (Donut) and the other 2.21 (Froyo) FW. Neither of them are phones, rather they are small tablets (Archos 5A IT 32GB and Archos 43IT 16GB)...

wr975 · « **Reply #21 on:** March 26, 2011, 10:35 PM »

Apps I use everyday:
Widgetsoid (widgets and app launcher)
Volume Locker (prevents changing ringer volume)
Call Confirm (asks if you really want to call someone)
K9 (email)
Go SMS + Go Contacts (default apps on my LG P500 suck)
AlarmDroid (alarm clock on stereoids)
WhoIsIt
FlickNote (editor which syncs with SimpleNote)

Other apps:
Barcode Scanner (I use http://delivr.com/qr-code-generator to write really long SMS)
Mortplayer (audio player based on folder structure)
Zimly (video player)
Awesome drop (send files to phone)
Retro Calculator (just for fun)
Calzo Free (calculator with history)

ewemoa · « **Reply #22 on:** March 27, 2011, 03:43 AM »

Just installed the following one here:

Quote from: wr975 on March 26, 2011, 10:35 PM

Call Confirm (asks if you really want to call someone)

Looks like it may help reduce the number of accidental callls

Thanks!

4wd · « **Reply #23 on:** March 28, 2011, 05:31 AM »

Quote from: phitsc on March 25, 2011, 06:51 AM

I've tried Dolphin HD once but found it slow compared to the stock browser.

Just tried Dolphin and I like it better than the stock browser, a lot easier to use, speed is about the same - thanks for mentioning it

ewemoa · « **Reply #24 on:** March 30, 2011, 02:30 AM »

Eager to try out some of these apps, but not being a Market user, I was happy to find Android Freeware as it appears to provide a fair number of .apk files for download.

Prior to using this site, I'd been using SlideME and AndAppStore -- neither seemed to have RealCalc or ASTRO File Manager but Android Freeware did