12 apps I urge non-techies to put in on their Android telephones

The Android apps that come preinstalled on a cellphone have a number of benefits. For one, they’re already there — you don’t want to go to the Play Retailer and sift by means of quite a few choices to search out one that may meet your wants. Secondly, they’re often from the producer itself, which suggests they’re tightly built-in into the broader framework of your cellphone.

Nevertheless, as is usually the case in life, what’s best isn’t all the time the most effective, and that is very true for smartphone apps that non-tech-savvy customers would possibly make use of. These customers would possibly profit extra from a extra approachable or supportive product that you just or they would want to put in.

At any time when I’m tasked with fixing somebody’s cellphone or providing recommendations, I all the time assessment their put in apps and counsel enhancements which will make their lives just a little simpler. This features a listing of apps that they’ll arrange themselves, others which will require some hands-on help from me, or direct replacements that provide extra performance or improved usability.

Right here’s the listing of apps I urge non-techies to put in on their Android telephones:

Most of the apps I point out on this listing require some intervention by an skilled or technically-minded consumer earlier than the smartphone proprietor can use them. I’m conscious that not everybody has bodily entry to those gadgets, which makes this course of considerably difficult. In these moments when all the household isn’t gathered collectively on the year-end tech assist symposium, higher generally known as “the vacations,” TeamViewer will come in useful.

When put in on each the host and management gadgets, this distant assist app permits you to troubleshoot or set up apps on the consumer’s behalf. This consists of file transfers, permitting you to ship APKs out of your gadget to the consumer’s gadget for later set up.

Importantly, the host gadget should set up the TeamViewer QuickSupport app, whereas the management gadget requires the total TeamViewer app.

Whereas Google Chrome is the default browser on Android, it’s not significantly user-friendly for newcomers. Sure, it’s simple to make use of, however it lets adverts by means of like a sieve and doesn’t dim internet pages in low gentle. Most of its issues stem from its lack of assist for extensions. My private desire is Firefox, however I’m conscious that it too may be sophisticated for some customers.

Are there any alternate options? Microsoft Edge is a greater answer in case your non-techie consumer additionally makes use of the browser on Home windows. It additionally features a broader extension library, permitting for correct standalone ad-block and darkish mode assist.

Then there’s Banana Browser, which I consider is the most effective browser for video content material. This might function an alternative choice to a number of social media platforms, together with YouTube and TikTok. It consists of its personal media participant, assist for nearly each video platform, together with TikTok, built-in video ad-blocking and Sponsorblock, and background playback assist.

You could must set it as much as swimsuit its important consumer finest, however as soon as it’s up and operating with all of the settings toggled and levers pulled, it shouldn’t require common upkeep.

It took me a very long time to undertake cell funds, however now I can hardly keep in mind what it was prefer to stay with out them. Whereas some telephones supply a preinstalled app that takes care of those duties — I exploit a Samsung cellphone with Samsung Pay preinstalled — I’ve opted for Google Pockets as an alternative for a number of causes.

I exploit it for extra than simply cell funds; it doubles as my boarding move after I fly and my loyalty card holder after I’m at my favourite shops. And, after all, I exploit it to simply pay for gadgets whereas preserving my bodily card protected and sound. I can also’t start to rely the moments Pockets has saved me after I unintentionally left my money and playing cards at house.

Better of all, I’d argue that Pockets is the best app on this listing to arrange. It’s so user-friendly that I’d encourage each non-techie to start out their cell funds journey with it.

Fb continues to be utilized by a whole bunch of hundreds of thousands of individuals daily, however the official app has grown giant and sluggish. Enter Nobook. My most well-liked Fb portal, this light-weight different eliminates all of the disadvantages of the full-fat app, together with rampant adverts and recommended posts, the choice to obtain content material, and tremendous fast load occasions. Customers may also alter the standard of the content material in order that it masses extra effectively on slower networks.

The app encompasses a surprisingly easy setup; nonetheless, it’s provided by means of GitHub, so I like to recommend that an skilled consumer carry out the preliminary steps for non-techies.

Now, let’s discuss safety. Password administration is the quickest means a non-technical consumer can enhance their on-line privateness. Neatly storing all of their important unlock and account knowledge behind a service that requires a single password means they’ll solely ever must do not forget that one password. This not solely permits non-techies to make use of extra advanced passwords, however it additionally means they’re far much less more likely to overlook that grasp password.

The perfect password supervisor is Bitwarden. It may be accessed on varied platforms, makes autofill a breeze on Android, and may be custom-made with relative ease.

Once more, I counsel organising Bitwarden for the meant consumer, together with creating an account and strolling them by means of finest password etiquette. However as soon as they’ve grasped the ins and outs, they are going to have the ability to take pleasure in autofill throughout Android and every other gadget.

Multi-factor authentication is a should, however oddly sufficient, Android doesn’t come preinstalled with an authenticator app. Whereas there are many choices, together with my present possibility, Authy, Google Authenticator might be essentially the most approachable for non-techies.

The app shops 2FA codes throughout the scope of 1’s Google account, that means that even when a cellphone is misplaced, the codes stay safe.

Authenticator apps could be a nuisance to arrange, so that you’ll probably want to help the meant consumer in getting began. Nevertheless, when 2FA is in play, it’ll improve that consumer’s digital safety perimeter from a flimsy picket fence to a moated fortress wall.

Fast Share is a irritating service that makes transferring information from one gadget to a different a chore. Whereas my household often opts to switch information utilizing WhatsApp, it isn’t all the time sensible for bigger video information. That’s the place Localsend is available in.

It has its limitations, however Localsend makes transferring giant items of information from one gadget to a different over a Wi-Fi community a breeze. It’s excellent for household gatherings, simply acknowledges different gadgets on the community, and works swiftly. I exploit it to bounce information from my cellphone to my PC or different gadgets daily.

Localsend will have to be arrange on the consumer’s gadget, however after all the things is in place, sending information to them will probably be as simple as “Open Localsend, and faucet Settle for.”

Google Photographs is often preinstalled on Android gadgets these days, however this wasn’t the case on my dad’s newer gadget. The significance of Photographs might be recognized to nearly each Android Authority reader at this level, however in brief, it simplifies backing up photographs to a secondary supply — Google’s storage. For non-techies snapping comparatively small-sized images, the 15GB free area on supply is more likely to be ample, making it an excellent set-it-and-forget-it answer.

Photographs can be easy to arrange, however the meant consumer could have to be walked by means of the assorted different choices obtainable throughout the app itself.

Nevertheless, for these moments when the consumer desires to view the place their WhatsApp photographs are saved, an easier app like Google Gallery is effectively value putting in too.

My mother and father use YouTube quite a bit and commonly sit by means of what finally ends up being hours of adverts each month. I don’t need them to waste their time or unintentionally faucet on an errant and presumably malicious advert of their video shopping travels. As a companion to YouTube, I counsel they set up Tubular.

This open-source YouTube frontend bypasses adverts, affords quite a few high quality changes when Wi-Fi or mobile sign power is low, and doesn’t require Google Play Providers or a Google account to make use of.

Because it’s hosted on F-Droid, it does require some hands-on set up time from an skilled consumer. You’d additionally must stroll the consumer by means of the assorted points of the app.

In one other case of “why wasn’t the app put in on my dad’s cellphone?” Recordsdata by Google is the right file administration instrument for many who want a Swiss pocket knife. It makes looking for particular information extraordinarily simple, sensibly categorizes information by kind, after which affords per-folder views inside, and consists of invaluable add-ons, similar to PDF assist and a safe Protected Folder for delicate paperwork.

As I discussed, Recordsdata by Google is often put in on fashionable Android gadgets by default, particularly in the event that they don’t have a file administration app made by the producer itself. Nevertheless, in some instances, you will have to seize it to your non-techie companion.

Now for a advice from my Android Authority colleagues. Once more, Gboard is ever-present on many Android gadgets, together with Pixels and every other product that makes use of a near-stock Android interface. Nevertheless, this isn’t all the time the case. On Samsung gadgets, as an illustration, Samsung Keyboard takes priority, regardless that it pales compared to Google’s keyboard.

Gboard does all the things higher. It consists of extra strong autocomplete, spelling correction, and fluid swipe typing. Many of those options appear marginally necessary to non-techies till they’re truly put into use. It’s a case of when you’ve tried it, you’ll be able to’t return.

Switching keyboards isn’t troublesome on Android, however there are a number of steps concerned, so this would possibly require a hands-on or distant session to arrange the brand new system. Better of all, in the event that they don’t like Gboard, they’ll all the time change again to the default keyboard with out a lot fuss.

That’s it for my listing, however what about you? Which apps do you advocate to your non-technical family and friends for his or her gadgets? Let’s talk about within the feedback part under.