As it they are fresh out of the factory, most Android phones are pretty nice but lacking all the customized features a user might want. They have standards of course and it’s up to the phone’s owner to make it into whatever he or she wants.
Android isn’t going to dump apps onto their phones, so if you have one, you’re going to need to find the right apps for you on your own. That doesn’t mean there aren’t a few essential apps everyone should have. If you’ve got an Android phone and you don’t know how to start your collection of apps, you’re in luck.
These are 5 more apps your Android phone needs right now, apps you will get so much use from that you will wonder how you ever got by without them. Be sure to tell your friends, family and anyone else who owns an Android phone about these apps which are useful to everyone, young and old, boy or girl.
1. Twitter
It’s a popular social networking platform for a reason and if your Android device doesn’t already have Twitter installed, that’s something you need to fix right now. No, it isn’t exactly like accessing the website from your home computer but having access to those constant, up to the minute updates while on the go seems like a must, doesn’t it?
With this addition to your Android’s app library, now you can keep up with what everyone’s doing, no matter where you are or what time of day it is. You can set up notifications just like on the website so when certain people tweet, you’ll get a little buzz and be informed.
This makes following the people you’re most interested in a breeze and pretty much puts all the convenience of Twitter onto your phone so you can have it all the time. It will greatly increase the usefulness of your Android device, which is what all five of these apps are supposed to do.
2. SwiftKey
Android devices do typically have some kind of onboard keyboard, but the thing is so small that most users will have a hard time working it. Better than that is one of the many virtual keyboards which utilize the Android phone’s touch screen to act as the board. With larger buttons and more spacing, typing long or short messages becomes significantly easier and much less of a hassle.
It’s the perfect program for people who send lots of texts rather than make lengthy phone calls and if that sounds like you, you’re in luck because it’s also free. SwiftKey comes highly recommended from several blogs and it seems strange for individual entities with no way to profit to lie about how good something is for them.
If you don’t like it, you can always uninstall the app, but there’s nothing at all wrong with SwiftKey. It’s one of the better Android virtual keyboards available out there.
3. Google Authenticator
If you’re using an Android device, the odds are very good you’re using other Google goods and services too. You’ll definitely want a Google Authenticator to keep your important information, documents, contacts and more all safe and secure.
This might not be as exciting as something like internet radio or Angry Birds but the utility of this app cannot be denied. Essentially it adds another level of security to your accounts with Google, Dropbox and LastPass by adding an extra layer of protection you set up yourself. Come up with another password nobody knows about and never will either thanks to your Android being independent from your home computer.
That’s pretty swell and it’s also free so it doesn’t cost a thing to make yourself and your things safer.
4. Pandora
People love music. Even if you aren’t a big fan of many different bands and groups, you’ve got to have some tunes you really like listening to. For access to those while on the go, you should get the Pandora internet radio app available for free from many Android app vendors. It’s not the best radio experience but then again, you’re not going to get everything you want all in one place. Not usually.
You get a lot from Pandora for the $0 you pay, including streaming music which changes depending on your tastes. That’s right; it’s a radio that kind of listens to you, too. You might not be able to look for exactly what you want but you can hear your favorite musical performers anytime you want on your Android device with this app.
5. eBay Mobile
For anyone selling anything, eBay Mobile takes the eBay experience and lets you have it anywhere, anytime. For example, say you just picked up a cool antique you know you can resell for more at a thrift store, something like that. You can list your newest find on the spot by taking a picture with your Android device and using the eBay Mobile app to place your listing right on eBay.
It doesn’t take more than a few seconds, just as long as you need to type up the information for your listing. You might expect it wouldn’t be as full an experience as the computer version, but because eBay sure wants their money, you’ll get the same feeling from this mobile app as if you were on your computer. It’s easy to use, not confusing at all.
Get Them All
If your Android device doesn’t have all 5 of these apps, you need to do something about it. Each and every one of them has the potential to be very useful, entertaining or even profitable to you. What’s better than making money with your super expensive phone? Not much, many think.
Putting your investments to work for you is a sign of any man or woman who is good with money and you can bet with all these apps, you could find one way or another to put your Android device to work for you. Don’t be afraid to take full advantage of the technology you paid so much to get!
