Android is a vast, diverse operating system you wish you could explore completely. But with a rapid development cycle, it can a little hard to keep up with.
After all, there are millions of apps, customizations, and features to stay familiar with. So get into the nitty-gritty with these six handy websites that every Android user should bookmark.
1. The Android Subreddit: Stay on Top of Every Android Development
Reddit’s premier Android community is home to every little Android tip, news, or development you will ever need to know about. With over a million members, the subreddit is always active. And you just have to slide down the comments to understand a particular topic or get more insights.
Also, the channel has Telegram and Discord counterparts as well. However, the Android subreddit doesn’t allow personal posts and is not meant for tech support. So if you want help troubleshooting your device, head over to more specific subreddits like r/TeamPixel or r/Samsung.
2. Google Play Deals Subreddit: Catch All the App Deals
Another page on Reddit you must visit is GooglePlayDeals. The subreddit compiles all the apps or games on the Play Store that are on sale. It always stays up to date, so if there’s a deal which has expired, the post will have a relevant flag for it.
What’s more, it has flags that tell you whether a specific app is popular or new, how long will the deals last, and more.
You can check the original price and the discount right from the listing too. There are tens of thousands of subscribers, so new deals are added often.
3. Google Taste Test: Let Google Find Your Next Homescreen Setup
The home screen is one of the most critical aspects of your smartphone experience. It’s where you launch apps, perform web searches, check widgets, and much more. But finding the right elements to decorate it the way you prefer can a little challenging. So why not let Google do it for you?
Google offers a nifty web app called Taste Test. The app asks you a set of goofy and relevant questions with multiple choices to understand your taste. Then it suggests the right apps to personalize your homescreen.
You can choose from free alternatives as well. Taste Test also embeds links so that you can quickly download the apps. Plus, there’s a button for sharing the look on various social websites.
Once you’re prepared to take the next step, check out these nine apps for personalizing your Android home screen.
4. Don’t Kill My App: Escape Your OEM’s Erratic AI Optimizations
In an effort to boost battery life and performance, Android vendors have begun to adopt a bunch of AI optimizations for their custom skin. While ideally, that should have made your phone much smarter, it has led to a headache in a few cases.
These background power savers can kill your regularly used apps indiscriminately. You might not get your notifications on time (if ever), or apps that require background processes like the alarm clock might just stop working.
However, if you know your way around the settings, you can escape these so-called features. And to do that, we recommend a website simply called Don’t Kill My App.
The website ranks all the Android manufacturers based on how unreliable their algorithms are and the steps you can follow to switch the AI optimizations off. Also, it provides solutions for specific models too in case the usual options don’t function the intended way. What’s more, you can read more on the issues there or contribute if you have discovered a better solution.
5. AOSMark: Check How Consistent an Android OEM’s Update Record Is
Android phone makers can be notorious when it comes to software updates. Some only pay attention to their latest models, some take ages to push new firmware out, and the rest don’t care about them at all. But unless you closely follow Android news, keeping track of which OEM, apart from Google, has a proven track record for updates is nearly impossible. Thankfully, a website titled AOSMark wants to take that burden off of you.
AOSMark aggregates all the Android vendor’s software history on a single platform. It shows and grades manufacturers based on how punctual they have been in the past. You can click individual companies to know how often and quickly their most recent phones received new firmware.
What’s more, AOSMark lets you search specific models or manufacturers too. You’ll also find a Hall of Fame section that displays the twenty most updated phones ever.
6. NVISO ApkScan: Scan Unfamiliar APK Files
This is another handy, free website for Android users. NVISO ApkScan thoroughly scans APK files for malware or other malicious activities. All you need to do is upload the file and wait a minute or two before the report has been generated.
NVISO ApkScan performs a wide variety of checks for ensuring the app doesn’t require any suspicious permissions. For instance, it will check if the app opens any network connections as soon as you install it. If you don’t want to wait, NVISO ApkScan has an option for enabling email alerts.
Keep Learning More About Android
Android can feel daunting to master at first. But with the right websites as listed above, you can easily learn more about it and keep tabs on its endless developments.
While there is a ton to explore, Android is still not perfect and there are a host of features we wish Google brings soon. Until then, replicate missing features on Android using these apps.
Read the full article: 6 Informative Android Sites You Should Bookmark Today
from MakeUseOf http://bit.ly/2TQgEmj
via IFTTT
0 comments:
Post a Comment