Android apps one should have

15 best Android apps available right now

Here it is ladies and gentlemen. The crème de la crème. The Android apps that stand alone at the top of the pantheon. These apps have become ubiquitous with Android and if you’re looking for good stuff it’s assumed that you have some of this stuff already. There are a ton of amazing Android apps out there. However, there are a few that stand out above the rest. These apps are useful to just about everyone no matter what their use case may be. Without further delay, here are the best Android apps currently available.

Most people should be relatively familiar with most of these apps. They are the best, and the best things are rarely anonymous. It’s difficult to get into the hall of fame, but we do have the best lists attached to each selection in case you want to see more options.

The best Android apps available right now:

1Weather

Price: Free / $1.99

1Weather is arguably the best weather app out there. It features a simple, paginated design that shows you the current weather, forecast for up to 12 weeks, a radar, and other fun stats. Along with that, you’ll get a fairly decent set of lightly customizable widgets and the standard stuff like severe weather notifications and a radar so you can see the storms approaching. The Ui is logical and reasonably easy to navigate as well.

The free version has all of the features with advertising. The $1.99 charge removes advertising. Otherwise, the two versions work the same way. Most will also likely enjoy the range of weather fun facts as well when you open the app. We have a list of the best weather apps and widgets if you want more options.

Google Drive

Price: Free / $1.99-$299.99 per month

Some of the features of these apps include live collaboration, deep sharing features, and compatibility with Microsoft Office documents. You can find more cloud storage apps here and more office apps here if you want something different.

Google Maps and Waze

Price: Free

If you add to that the Waze experience, which includes tons of its own features, and you won’t need another navigation app. Ever. Google also owns and operates Waze. It’s unique and fun in ways that Google Maps isn’t and we also highly recommend it. Of course, we have more GPS apps options as well here if you need them.

Google Search / Assistant / Feed

Price: Free

There is also a second Google Assistant app for those who want a quick launch icon on the home screen. The hardware stuff costs money, but Google Assistant is free. There are other decent personal assistants like Amazon Alexa, and you can check them out here.

LastPass

Price: Free / $12 per year

LastPass is one of those must-have Android apps. It’s a password manager that lets you save your login credentials in a safe, secure way. On top of that, it can help generate nearly impossible passwords for you to use on your accounts. It’s all controlled with a master password. It has cross-platform support (premium version only) so you can use it on computers, mobile devices, tablets, or whatever.

There are others, but LastPass always feels like it’s one step ahead. Additionally, the premium version is cheap. You can also grab LastPass Authenticator to go along with it for added security. There are other options for great password managers here and some free LastPass alternatives if the new, more restricted free version isn’t doing it for you. LastPass also has an authenticator app for additional security.

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Microsoft SwiftKey

Price: Free

Microsoft SwiftKey Keyboard is one of the most powerful and customizable third-party keyboards available. It hit the market several years ago with a predictive engine unlike anything any other keyboard had and the app has grown a lot of over the years. It’s a free download and you can purchase themes for it if you want to.

Other features include a dedicated number row, SwiftKey Flow which allows for gesture typing, multiple language support, cross-device syncing of your library, and much more. It’s about as good as it gets in the keyboard space. It’s true that Microsoft now owns SwiftKey, but so far they have managed not to mess it up. Gboard, Google’s keyboard app, is also exceptionally good and we honestly could’ve listed either one. There are some other great Android keyboards here as well.

Nova Launcher

Price: Free / $4.99

You can even make it look like the Pixel Launcher if you want to. If you go premium, you can tack on gesture controls, unread count badges for apps, and icon swipe actions. Those looking for something simpler may want to try Lawnchair Launcher, Hyperion Launcher, and Rootless Launcher. Of course, we have a list of the best Android launchers with even more options as well.

Podcast Addict

Price: Free / $3.99

You can also set download rules, create playlists easily, and it supports both Chromecast and SONOS along with Android Auto and Wear OS. The UI and settings aren’t the most elegant things we’ve seen. However, the app makes up for it by hitting literally every other box we could think of. Pocket Casts and CastBox are other excellent options in this space, and we have a list of even more great podcast apps here.

Poweramp

Price: Free trial / $4.99

The UI has a tiny bit of a learning curve, but it’s one of the better-looking music players as well with optional themes in the Google Play Store. There are other great music apps here, but the top slot arguably Poweramp’s title to lose. Poweramp also has an equalizer app (Google Play link) if you want a better equalizer app.

Solid Explorer

Price: Free trial / $2.99

File browsing is something everyone inevitably has (or wants) to do, so you might as well do it with a capable, fantastic file browser. Solid Explorer is pretty much as good as it gets in the file explorer apps realm. It features Material Design, archiving support, support for the most popular cloud services, and even some more power-user stuff like FTP, SFPT, WebDav, and SMB/CIFS support.

It looks great, it’s incredibly stable, and it just works well. There is a 14-day free trial with a $2.99 price tag at the end of it. There are other file browsers with more features, but few blend together looks, ease of use, and features like Solid Explorer does. If this doesn’t work for you, here are some other outstanding file browsers.

Check out some excellent hardware as well:

Tasker and IFTTT

Price: $2.99 and Free, respectively

Tasker is a glorious application if you have the patience to learn how to use the app. What it does is allow users to create custom made commands and then use them in various places. There are many apps out there that have Tasker support and you can even use Tasker to create very complex commands for NFC tags. It’s difficult to truly explain what this app can do because it can do so many things. Between the apps supported, plugins you can add, and the sheer volume of stuff that you can do, there aren’t many apps out there as useful as this one.

IFTTT is another excellent automation app. In some cases, it may even be better than Tasker thanks to its simplicity and wide range of uses. Tasker is also available free as part of the Google Play Pass. There are some other great Android tools and utility apps, but none of them can step up to Tasker and IFTTT.

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15 Apps Everyone Should Have In the Phone

The app market is flooded with more than 2 million apps, and new ones debut all the time. We’re all familiar with popular options like Facebook and Google Maps, and there are plenty of pointless apps too. What about little-known apps that provide real value, though? There are some surprising options out there, and we’ve hand-picked 10 of the most notable ones for your convenience.

1. Horizon

Isn’t it annoying when people post videos that were recorded while their smartphones were being held vertically? This cuts off the image and makes the picture look much smaller. If you constantly forget to hold your smartphone vertically while recording a video, this is the app for you. Regardless of how you hold your phone, it records the video in landscape – or horizontal – format.

2. Sleep Cycle Power Nap

All naps aren’t created equal. Research shows that a short, quick nap – or power nap – is far more refreshing than a long sleep during the middle of the day. This app helps you avoid oversleeping by playing a gentle alarm when the appropriate length of time has passed. Handily enough, it also includes a recovery nap mode and a single sleep cycle mode that lets you go through one full sleep cycle so you don’t wake up in the middle of REM sleep.

3. PaperKarma

Today it’s easy enough to keep spam out of your email inbox. What about the paper junk mail that fills your real mailbox, though? There’s finally an app for that! With PaperKarma, you just snap a photo of whatever unwanted mail you receive. As long as it’s addressed directly to you, the app will automatically contact whoever sent it to have you removed from their list. The best part is that it really works.

4. Nu Skin TR90

If you want to manage your weight better this is the app for you. It not only helps you track of your waistline, it lets you track your food intake and record your exercise activities too. In one swoop, you can keep track of your most important health-related tasks to stay as fit and healthy as you can be.

5. Sleep Talk Recorder

Ever been told you talk in your sleep? Not convinced? Give this incredible app a whirl. It only triggers when sound is detected, so you don’t have to play back an entire, night-long recording. You’re sure to be amazed and surprised by the things you say while you’re fast asleep.

6. Action Movie FX

This fun app lets you add cool special effects to your videos as you record them. From missile strikes to car crashes, it lets you quickly and easily add a little more excitement to any video you record with your smartphone. For a minimal extra fee, you can download a huge array of additional effects too.

7. Any.Do

Stop jotting your to-do lists onto paper. With Any.Do, everything you need to take care of is right there in front of you. In fact, its “Moment” feature shows you at a glance what needs to be handled in the immediate future. You can finally get rid of that nagging feeling that you’re forgetting something important by using this app.

8. RunPee

Nothing is worse than missing a crucial part of a movie because you have to go use the bathroom. Thanks to RunPee, you never have to worry about this anymore. Just turn on the app when the movie starts, tell it which movie you’re watching and it will alert you to the optimal times to go.

9. Venmo

Make share payments with just about anyone for free with this clever app. You can also send requests for payments from practically anyone. Quick and easy to use, this app is sure to become one of your favorites in no time.

10. Walk Up Alarm Clock

Tired of oversleeping from hitting snooze again and again? This app will change your life. Once the alarm sounds, it won’t stop until you’ve walked at least 10 steps. You can adjust the number of steps to up to 100, so it’s sure to work no matter how deep a sleeper you are.

11. RadarScope

If you want to see what’s really happening with the weather this app will provide you with the best and most up-to-date radar views of the world around you. If you want to read what the weatherman reads, this is it. If you’re an enthusiast about the weather, this app is for you.

12. Tunein Radio

Have access to over 100,000 radio stations, including all of the sports stations in the world and listen to how your favorite team is doing. This is not only the ultimate sports lovers app, but it’s the ultimate music lovers app, too.

13. SafeTrek

At certain moments in your life you may feel like your life is at risk. It can be walking to your car late at night, or even just being in the wrong part of town at the wrong time. With SafeTrek all you have to do is press a button that says, “Hold until safe” and if something happens just let go of your phone and it will call the police automatically and notify them where you are. This app is better than pepper spray and it has been receiving 5 stars across the board. It’s considered one of the best safety apps.

14. Qwiki

Do you have a newborn? Chances are you’re taking a ton of photos. Qwiki helps you pick out the best pics. After all you don’t want to post every photo, then your friends get slightly annoyed.

15. Countdown +

Exciting events come all of the time in life. If you want to keep track of them and count down to them, this is the perfect app for you.
After downloading these apps, you’re sure to agree that they’re among the cleverest little-known apps you’ve ever used.

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Rick Delgado

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Rick Delgado

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How to Make Private Browsing on Safari Truly Private

There comes a time when we may be searching online and don’t want the browser to remember our footsteps. The reasons don’t always have to be what we obviously think of as the main reason; for example, sometimes, you may not want Safari to remember your passwords or prompt you to enter your password when surfing the web.

Whatever the reason, we may think that we are totally in the clear with Private Browsing on Safari and the other browsers on a Mac. However, a quick Terminal command can bring up every website you’ve visited. How do you do this? Also, how do you clear your tracks for good? We will provide both answers and more today.

What Does Private Browsing Do?

When activated, Private Browsing on Safari prevents your browsing history from being kept in the history tab of the application. Along with this, it doesn’t autofill information that you have saved in the browser. In this mode, you essentially become incognito and any references of previous use is essentially hidden when you are in private mode.

For example: if you are on Facebook or filling out a form and some information or your login is already filled in in the spaces provided, this is called autofill. It’s activated by simply clicking Safari next to the Apple symbol in the menubar and selecting Private Browsing, then clicking “OK” to the prompt.

The reasons behind private mode differ for each individual. While we won’t go into all of those reasons, one thing that is important to remember is that private browsing doesn’t forget the websites you visit. As we will see later on, Macs keep a second copy of the websites you visit in either mode. If you are in frantic mode looking for a solution to this, look no further.

The Terminal Archive

While Safari does a good job of keeping your search history out of prying eyes in the history tab, there is a less-than-obvious way to view a full list of visited websites on Mac. This is done in Terminal; the command-line emulator that allows you to make changes to your Mac.

Terminal is located in the Utilities folder on your Mac. Once activated, simply add the command:

dscacheutil -cachedump -entries Host

Once you hit “enter”, a list of the visited sites appear. Showing only the domains, the sites appear in a format of:

Key: h_name :(website domain)ipv4 :1

However, there’s no need to fear—there is a way you can clear this information from Terminal with a command that’s just as simple.

Clearing Your Tracks

Just as simply as you were able to enter the command to view the websites, you can clear the cache that Terminal showed you with the comamnd:

dscacheutil -flushcache

As the command denotes, this literally “flushes” the domains from Terminal. This does not prevent the record from continuing to be recorded for future sites, however, so if that’s an issue for you, repeat this process regularly.

Other Browsers and Private Browsing

Other browsers have this form of privacy mode for their service. They promise many of the same things as Safari, but they do not have the same Terminal issue due to how this command only presents websites visited on Safari (the browser Macs come shipped with).

If you use Firefox, you’ll notice that its private mode is also known as Private Browsing. Chrome calls private mode Incognito, while Internet Explorer refers to it as InPrivate Browsing. Opera is the newest to the scene, denoting it as Private Tab. Safari is the oldest well-known browser with this feature.

As you can see, despite Private Browsing not being 100% private, Terminal allows for your browser to be. In what ways has Terminal helped your life or allowed you to become more productive? Let us know in the comments below.

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