I just got a new android and need advice from the experts

[rachelm2375]

Sorry if this is in the wrong spot. I just got a new android phone, and LG G4. I will be honest, I didn't want it. I have always been on iPhone, but due to being broke and depending on parental money, I had no choice. So I am determined to make this work. Here are my big problems.

- All my friends (I mean ALL of them) are on iPhones. I am now a green bubble to all of them, and it hurts. What is the best way to set up my phone so I receive all of the group texts from them like I used to? Do I need to do anything special to have my replies go to everyone? Any texting app that I should use besides the default one?

-I am not really a Google girl. I created an account so I could get apps, which is fine, but all my papers, email, and notes are in Microsoft stuff. I know all those apps exist for Android. Can I have a good experience on an Android phone without being up to my eyes in the Google world? If I don't use Gmail and Google Drive and all that do I miss out on anything?

-Is Google Now worth it? It seems like it would kill my battery. I don't travel or anything, so its not like I need traffic updates. I am a student, my schedule is pretty set, so its not like I have all these different business meetings all day long on my calendar that need tracked. Is Google Now going to do anything else for me that makes it worth the battery drain?

-Should I use the camera app that came with my phone or is there some awesome camera thing I should get? I didn't know if the one that comes with the phone is specially designed to work best maybe.

Thank you all so much. And if this post doesn't belong here, I am sorry and will delete it. Thank you!

 

[LeoRex]

- the messaging thing... I'll defer to those who have more experience with group messaging across platforms... I am not a lone Android user in a sea of iPhones, my friends are a mixed bag.

- Microsoft's Android apps are pretty good, they've been putting a lot of work in them lately. As for are you missing out... well, that is a matter of personal opinion. I use a lot of the Google apps and features and when you have them all working in tandem, it makes for a really good experience, one that you aren't going to find on any other platform, not even iOS.

- I really like Now. But to really get the most out of it, you have to kind of buy into to the other Google apps... gmail, Chrome, etc. Now draws on all those sources to cater itself to your needs. Most of the complaints I've read about Now stem from it not having a lot to go on. I mean, if you use Outlook, a broswer other than Chrome, or a second search function rather than Google, etc. Now doesn't really have anything to do. As for power usage. Yes, it uses a little bit more power, but on my phones, the power hit is negligible. But YMMV

- Camera : In my opinion, LG makes the best camera apps in the business. Now, the OEM camera apps will only work on that phone, so you can't mix and match them. And yes, that app is developed specifically for your phone. But I've used most every top level Android camera app, as well as most every third party camera app worth considering, and while some of them have excellent features in their own right, the one app I think is the best is the one on my wife's G4. The LG V10's is better, but only because it took the G4 app and included manual controls in the video function as well (G4 has manual controls in the still only). But navigation, easy of use, features... yeah, you aren't really going to find a better app nor one that will result in better pictures.

And this post is 100% in its proper place. That's what we are here for and I hope we can make the transition smooth for you. Welcome to AC

 

[dpham00]

It sounds like you are dead set against Android. It should be very hard to have a good experience with something when your mind is set against it, especially when you are a student and everyone around you has something else. Honestly, if the phone is yours to keep and you can sell it then I would suggest that you sell it and buy an used iPhone, probably 5s.

 

[dpham00]

Now if you are stuck with it then, the other thing you can do is to use the g4 as a hotspot and buy a used ipod to use when other people are around.


Now if you have to use the g4, and in your situation, I would only do it as a last resort, then no you don't have to use Google Apps or google now. You can use Microsoft apps if that is what you like. Don't use Google Apps if you hate Google because you will not be happy.

 

[rachelm2375]

It sounds like you are dead set against Android. It should be very hard to have a good experience with something when your mind is set against it, especially when you are a student and everyone around you has something else. Honestly, if the phone is yours to keep and you can sell it then I would suggest that you sell it and buy an used iPhone, probably 5s.

I don't know if I can say I am dead set against it. I was. I didn't want one, but wasn't given much of a choice. So, there isn't much I can do about it aside from try to make the best of it. I can't sell it, it is on my parent's plan and that is complicated. It will be fine. I am not going to cry about getting a really nice phone. I wish it was an iphone, but I would be a total brat to act like I have it really rough. I am sure it will all work out just fine in the end. Thank you!

 

[rachelm2375]

Thank you very much for all the awesome info. That camera stuff is good to know especially. Makes me feel much better about the pictures I will get with the phone. Thanks!

- the messaging thing... I'll defer to those who have more experience with group messaging across platforms... I am not a lone Android user in a sea of iPhones, my friends are a mixed bag.

- Microsoft's Android apps are pretty good, they've been putting a lot of work in them lately. As for are you missing out... well, that is a matter of personal opinion. I use a lot of the Google apps and features and when you have them all working in tandem, it makes for a really good experience, one that you aren't going to find on any other platform, not even iOS.

- I really like Now. But to really get the most out of it, you have to kind of buy into to the other Google apps... gmail, Chrome, etc. Now draws on all those sources to cater itself to your needs. Most of the complaints I've read about Now stem from it not having a lot to go on. I mean, if you use Outlook, a broswer other than Chrome, or a second search function rather than Google, etc. Now doesn't really have anything to do. As for power usage. Yes, it uses a little bit more power, but on my phones, the power hit is negligible. But YMMV

- Camera : In my opinion, LG makes the best camera apps in the business. Now, the OEM camera apps will only work on that phone, so you can't mix and match them. And yes, that app is developed specifically for your phone. But I've used most every top level Android camera app, as well as most every third party camera app worth considering, and while some of them have excellent features in their own right, the one app I think is the best is the one on my wife's G4. The LG V10's is better, but only because it took the G4 app and included manual controls in the video function as well (G4 has manual controls in the still only). But navigation, easy of use, features... yeah, you aren't really going to find a better app nor one that will result in better pictures.

And this post is 100% in its proper place. That's what we are here for and I hope we can make the transition smooth for you. Welcome to AC

 

[LeoRex]

Thank you very much for all the awesome info. That camera stuff is good to know especially. Makes me feel much better about the pictures I will get with the phone. Thanks!

Oh... you will get excellent pictures.... the G4 has one of the best cameras you'll find in any phone.

 

[Golfdriver97]

I say go all in and try to make the best of it. Try all the Google stuff. Who knows...you might like it better than the MS versions. Something to keep in mind is this: it's not like if you change, you can't go back.

Now is kind of a mixed bag...It does focus a lot on travel, but it can do more than that. I get cards for any reminders I have set in the near future (about 2 hours in advance), research cards for stuff I have been looking up lately, weather, stocks, sports scores and updates. But, like LeoRex said, you have to use the Google stuff in order to get the most out of Now. All of the internet searches need to be done on Chrome, so Google can make suggestions based on the web activity. As for battery life, I have Now on, and have for a while. It probably add a little extra drain on the battery but not to the point where I need to rush to a charger every few hours.

 

[kramer5150]

Hey welcome !! I too am straddling between the two worlds, completely surrounded by iOS users, and my wife loves her 6S+. When it came time to upgrade her old 4S... I did not hesitate to get her the 6S+, her cell phone usage matches PERFECTLY with the strengths of iOS and the whole apple-world infrastructure.

First off... Relax, the transition is NOT AS DIFFICULT as the iOS die hards want you to believe it is. Secondly I think you made an EXCELLENT choice with the LG G4... for its very well documented strengths. I think it has more accessories and case-options (at this point in time) than the costlier V10.

Bloat-ware is not always bad. The very word doesn't even exist in iOS... because you simply CAN'T delete or suspend it... its just always THERE embedded in iOS, whether you want it or not. Verizon with the LG phones for example has their OEM text-message platform that I find closely mimics iMessage. Its able to be like a universal translator between ALL the different text-ing apps, iMessage, text+ (etc) and merges them all into ONE txt environment on my LG V10. So when I send out group texts to the group, they see me in iMessage... just as though I were sending a txt from an iPhone. Except of course my messages are highlighted green in their iMessage window. Psychologically you have to get over the fact that you are the green bubble in their window,,, LOL. I don't think there is anything you can do on your end to appear as a blue bubble. Thats apple for you "we're better than everyone else... we're blue not green" (shrug). If your carrier is like Verizon and has a txt messaging app, give that a try. AFIAK there is no way to color yourself blue in their window... thats all part of the Apple brain-wash... they WANT their fans to believe the outside world is totally different. When in reality its not.

I have no problems with Google drive, Although I have only used it to store pictures and some mp3 files. I know my kids use it for everything... spreadsheets, word docs...etc. One thing to consider, now that you have an expandable SD card slot, take advantage of that and store whatever you can locally... and of course you can back it up to cloud storage if you want. Thats what I do.

Google now is just a launcher right? I for one don't use launchers. I just have my home screen setup with my apps, and I am good to go with that. I imagine the more apps, skins and launchers you stack up in usage... the more CPU and RAM they consume. I don't see how this could improve battery life.

The OEM LG camera app is great on both the G4 and V10, I don't see the need to use anything different.

 

[LeoRex]

By the way, it wasn't all that long ago that your concerns about Now's power usage would have been a lot more valid. Now's not really that old, introduced with KitKat, version 4.4. Back then, it wasn't so much Now as the underlying services Now needs... Google Location Services had a habit of running all the time, using up a significant amount of power in the process. And between location and other services, Now (or Now's usage) would keep your phone from deep sleep (low power mode when the screen is off) and would chew up your battery.

Over time, Google kept updating things.. tweaking how often Now would trigger and when it would, etc. The Google Now..well.. now... is a lot more energy efficient as it goes about its tasks.

 

[rachelm2375]

Wow, that is some in depth stuff. Thank you! Overall, as long as I get all the messages from people, and they all get mine, I don't care if I am blue or green. I won't be a total social outcast. I am sure it will just take some getting used to.

 

[LeoRex]

Ah... don't worry about it... Go get Zooper Widget Pro and set up your phone's homescreen to look funky like the screenshot below and make them jealous.

 

[rachelm2375]

lol. that is awesome. does stuff like that make the phone go slower or anything?

Ah... don't worry about it... Go get Zooper Widget Pro and set up your phone's homescreen to look funky like the screenshot below and make them jealous.

View attachment 214895

 

[LeoRex]

lol. that is awesome. does stuff like that make the phone go slower or anything?

Not really... it's just a few different widgets and a little themeing. Coming from iOS, one of the first things you might notice is that your homescreens don't have to be just a sea of apps icons. I scroll left and there's Google Now, on my main home screen among my most used applications is a weather widget from 1Weather that has selectable tabs for extended, hourly and daily forecasts along with a widget from Google Keep so I can open up and start writing a note by clicking on one of the widget's buttons...If I keep scrolling I'm in a calendar widget where I can scroll through my appointments... etc.

These aren't really heavy, resource intensive features... not in the least. In fact, they save me time more than anything else.

 

[Rukbat]

As for camera apps, some have better this or that than others. I like Camera FV-5 Lite for a few of its functions (like macro) and A Better Camera for DRO and focus lock. If you're looking to take good pictures, look around Kodak's site for guides. Photography is photography. (Ansel Adams proved that with a box camera that someone had bought at a yard sale for about a quarter. And it wasn't her Hasselblad that made Dorotheia Lange's pictures so spectacular.)

 

[Morty2264]

I am not an "Android expert," by any means; but having jumped platforms somewhat recently, myself (from BlackBerry 10 to stock Google and haven't looked back since; though I have nothing at all against BB), I can understand your frustration with an entirely new OS and apps. I'll try to answer your questions as best I can...

- Messaging: Having never used iPhone, I am unsure of the messaging apps that are similar to things like iMessage; but there are a *ton* of messaging apps in Google Play. See if there are any apps out there that can help you go cross-platform. I'm sorry you feel left out: it must be tough to be out of the loop like that. However, perhaps look at the advantages of Facebook Messenger: see if you can message all of your friends that way to keep yourself more in the loop, so to speak. I use Messenger for group conversations and it works great; one of the reasons being phone platforms do not matter there.

- Check out Android's version of Microsoft apps in the app store - Google Play is extensive and has many bases covered. Coming from BB, a lot of the apps I used were in Google Play; or I found better, to be honest. Also, while I'm being honest, I've never used Gmail or Google Drive and my Android experience is still top-notch! Now, I've heard good things about them; but I just don't really see a need for them at the present moment. It's up to you whether or not you'd like to give 'em a try.

- Google Now... Yeah, I'm the kind of person who really uses stuff for functionality reasons, when I need them. So if I need something like Maps or whatever; I'll turn it on but then turn it off... So using those things doesn't always appeal to me. Plus, I don't use Gmail or rely heavily on other Google accounts (unless you count YouTube); so I'm not really the right person to comment on that.

- Camera: Okay, as an LG owner, I can definitely help you out here. I have the G3, and have been blown away by the camera and its built-in features... So I can only imagine the quality of the G4's camera. I've heard it's even better than the G3's, and that it's one of the best cameras out there on mobile devices. It takes amazing pictures! But obviously, you can download other picture apps in Google Play if you want to!

Good luck with everything; and I hope you enjoy your Android experience somewhat!

 

[Inders99]

Ok, here are a few resources:

1) Give this a shot, you'll find that your iOS pals are locked into their app screens but with Android your imagination is your only limit. I have a few apps and 4 direct dial widgets for fast calling so I don't have to look up the number of my frequently called people.
http://forums.androidcentral.com/lg-g4/535449-lg-g4-post-your-home-screens.html

2) The texting issue has been brought up before, here is a thread that might help:
I've read that GroupMe works with the iOS messaging:
https://forums.androidcentral.com/e...details?id=com.groupme.android&token=Oaq23Oj5
Also, your friends need to turn on SMS as well as iMessage from what I understand.
You can search around, this is not an issue unique to you.

3) The LG G4 forum is an excellent resource too:
LG G4 - Android Forums at AndroidCentral.com

Let us know how you make out, if you give Android a chance you might like it, it's the one platform where you can make your phone "yours" instead of someone else's vision (Jony Ive). I'm a total Apple person, the only non-Apple device I own is my phone!

 

[gendo667]

2) The texting issue has been brought up before, here is a thread that might help:
I've read that GroupMe works with the iOS messaging:
https://forums.androidcentral.com/e...details?id=com.groupme.android&token=rXmNgu2T
Also, your friends need to turn on SMS as well as iMessage from what I understand.
You can search around, this is not an issue unique to you.

I was hoping someone pointed this out.

 

[rachelm2375]

Just came back here after a couple of days and saw that people kept commenting and giving advice. Thank you all very much! I have gotten everything worked out I think. I seem to be getting all my messages like I would expect and I am learning about the different camera modes and stuff. The one thing that confuses me still is the Gallery. If I open a picture there and edit it, the picture gets turned sideways for some strange reason. But, oh well, I am sure I will figure it out.

I spend so much time just poking around at the phone, getting new backgrounds and things like that. Kinda fun.

Anyway, thank you all for the information. It is nice to know there is a place like this to ask questions.

 

[LeoRex]

Awesome... yeah, I am sure that coming from an iPhone, you'll spend a fair amount of time fussing with the myriad of settings and toggles and buttons.

Don't hesitate to come here for help. Using a new platform can be a little frustrating... something long-time users might not always appreciate as they know their way around Android like it's their own home. But there's a wealth of knowledge and experience here... there's nothing you can do to your phone that we all haven't already done, most likely dozens of times, already.