New to Android/M9 - Recommended Apps?

[GoliathIAm]

I've been an Apple user for years. Only for my phone though. And they've always been jailbroken, since I created my own tweaks. I did marketing for Google for a little in 2012 and they gave me a Nexus 4 but I gave it to my dad so I don't have much experience with Android. Recommended apps for newish Android users? Any category.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[UJ95x]

Nova Launcher, Renotify, Todo-ist, Sync for Reddit (if you go on Reddit), Clarity Keyboard, and Shuttle+ (for local music playing)

 

[Haab]

NIL

 

[petvas72]

If you are also using Macs, then I suggest the following:

• Play Music Manager to sync your iTunes library to the Google Cloud services
• Pushbullet. It provides handoff similar integration with your Mac. You can send and receive SMS on your Mac and it also allows you to receive notifications.
• If you are using Exchange for Mail, then buy Nine. The best app available.
• Use DropBox as a way to send files to your Mac / keep them in sync
• 1Password as a Password Manager
• Wunderlist for tasks. Multiplatform and it works very well
• Talon as a Twitter client. It is similar in quality to Tweetbot for iOS.
• OneNote or Evernote for notes

 

[neo905]

Coming from IOS and you still want to use your contacts and calender from iCloud account and be able to sync to your desktop Outlook Calender. The best way to do that is:

1.) Smoothsync for Calender
2.) Smoothsync for Contacts

Other than that. I wouldn't bother with an Antivirus at this point. Lollipop checks apps you install and unless you are installing APK's from unknown sources and you don't know if they are shady, you should be staying away from them anyway. It just commands resources and slows your phone down and can be a battery drainer as well.

Other apps I would include that aren't mentioned.

1.) GSAM - Monitors battery usage
2.) Genius Scan - scans images you can upload to pretty much any cloud storage
3.) Zedge - for custom tones and ringtones
4.) Photo Express - to edit and open RAW files
5.) Pocket Cast - for podcasts

 

[petvas72]

I agree on Pocket Casts, it's amazing, the best podcast app available (on iOS too)..
GSAM is also great and let's not forget AirDroid.

Zedge is also a great choice for ringtones and backgrounds.

 

[neo905]

I agree on Pocket Casts, it's amazing, the best podcast app available (on iOS too)..
GSAM is also great and let's not forget AirDroid.

Zedge is also a great choice for ringtones and backgrounds.

iSyncr as well as AirDroid coming from IOS.

 

[msm0511]

Coming from IOS and you still want to use your contacts and calender from iCloud account and be able to sync to your desktop Outlook Calender. The best way to do that is:

1.) Smoothsync for Calender
2.) Smoothsync for Contacts

Other than that. I wouldn't bother with an Antivirus at this point. Lollipop checks apps you install and unless you are installing APK's from unknown sources and you don't know if they are shady, you should be staying away from them anyway. It just commands resources and slows your phone down and can be a battery drainer as well.

Other apps I would include that aren't mentioned.

1.) GSAM - Monitors battery usage
2.) Genius Scan - scans images you can upload to pretty much any cloud storage
3.) Zedge - for custom tones and ringtones
4.) Photo Express - to edit and open RAW files
5.) Pocket Cast - for podcasts

Really wish I would've known about Smoothsync for Contacts when I first got my phone.

 

[alienlandingpad]

My essentials:
Another vote for NovaLauncher, so many helpful tweaks in there & always stable
Zooper widget for ultimate (& easy) customization of your home screen ( major + to Android being freedom to design all that great screen real estate).
BeyondPod is the way I do podcasts, integrates well with Android Wear
AquaMail if you have a lot of email accounts - nice material design UI
ES File explorer for file management - like moving ripped movies to your SDcard, over your home LAN. Or just play them from your server.
RocketPlayer for music, if you want to free yourself from 'sync' style music management.
Google Keep if you have AndroidWear, or Evernote
Peel remote to run your TV

 

[BriniaSona]

Gallery KK, the Gallery the M9 came with it terrible.
VLC Media Player, like the desktop one you can change languages, subtitles and video streams on the fly.
FireFox, if you use it on the PC, you can since your bookmarks from the PC to the phone.
BBM, we all know what that does.
Office Lens: Takes pictures of an area and adjusts them into nice little documents.
TaskManager, a very nice looking device manager that lets you close all apps and clear ram with one click.
IR Remote, lets you control your TV with the phone.
CCleaner, program that like the PC one, cleans out all the junk from the phone.
SoftKeyZ, lets you customize the 3 Navigation Buttons at the bottom.
Google Now Launcher, I prefer this to Sense as this is very clean once you turn off the Google Now Feed to the left.
TuneIn Radio, lets you listen to radio from anywhere on Earth.

 

[petvas72]

Some other apps that I find very useful:

• Digical
• Yet another brightness tool
• Process Manager Pro
• Flickr. There is a tool from Yahoo that syncs your Photos library with Flickr. That is how I can always access my pictures.

 

[Ohidul Islam]

iSyncr as well as AirDroid coming from IOS.

 

[msm0511]

iSyncr as well as AirDroid coming from IOS.

I bought iSyncr and it did weird stuff with my podcasts.

 

[neo905]

I bought iSyncr and it did weird stuff with my podcasts.

I use Pocket Casts for Podcasts.

 

[msm0511]

I use Pocket Casts for Podcasts.

I thought about giving that a shot. In the past I've always liked downloading the music podcasts I listen to to the music player for easy access when I'm running. No switching apps between music and music podcasts. Think I may give Rocket Player or Poweramp a shot.

 

[petvas72]

Another app I recently discovered is Fenix. A great Twitter client.

 

[neo905]

I thought about giving that a shot. In the past I've always liked downloading the music podcasts I listen to to the music player for easy access when I'm running. No switching apps between music and music podcasts. Think I may give Rocket Player or Poweramp a shot.

My favorite Pocket Cast feature is the sync across devices. If I pause the podcast it will pick up where I left off on any device I restart it on. Desktop, laptop, mobile. At home, at work, at the gym. Across platforms. Very useful feature.

 

[fernandezhjr]

Anyone have a keyboard to recommend that has a dark version? I like the default HTC keyboard. However, I have no interest in installing a full theme to get a dark keyboard, so I had been using the Goggle one. However, the grays are still themed to the holo dark colors of jelly bean and kit kat and don't look so good. I looked at the suggested Clarity keyboard and it did not peak my interest. I don't mind paying for one. I previously paid for one that I really liked, Better Keyboard, but development with it has stopped a while ago. Currently, I am using one called Adaptxt and am considering purchasing it, unless someone can steer me to a different one I end up preferring. I recently had Swiftkey, but I'm hearing of current issues with it now.

 

[anon(1733)]

I tried clarity keypad and it is decent. But it would not work with tapatalk. Weird.

Sent from my HTC6535LVW using Tapatalk

 

[petvas72]

I recently switched to a different calendar app. Business Calendar 2. It looks and works great and its widgets are amazing.

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