The apps we can’t live without… – Series (Luke)
As someone who flashes a new ROM on my phone about ten times a month, I end up culling a lot of apps I procured over time and just try and install the bare minimum. I do tend to install a lot of root apps, but I have managed to only include one in my list. This list contains the apps that are always on my phone, they are the first ones installed on every new flash of a ROM. Each one is different and is a unique tool on my phone. Some of these apps have been there since the Nexus One and are still used today after all those years. Some have been recent additions, but they are the ones I cant live without. Hopefully some of these will be of use to you guys:
Adaway – I know this is not going to make me liked by developers, but the original reason to root my device was to get rid of ads. This along with all the other ad-blockers was removed from the Play Store, so you have to a little digging to get the up-to-date app. I’ll always stick with this app, and will always pay for an app if they offer a ad-free version.
Solid Explorer – This has ended up being a fantastic system explorer. Root Explorer used to be my explorer of choice for a long time, then this gem appeared. Dual pane, click and drag, this offered some features that most programs hadn’t even thought about. The UI is great and easy to use. I highly recommend this app, especially if you have a tablet, as the dual pane feature is a god send.
Apex Launcher – I remember when ADW-Launcher was the top launcher back in the day. But then came a new wave of launchers, but for me Apex has always been my launcher of choice. It has always seemed the most stable and updates always include some great features. They recently added a notifier app, which works very well with the launcher. I cant say its faster then others, but I haven’t had a single issue.
XDA-Developers – As a frequenter of this great forum, I obviously had to install the app. This offers access to the forums, messages, favourites and makes it easy to keep up with any ROM news.
tTorrent – I currently have the pro version of this installed, and it makes it very easy to have multiple torrent downloads coming into your phone.
UCCW – This is a great system that allows you access to a wealth of widgets to add onto your phone. This allows people to start developing widgets, even if they lack a lot of app development skills. This is your golden ticket to a whole other world.
National Rail Enquiries – This is quite a boring one, but it means I don’t miss a train. Also if I’m stumbling drunk around town, and need to get back, I can find the closest station and the next train.
Rom Manager – This is an oldy but a goody. This has been on my phone since day one, I have always used the ClockworkMod recovery and this allows me to manage it easily, check for updates and delete backups.
Daily Mail Online – This app allows me to keep up to date with the news, and what’s happening in the wild world of celebrity life styles.
Feedly – Since Google decided to give Google Reader the euthanasia treatment, I have been on the hunt for a good replacement. Feedly was there for me straight away, it held me close and told me how to make it look and act like Google Reader. It also supplied me with a great app, that allows swiping to mark as read and a better looking UI.
There is one other app, that just missed the cut:
AVL – This has got to be the best anti-virus program I have ever used. It has no fancy UI or features, its purely a AV engine with some buttons. It missed the cut due to the fact a lot of people dont belive in the Android AV solution. I feel safer for having it, and its a very in-depth scanner.
Those are the ten apps that I need, I must have, that have to be installed on every phone I own. I sort of avoided the standard Google apps, like plus and youtube as I class these more as system apps. But they are always installed too.
