Make Things Easier With Your Large Screen Device With the Help of These Cool Android Apps

When the era of smartphones began, screen real estate became one of the most significant features. In an instant, people are now after for bigger screens, which is why most manufacturers are producing larger smartphones.

Unfortunately, phones with larger screens can have an impact on usability. Attempting to operate a large device with only one hand can often lead to screen shattering drops or unintentional commands. Luckily, manufacturers have noticed this growing problem and attempted to remedy the situation.

Apple has a feature called “Reachability mode” for one-handed operation of iOS devices, and companies like Samsung and LG have similar settings you can enable for certain Android devices.

However, if you happen to use an Android device that doesn’t have a “one-handed” mode, don’t worry. Below are some apps to help you operate your large device easily with only one hand.

Simple Control

Reaching down to the bottom of your device to tap your Home, Back or Overview buttons can require some serious dexterity. Users of bigger phones often have to awkwardly adjust their grip on their device in order to reach these buttons. This can increase the risk of dropping the phone.

Fortunately, Simple Control places virtual Home, Back and Overview buttons on the edge of either side of your screen. This enables users to access these functions without having to stretch their thumb to the bottom of the phone. Furthermore, the buttons disappear from view when not in use, so they won’t obstruct your homescreen.

Circle Sidebar

With a large device, simple tasks like opening your app drawer can be a dangerous balancing act. Luckily, Circle SideBar allows users to organize and access apps easily via a radial menu. After installation, users can determine what action opens Circle SideBar, like a swipe from the left edge of the screen. Once open, users can scroll through a customizable list of apps and settings using a single thumb. There are numerous customization options, including the size of the wheel and app icons. While Circle SideBar is a free app, there is a premium version that boasts additional features.

Omni Swipe

Phones with larger screens simply require bigger hands. Unfortunately, if you have smaller hands, this can pose a problem. Simple things like launching apps or pulling down your notification bar can be a chore.

Omni Swipe is an easy way to access your favorite apps, contacts, settings and notifications, all with a single flick. Users simply swipe from the bottom left or right corner of a device to open a fully customizable radial menu that houses all of your most used shortcuts. In addition to being easy to use, the app is tiny at just over 1MB and completely disappears from view when not in use.

Assistive Touch

Assistive Touch places a small button icon anywhere on the device’s screen. Tapping on this button opens a floating panel that allows users to access their favorite apps, settings and toggles. The button is fully customizable and can open your notification bar, adjust the brightness and much more. In addition, you can assign commands for double tapping or holding down the button.

For example, you can make it so that double tapping the button opens your camera, and holding it down shuts off the power to your device. This gives the user access to a wide variety of controls all in a single spot, with no more reaching.

Google Keyboard

The keyboard from Google is one of the best available, with speedy performance and accurate text prediction. In addition, it supports swipe typing. Unfortunately, large screen devices typically have to be held with both hands, rendering the user unable to reach all of the keys to make use of the swipe typing feature.

Fortunately, Google Keyboard has a one-handed mode that makes typing with one hand easy. To activate one-handed mode, simply hold down the comma key for a few seconds. The keyboard will shrink and shift to one side of the screen, enabling users to reach all keys with a single thumb.

Track Your Data Usage Easily With the Help of These Great Android Apps

If you're looking for ways on how to maximize usage out of your mobile data plan, you need to closely monitor your data usage. Although Android has a built-in data tracker, there are times when it doesn't suffice to your needs. Luckily, there are apps that can offer more than what Android's built-in data tracker can do.

GlassWire

GlassWire is a great solution if real-time tracking is important to you. By default, GlassWire will show a live graph depicting the data usage over the last minute. The “Alerts” section will warn you when an app initiates a data connection for the first time, so you can keep an eye on mischievous data eaters. GlassWire also adds information to the notification bar, detailing the data usage over that month as well as a very useful bandwidth monitor for real-time tracking.

Data Usage Monitor

Data Usage Monitor is a very basic app that’s best used for tracking how close you are to your usage limits. The graph on the main page shows you a rough trajectory of your current usage as well as an estimate on when you’ll reach your limit. The apps page brings up all the apps you’ve used when you hit the refresh button so you can see who the main offenders are. There’s a second app this developer has created that can monitor Internet speeds, making for a nice combination of apps.

3G Watchdog

3G Watchdog does a lot more than track 3G connections. It can also track 4G and Wi-Fi data usage. Featured within the app is a real-time graph to see how your data is being used by apps as it happens. You can set up a plan and let 3G Watchdog report on how far through your plan you are. It even puts a small icon in the notifications tray that lets you know how much data you’ve used so far.

My Data Manager

Once installed, My Data Manager will keep track of all the data you use. It nicely separates it into Mobile and Wi-Fi traffic, so your Netflix-watching back home doesn’t skew the data.

You can see how much data each app used that day on the main screen, or scroll through the Apps menu to see a day-by-day history of how each app is doing. There’s even a map feature that pinpoints where you were when you used your mobile data. My Data Manager also places a status bar in the notifications area so you can track usage as it happens, but this can be turned off if you find it annoying.

Internet Speed Meter Lite

Internet Speed Meter Lite is the perfect choice for people who don’t want to be inundated with features. There are no graphs, charts, or even app-by-app data logs. What makes this app very useful, however, is the live bandwidth notification in the top left. This allows for real-time monitoring of how much data an app is using while you use it. You can also tell the app to stop tracking traffic and shut itself down, which is a surprisingly absent feature in many data usage monitors.

Best VPN Apps You Can Get For Your Android Device

Everywhere, data privacy is always at risk -- ISPs selling people's information, hackers stealing people's data and even money, and websites tricking users out of their personal details. It seems like someone's always out to compromise our security. Keeping yourself safe while browsing the Internet is a necessity, especially for those who carry their mobile devices everywhere they go.

By using VPN, you can have the easiest and most accessible way of protecting your data online. This is because a VPN acts like a tunnel between your Android phone and the Internet. It encrypts information and sends it to servers around the world, which makes it nearly impossible to identify individual users, keeping your privacy intact no matter what your location is or which network you connect to.

With the right provider and software, you can experience safe yet inexpensive VPN service on your Android device, without sacrificing the speed or device usability.

ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN has a well deserved reputation for speed. The service delivers consistently high numbers on speed tests from a variety of locations. The app doesn't skimp on the privacy features, either. The service has a strict zero-logging policy to ensure your data is as inaccessible as possible, and you also get to take advantage of unlimited bandwidth as well as a complete lack of file type restrictions, which is perfect for Android users who use their phone for everything, everywhere.

ExpressVPN offers both an app for Android as well as access through OpenVPN. The custom software has a lot of features that make it easy and convenient to use, including speed test, live support, smart location suggestions, server favorites, and more. It's a fast, easy-to-use VPN that has stellar support for mobile devices, PCs, and tablets.

NordVPN

You can find some of the most unique features of any VPN service in NordVPN. The biggest standout is its signature double encryption process that wraps all data in an unbeatable 2048-bit SSL encryption. NordVPN keeps speed test results high by configuring servers to handle different types of traffic. If you're streaming a movie, for example, your data will likely be funneled through a server designed to stream movies. This adds up to an incredibly fast network, no matter which server you're connected to.

The NordVPN Android app runs natively on the operating system, ensuring an easy-to-use experience that's incredibly light on resources. Installation is as quick as downloading and logging in, and once you're connected, switching servers and monitoring your connection is just a few taps away.

IPVanish

IPVanish operates on a top tier VPN network that refuses to compromise on speed or security. It offers access to over 750 servers in 60 different countries, each locked down with 256-bit AES encryption and a no-exceptions zero-logging policy. Why is it an amazing choice? Unlimited bandwidth, no restrictions on P2P or torrent traffic, and awesome speed test results are just some of the reasons. It includes all of the features that make the IPVanish network so useful, including strong encryption as well as automatic server suggestions, a variety of security protocols, and overall fast connections. As a nice bonus, the IPVanish app is available to download and install as a raw apk as well as from the Google Play Store.

PureVPN

One of PureVPN's standout features is a surprisingly high simultaneous connection limit. Most providers put the cap at three devices connected through your account at a time, but with PureVPN, it's five. With so many Android devices out there, it's a great thing that you and your family members can use them at once. You can mark favorite countries to automatically receive a list of connections from that area, ping servers to see which offers the best connection, even submit support tickets from within the app. Everything is packaged in a single lightweight download, so even older or slower phones won't have any trouble keeping the VPN alive.

VyprVPN

VyprVPN has made a name for itself by taking privacy a step further. The company owns and operates its entire network of 700 servers in 70+ countries, allowing it to customize hardware and software for optimal privacy and speed. VyprVPN delivers unlimited bandwidth with no file type restrictions, has a strict zero-logging policy, and deploys the proprietary Chameleon technology to defeat VPN blocking measures so you have truly free access to the Internet. The VyprVPN Android app has tons of functionality, all packed into a single lightweight download. The app also lets you switch servers with just a few taps, manage connections on a per-app basis, and automatically activate the VPN when you connect to an unsecured Wi-Fi network.

4 Awesome Android Apps For Your Wireless File Transfer Needs

Have you ever had an instance wherein you want to transfer a file to (or from) your PC from your Android device, but don't want to go through the hassle of connecting different kinds of cables just to accomplish that task? If your answer is yes, then you may want to check out these helpful apps that will enable you to wirelessly transfer files from one device to another.

Airdroid

Airdroid is a remote access and wireless file-transferring tool, which works by asking the user to sign in from a computer and then creates a virtual desktop that has the capability to access contacts, download apps from the phone to the PC, send text messages remotely, and transfer files back and forth.

The app lets you choose how to complete the connection between the two devices you'll be exchanging files with, and provides all the guidance you need along the way. Other major features include:

• Notification Mirror - mirror phone notifications from any allowed apps to your computer.
• Backup & sync - backup photos and videos from phone to computer
• SMS & Contacts management - send and receive SMS, and manage phone contacts from the desktop.
• AirIME - use your desktop keyboard to type on your phone
• Record screenshot - record phone screenshot with one click, no root required (Desktop client only)
• Speed boost - clean memory and boost phone speed
• Other phone management features (Web client only)

• Find phone: locate your phone when it's lost
• Remote camera: see through the lens of both front and back cameras.
• Apps & Media: manage photos, ringtones and videos, upload and install and export apks.

Amaze File Manager

The Amaze File Manager app doesn't only let you manage your files on Android with some really slick material design, it also has the ability to host its own FTP file transfer server that anyone can connect to. This means any user can fire up Filezilla (or any other FTP client) and quickly place or remove files from the Android device. However, FTP isn't the only feature this app can offer. Amaze File Manager also has the ability to mount Samba file shares. This feature is perfect for those who have a Samba file server on the network and want to wirelessly grab a file or two.

Portal

Portal is a wireless file transfer tool created by Pushbullet that allows users to throw files into a "portal" and then transfer them wirelessly from any computer to any mobile device with the portal app installed. To transfer a file, the user only need to do is open the app, head to the portal website and scan a unique QR code. After that, it is possible to use the wireless network to instantly beam any file right away.

A lot of mobile users will be glad to know that they can easily get a file from one place to another. Unfortunately, transferring files with Portal is a one-way type of system. Currently, there isn't any way to transfer in reverse. Still, if you're looking for a program that can send a file from PC to phone, Portal is a good choice.

Sweech

Several wireless transfer tools on Android are dressed-up FTP tools. The app itself hosts an FTP server for the user to connect to over the network. This works well, and even though FTP is quite an old technology, it has its uses. Still, sometimes you might want to transfer files from one device to another instead of that standard "access FTP on a Windows PC."

Sweech doesn't only make it possible for users to access the phone for file transfers via an IP address, but the app has other features as well. If you install Sweech on your Android phone, you can the "Android beam" to wirelessly transfer files from one device to another. Also, it has the ability to generate a unique QR code for file-transfers because typing long IP addresses in the web browsers can be a hassle.

Learn to Navigate the New Settings Menu in Android Nougat

Finally, Android 7.0 Nougat is here to stay. It may not have the same dramatic visual overhaul we were first treated to in Android Lollipop two versions ago, but Nougat provides a lot of major improvements and refinements over Marshmallow, along with quite a few nice new usability changes.

A quick overview and description of this new Android OS, you can say that it’s Android putting its roots down. The general feel of Android has become increasingly stable since Lollipop, with less feature flip flopping, fewer performance issues, and a greater focus on polish. Nougat is all about extending functionality, improving pre-existing features and further expanding what’s possible in stock Android.

When your smartphone gets a major update like Android Nougat, at first you may not think to take a peek and check the Settings section. However, don't underestimate the value in some of the changes to this vital control panel. Android's Settings menu has undergone a few tweaks, making it much easier to navigate and find what you need.

Getting There

Similar to Marshmallow, launching the Settings did not change. Swipe down with two fingers from the top of the screen and then touch the gear icon at the upper-right corner. Alternatively, you can swipe once and then touch the arrow, then the gear.

However, when you get there, you'll find a few main categories with other capabilities grouped underneath them. Often times the fastest method is to use the search bar at the top, right of the screen. Just type in what you want to find, touch the result, and you’ll be taken right there.

As you can see on the sample screenshots, not only does the search function find different settings, but it’ll locate Wi-Fi networks you’ve connected to in the past and specific functions within different features.

A useful addition to Nougat is a slide-out menu from the left. This allows you to navigate to another piece of the settings more quickly than working your way in and out of the maze of different options.

There are four major groupings: Wireless & networks, Device, Personal, and System. It’s worth noting the System UI Tuner has been moved here. This allows you to tweak a number of different elements. To get this with Nougat, long press on the Settings gear for five seconds. You’ll then see a pop-up notification that you’ve enabled the System UI Tuner. Then, feel free to experiment away.