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Apps you can't do without on your phone/tablet

Started by Jason, September 09, 2020, 12:53:03 PM

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Jason

What apps do you have on your phone or tablet (Android only) and which are often used or that you can't live without? Well, not live, but you know, really need. Here's mine, excluding private apps:

Bitdefender Antivirus
WeatherCAN
Magnifier + Flashlight (App2U)
Carrot (pedometer with a rewards system)
RBC Mobile
Gmail
Tutanota (Encrypted Email, Contacts, Calendar)
Brave (browser)
Twitter (I use it solely for transit updates)
Pocket (stores articles for later reading)
The Star (Toronto Star)
CBC News
OurGroceries (grocery list)
Maps (besides obvious uses, let's me know bus routes)
LastPass (stores website and app passwords)
LastPass Authenticator (second factor authentication)
CityWaste (lets me know what's recyclable and upcoming regular and special pickups)
Spotify (streaming music player but you can download tunes, too)
SnoopSnitch (tells you what patches your phone may be missing)
ToDoList (syncs with Linux, too!)

Update: Added to my list and added links to for apps that aren't usually already installed on your phone so you can read more about them. I also adjusted my list slightly to make sure it was just the apps I must have on my phone.
* Zorin OS 17.1 Core and Windows 11 Pro on a Dell Precision 3630 Tower with an
i5-8600 3.1 GHz 6-core processor, dual 22" displays, 16 GB of RAM, 512 GB Nvme and a Geforce 1060 6 GB card
* Motorola Edge (2022) phone with Android 13

fox

Outlook
Gmail
Google maps
Calendar
Contacts
Phone
Camera
Any browser (I use Samsung or Chrome)
Weather network
CBC news
Simplenote
Authenticator (for Trent)
Ubuntu 23.10 on 2019 5k iMac
Ubuntu 22.04 on Dell XPS 13

Jason

* Zorin OS 17.1 Core and Windows 11 Pro on a Dell Precision 3630 Tower with an
i5-8600 3.1 GHz 6-core processor, dual 22" displays, 16 GB of RAM, 512 GB Nvme and a Geforce 1060 6 GB card
* Motorola Edge (2022) phone with Android 13

fox

Yep. Comes on their Galaxy phones and probably their tablets as well. Not as full featured as some, but it's fast.
Ubuntu 23.10 on 2019 5k iMac
Ubuntu 22.04 on Dell XPS 13

buster

Do much thru the Samsung browser, but use these a lot as well:

Solitaire
Calculator
Jigsaw
FibTV
FBReader
TuneInRadio
CloudLibrary
TheScore
BlueMail
Andoko3
Growing up from childhood and becoming an adult is highly overrated.

Jason

* Zorin OS 17.1 Core and Windows 11 Pro on a Dell Precision 3630 Tower with an
i5-8600 3.1 GHz 6-core processor, dual 22" displays, 16 GB of RAM, 512 GB Nvme and a Geforce 1060 6 GB card
* Motorola Edge (2022) phone with Android 13

Jason

Quote from: fox on September 09, 2020, 01:27:21 PM
Authenticator (for Trent)

Is this a Trent-specific or general authenticator? Mine is called Authenticator, too, but it's related to LastPass. I ditched Google's Authenticator for it because with certain websites, instead of having to enter a 2FA code, it just pops up on the phone asking to allow the login.
* Zorin OS 17.1 Core and Windows 11 Pro on a Dell Precision 3630 Tower with an
i5-8600 3.1 GHz 6-core processor, dual 22" displays, 16 GB of RAM, 512 GB Nvme and a Geforce 1060 6 GB card
* Motorola Edge (2022) phone with Android 13

buster

FBReader handles the epub format for e-books
TheScore gives up to the minute scores for sports event around the world, and commentary and breaking news in the sports world.

I also have Overdrive, which is the default app for a library we're members of in Alabama. Use it once in awhile.
Growing up from childhood and becoming an adult is highly overrated.

fox

Quote from: Jason Wallwork on September 10, 2020, 10:10:35 AM
Is this a Trent-specific or general authenticator? Mine is called Authenticator, too, but it's related to LastPass. I ditched Google's Authenticator for it because with certain websites, instead of having to enter a 2FA code, it just pops up on the phone asking to allow the login.
That's the way my Authenticator works, but mine is Microsoft Authenticator. Trent uses Microsoft for a lot of its services, though it does use Google for student email.
Ubuntu 23.10 on 2019 5k iMac
Ubuntu 22.04 on Dell XPS 13

Jason

It probably doesn't matter which authenticator you use. I imagine you had to scan in a code to use it with Outlook on your desktop, no? Assuming that's what you use it for, that is.
* Zorin OS 17.1 Core and Windows 11 Pro on a Dell Precision 3630 Tower with an
i5-8600 3.1 GHz 6-core processor, dual 22" displays, 16 GB of RAM, 512 GB Nvme and a Geforce 1060 6 GB card
* Motorola Edge (2022) phone with Android 13

fox

Quote from: Jason Wallwork on September 10, 2020, 04:18:20 PM
It probably doesn't matter which authenticator you use. I imagine you had to scan in a code to use it with Outlook on your desktop, no? Assuming that's what you use it for, that is.
Nope. I don't need it for Outlook. What I need it for is access to website content related to my teaching and research on the university server.
Ubuntu 23.10 on 2019 5k iMac
Ubuntu 22.04 on Dell XPS 13

Jason

Quote from: fox on September 10, 2020, 08:01:22 PM
Nope. I don't need it for Outlook. What I need it for is access to website content related to my teaching and research on the university server.

I'm wondering if it's a standard authenticator app. I started out using the Google version thinking you had to and then one day LastPass let me know that they had their own authenticator app and it had the feature mentioned above - it pops up telling me a website is asking for access (on my phone) and asks if I'd like to allow it (yes/no) instead of having to enter the OTP. Very useful. It doesn't seem to work with every site though.

Btw, it's a good idea to have more than one way to get in, not just the authenticator (or security key). I have a second security key as backup but also have the authenticator and backup codes. WIthout the key, I'd suggesting using backup codes. Otherwise, lose your phone or the authenticator app is corrupted and you won't be able to login to re-add the site to the new authenticator app (or disable the old one).

Still waiting to hear Bill's list of apps.  :)
* Zorin OS 17.1 Core and Windows 11 Pro on a Dell Precision 3630 Tower with an
i5-8600 3.1 GHz 6-core processor, dual 22" displays, 16 GB of RAM, 512 GB Nvme and a Geforce 1060 6 GB card
* Motorola Edge (2022) phone with Android 13

Jason

#12
Forgot this two:

SnoopSnitch (tells you what patches your phone may be missing)
ToDoList (has Linux program to sync to, too!)

I updated my initial list to add this and added links for all the apps so you guys can check them out if you haven't heard of them. SnoopSnitch is quite interesting. I found out through it that Motorola is excellent with it's patching record. I suspected this as I get an OS patch every 2-3 months, sometimes more often.

Btw, I initially had Android 9 on my phone. Recently, it was upgraded to Android 10. I like that Android now has a Dark theme and most of the new changes to the OS.
* Zorin OS 17.1 Core and Windows 11 Pro on a Dell Precision 3630 Tower with an
i5-8600 3.1 GHz 6-core processor, dual 22" displays, 16 GB of RAM, 512 GB Nvme and a Geforce 1060 6 GB card
* Motorola Edge (2022) phone with Android 13

Jason

#13
Quote from: buster on September 10, 2020, 09:08:22 AM
FibTV

Is this what Fox News calls their app? ;)
* Zorin OS 17.1 Core and Windows 11 Pro on a Dell Precision 3630 Tower with an
i5-8600 3.1 GHz 6-core processor, dual 22" displays, 16 GB of RAM, 512 GB Nvme and a Geforce 1060 6 GB card
* Motorola Edge (2022) phone with Android 13

ssfc72

On my ZTE Axon mini 7 phone , my main apps are : Opera web browser - I use this to bring up most web sites, rather then install the app for a web site., such as YouTube, etc.
Colornote - for making notes, grocery list, todo jobs etc.
TextNow - wifi texting app
PIA VPN
KeepassDroid
Dropbox
Pdf File Reader/viewer
SConvertor - a Units converter app
Photo & Picture Resizer -  reduces the Megapixel size cellphone camera photos, down to KB size photos, for sending with the TextNow app.
Aldiko - ebook reader

Lesser used apps are:
Ooma - My home phone VOIP service. The app allows me to make free phone calls, using the phone wifi and my Ooma account.
Clipsync - allows the copying of a computer clipboard content to my cellphone and visa versa, using my home wifi.
EchoLink - an Amateur Radio app that allows me to connect with other Amateur repeaters, around the world, using wifi.
VLC - media playing program

On my wife's LG G7 One phone,
Gaia -  a mapping app that is great if you go hiking.  It shows/tracks your hike route as you progress through your hike.  You will never get lost. :-)
Opera browser
PIA VPN
ColorNote
Textnow
Dropbox
Photo & Picture resizer
KeePass
VLC

Mint 20.3 on a Dell 14" Inspiron notebook, HP Pavilion X360, 11" k120ca notebook (Linux Lubuntu), Dell 13" XPS notebook computer (MXLinux)
Cellphone Samsung A50, Koodo pre paid service