What are your Android hidden gem apps

I’m back! This is a continuation of my series on platform-specific hidden gem apps that you have discovered that are the best in their class for your usecase.

We’ve done iOS+MacOS so far so lets get universal and share our Android hidden gems.

For mine, I would say NewPipe for YouTube… Lets do it!

Edit: Please try to avoid apps that cannot be purchased (subscription apps) since it is important that the creator cannot cut you off once you’ve taken time/effort/money to integrate it into your workflow and dependance. No Apollos, which have that fatal flaw + relying on an external API that they additionally cannot gurantee

cheese_greater,

So I did NewPipe for using YouTube and that’s all I have to say on the matter 😘

jared,

Smart tube for Android TV.

cheese_greater, (edited )

Would it be ok for you to do that as a top-level comment as well?

Edit: Thanks!

koolkiwi,
@koolkiwi@lemmy.world avatar

Grayjay has completely replaced NewPipe for me because it automatically updates my subscriptions

jared,

Smart tube for Android TV.

cheese_greater,

[Excellent]

bulwark,

AntennaPod. It’s easily the best podcast player I’ve tried, it’s open source too which is nice.

grabyourmotherskeys,

Every time I have tried a different app because I wanted some feature have realized I don’t use the feature and end crawling back…

tofuwabohu, (edited )

I wish it had a self hostable sync feature

Count042,

It does! Gpodder2go! It’s super easy to host, too

github.com/oxtyped/gpodder2go

tofuwabohu,

I had no idea! Thanks

lukecooperatus, (edited )

KDE Connect (FREE, open source) is definitely a gem. I love using my phone as a remote mouse and keyboard for my HTPC, and syncing clipboard, files, links, and notifications with the other devices I’ve paired with. (BTW, despite the name, you don’t need KDE - or Linux even - to use it. It works on Windows and Android too.)

URLCheck (FREE, open source) is fantastic. It’s a little pop-up that appears when you click a link, showing you the full URL and letting you modify it before you open with your browser/associated app (e.g., to remove tracking parameters):

URLCheck acts as an amazingly customizable and powerful intermediary when opening url links, allowing, among other things: to remove trackers, affiliate links, unnecessary elements, check Hosts, facilitating link holding and sharing, protecting against certain phishing techniques and many more…

klangcola,

+2 for KDE Connect, the integration is amazing. I’ve used it on KDE and Gnome (gsconnect), all works very well

gunpachi,
@gunpachi@lemmings.world avatar

URLcheck is a very useful app. I use it all the time.

sxan,
@sxan@midwest.social avatar

I switched to Device Connect because there’s an issue with KDE Connect & mconnect (since a few months ago) where it re-pairs every time the phone loses network connection. DC has far fewer features, but its reliable and doesn’t require running a KDE or Gnome service stack.

cheese_greater,

SpeechCentral, reads almost any text aloud and basically turns anything into an audiobook that follows along (highlights) so you can read and listen at the same time or export audio for hands/eye free listening!

Fake4000,

Syncthing.

Allows you to use a laptop and sync your phone to it. No iCloud or Google drive needed. All syncs locally.

cheese_greater,

Wanted to also suggest Resilio Sync if you need something a little less fussy or smaller learning curve. I use it for many thins between devices, I never really “got” Syncthing altho I support their mission and excellent work the community benefits greatly from.

Fake4000,

You have used both. How does Resilio compare to Syncthing?

cheese_greater,

Syncthing is a bit comprehensive and less streamlined, I would say. I would definitely have to sit down for at least 1/2 day to get everything playing nice.

With Resilio, you can be up and running in like 20 minutes on the longer side. You can setup a sync folder and use a QR code to have everybody talking in a few minutes and customize the fewer but necessary options.

No offense to Syncthing, Resilio was probably inspired by it (conjecture)

PrimePathPioneer,

I added a new pc to syncthing this week, I installed it and scanned a qr and was done in like three minutes.

cheese_greater,

YMMV. I prefer Resilio. Thats all

Longpork_afficianado,

Syncthing generally works pretty well, but every now and again it decides that it’s out of sync for no reason requiring a purge and rebuild of my shared dirs.

Still an order of magnitude more useful than synology drive which I upgraded from though.

ours,

It doesn’t really matter but Resilio came out of the BitTorrent Sync project which is relatively older.

cheese_greater,

I believe it is based on BitTorrent protocol-wise, yeah. I guess I was referring more to the notion of a localized synching solution as opposed to the usually non-local or remote nature of torrenting.

cheese_greater,

ResilioSync for synching files between devices (all platforms as far as I know)

everett,

KISS Launcher. Fast and flexible homescreen replacement that puts quick search first, letting you optionally scroll through an app list.

krash,

I switched to it one year ago from nova launcher, after getting used to the change, I don’t miss nova at all.

koolkiwi,
@koolkiwi@lemmy.world avatar

Niagara Launcher for me. Love the minimalistic approach!

0x2d,

files.catbox.moe/9fm7c6.png

Extrasvhx9he, (edited )

Phonograph plus if you are a local music nut like me and obtainium if you prefer to not use fdroid to manage your foss app updates

cheese_greater,

Is it better than Vinyl?

Extrasvhx9he, (edited )

Imo yes since iirc its the only one besides vlc that actually read the metadata of my music files correctly

cheese_greater,

Phonograph vs Phonograph+?

Extrasvhx9he,

Plus, its also on fdroid if you want to go that way. I’ll edit my original comment

EtherWhack,
@EtherWhack@lemmy.world avatar

Not sure how “hidden” these are, but they can be really useful

“AMdroid” by Smart Alarm Clock Team (Higley-configurable alarm clock with different alarm profiles, options for a post-alarm confirmation, and dismiss challenges)

“Engineering Converter Plus” by thermofluids.net (Has every unit conversion I’ve ever needed without needing to be online - Free version avaliable)

“Network Analyzer” by Jiri Techet (Good for helping to find the best spot/s for a wireless router or access point)

“Oldschool Editor : Text Editor” by AbhishekPandey (A no nonsense text editor)

“Unseen - No Last Seen” by Firehawk (Good to help look through message spam without alerting the spammer with a read receipt that your account is active)

cheese_greater, (edited )

Aha, don’t take it too seriously/literally, the point is to share apps that might not be super well-known or blockbuster-status that are nevertheless useful and hopefully purchaseable. I should edit the description.

applejacks,
@applejacks@lemmy.world avatar

JINA App Drawer.

My most used app on my device.

Basically lets you swipe up from the home button to reveal a customized grid of apps + app search.

Makes it so:

  • I never have to go back to my home screen to launch a new app
  • I can use my entire home screen for widgets and to just look nice
loganberryq,

Similar but, IMO better option, would be Sesame Search & Shortcuts for those who are interested in these types of things.

NENathaniel,
@NENathaniel@lemmy.ca avatar

Been really impressed with the open-source spending tracking app Cashew

cheese_greater,

If you’re ever on iOS, check out MoneyStats. Its the best budgeting + balance forecasting app I’ve ever come across :)

NENathaniel,
@NENathaniel@lemmy.ca avatar

I run Android + iPad so I try and exclusively use cross-platform apps haha

d3lta19,

Aegis is a FOSS, local only 2 factor TOTP generator. Essentially a Google authenticator without the Google.

cheese_greater,

I feel like KeePass is a preferable portable format that you can do everything any TOTP app can do without being tied into non-standard apps. Like .kdbx is a standard that works in any KeePass app

fireye,

I’d be concerned about storing both authentication factors in the same location, maybe if you kept passwords in one db and passwords in another. Not sure how well mobile apps support multiple dbs though

Nath,
@Nath@aussie.zone avatar

Local to the Device? Google already did that to me. Then my phone died and I had the world’s worst time trying to convince some of my vendors that I really was me. Like, I had to get my ID notarized in person and sent that paperwork off by international post in one example.

I wouldn’t want to go through that drama again. I moved to Authy, they keep my tokens encrypted on a cloud service. I could potentially be convinced to move to something self hosted, but never local-only again.

fuster93,

Aegis can do automatic encrypted backups to a cloud provider or locally.

zzzz,

That’s why you back up your shit.

DemBoSain,
@DemBoSain@midwest.social avatar

Authenticator Pro works with my Samsung Wear OS watch. I get the codes on my watch instead of switching between apps on my phone to get codes.

gunpachi,
@gunpachi@lemmings.world avatar

Aegis is what I have used for 2fa for quite some time now, but I think I should also mention Authenticator Pro . The feature set is similar to Aegis and, it’s got a design that some people may find attractive.

P.S: It also has Wear OS support, so that you can see 2fa codes from your watch (I can’t tell how well this feature works as I don’t own any wearable devices)

ColeSloth,

Ever work on electronics?

I use an apk called “Electrodoc” and it identifies and helps you figure out what all you need for all sorts of transistors and capacitors and smd’s and inductors and all that sorts of crap. Has loads of info and pictures and calculations you can punch in for stuff. Super handy.

0x2d,

thx, just downloaded

ColeSloth,

Cool. Really gives good info repairing boards.

amanneedsamaid,

Thumb-key and Auxio (music player)

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