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android operating system
(by google)
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last updated
011519
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there are 3 parts to this page. good applications which should be included upon the installation (best applications), how to remove programs which should not be included in the install (unneccessary programs), and things most people would not realize about android (uncommon knowledge).
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best applications
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firefox
another web browser. my phone wasn't letting me access any web pages with the default web browser until i paid my tmobile bill. with firefox i was able to access the internet without paying my bill. your phone provider should not sabotauge your cell phone if you haven't paid your bill, that's corrupt. there is no reason you can't use a phone with wifi you are paying for to browse the internet.
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chrome
another good web browser. for things the default "internet" application cannot do
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doc view by melting source
excel spreadsheet (xls) viewer. zoom all the way out to swipe to the next page. i still have not found a good xls editor. this is only a viewer
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cameraless
disables your camera so it doesn't turn on accidently
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google hangouts or google voice
making phone calls and texts for free (see my free phone page for more details)
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skype
calling and texting other continents for free
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play store
download new applications
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galaxy apps
same as play store
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andftp
connects to ftp. this is something full browsers include, but mobile browsers do not include, so you need a seperate application to connect to ftp
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akRDC
connect to a computer in order to control its mouse keyboard and view its screen (good for playing video games or helping fix computer problems from a different location)
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es file explorer
better than the default file explorer. in addition it transfers files and folders over wifi (has bugs, but it works) syntax is "smb://computername or ip" so example is "smb://leckscomputer" . the samba protocol is installed by default in windows. with debian linux you need to install "samba". i don't know if android installs samba by default. you do not need to pay for this. this file explorer includes more advertisements than it used to.
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stay alive
even though the newer versions of android do some of this, you still need this application if you want your screen on all the time. this keeps your device screen from dimming or going dark at all.
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wordpad
same thing as the windows version. i find this useful for a lot of reasons. it can open documents other applications cannot as well as take notes or write papers. with this application you really don't need a computer at all, but typing with 2 fingers takes forever. you could buy a bluetooth keyboard.
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flashlight
new versions of android don't need this really. easy way to turn on and off a light if your cell phone or tablet has an external light
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camera
new versions of android have a camera application installed. easy way to take pictures
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private call (not needed anymore because google shows caller id even from internet calls now)
hides your caller id and interfaces with the phone's "phone" application
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pandora
free music stations over internet (internet radio, so different stations than am fm radio) this does not magically allow you to use am fm or any other radio stations. most smart devices don't let you listen to traditional radio directly.
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i am still looking for the best .doc .xls and .pdf applications.
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unneccessary applications
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there are applications installed by default you do not need. you can remove about half of them and your device will work the same way you expected it to work. also these instructions are the way i have my device set up, so if you have multiple displays or disabled some things i have enabled, the instructions will be slightly different.
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swipe your finger from the top of the screen to the bottom.
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tap the gear on the top right
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tap "general" at the top
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tap "application manager" on the left
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i suggest force stop and uninstalling anything you don't actually use. there are a lot of things slowing down your computer which you can remove. anything which is constantly connecting to a website to check if you have new messages can be stopped or uninstalled. even without applications running, a lot of applications still have processes running in the background. examples are facebook, skype, hangouts, kik, and most video games. when you decide not to play a game or use an application you installed, you should remove it to keep your device running as fast as possible.
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uncommon knowledge
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sometimes applications lock up or go into infinite loops. restarting the device usually fixes the problem, but doesn't always fix the problem. it's also very convienent to be able to close applications. to close applications on older androids hold the big elliptical button in for a few seconds and a menu will pop up. then you can close applications. on newer androids press the application button on the outside of the device. it's not the back or elliptical button, it's the 3rd button.
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putting 2 fingers (from the same hand works best) and moving the fingers together or apart zooms in and out.
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i think all devices which run android also have something inside the device which rattles and tells your device its orientation. if you put the device on a table or a stand, the internal rattler will not move. every time it rattles it sends data to your operating system and slows down your device. this slows down your device considerably on slower devices. with slower devices you will get skips in the conversation. this means your device is not fast enough, you have too many things running on your device while you are making a call, or your connection is losing packets. you can strengthen your connection by moving your device closer to the location it is getting the internet connection.
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