The main downside to the ever-growing screens of our smartphones is that their size can make them hard to operate, especially one-handed. Thankfully, when you have hardware innovation you also get software innovation. Edge Action is an app that puts a launcher along the edge of your screen, making it easy to use your phone with one hand.

Here's how it works: Edge Action lives — as you might have guessed — as a subtle tab at the edge of your screen. To use it, just swipe from the edge. From there, you can swipe through a number of pages of tools, including apps, contacts, and recent calls.

The app launcher panel supports icon themes and app groups as well.

When you use the contacts interface, you can initiate phone calls and text messages with that person directly from Edge Action. You can pick and arrange the contacts anyway you'd like to ensure you have only the people that matter.

Edge Action also offers you a panel of quick settings so you don't need to reach up for the notification shade to toggle WiFi, Bluetooth, and so on.

Things don't end there: Edge Action also lets you access a file manager, calculator, virtual keys, user-defined shortcuts, and your calendar and text messages.

Another panel you may enjoy: Spotify music controls, though obviously you will need to be a Spotify Premium user to enjoy that benefit. Recent additions also include a local music player, weather, and voice recording.

Edge Action is loaded with customizations that let you tune the app as you need. For instance, if you don't want the calculator panel, you can just get rid of it. Not a Spotify user? You don't have to keep that panel. You can also reorder the panels in addition to a number of settings for each individual panel.

The look and feel of the panels is also customizable. You can set your own background from an image file, pick any color, and set the transparency of the edge panels to anywhere from 0% to 100%.

Edge Action is free from the Play Store. You may remove ads that appear in the settings for $1.49. A small number of panels are available for $1.49 each (you get most of them free). For $3.49, you get apps removed and each premium panel in addition to all future paid features.