Latest Articles
The best third-party file managers for Android
Because sometimes, you want something other than the default
You might be wondering why we're rounding up file browser apps if the latest Android smartphones already come with perfectly-functional versions. Frankly, there's too many in the Play Store not to highlight the ones worth checking out. And if you're a frequent device hopper, switching between your phone, tablet, and Android TV device, you might be looking for a file browser with a bit more functionality than what the default Google, Samsung, and Motorola versions have to offer.
The best curated news apps for Android smartphones
Let an algorithm report on what's happening in the world
Reading the news is probably the last thing you want to do right now while the world is shrouded in doom and gloom. But at least there are many reading apps based on algorithms, so you can manually instruct them whether or not to deliver the headlines on the end times as it's happening.
The best language learning apps on Android
It's time to stop copying and pasting into Google Translate
Have you ever wanted to learn a new language, maybe to converse with your neighbor in their native tongue? Or perhaps you’d love to visit a specific country on your bucket list, but you’re anxious about navigating your way around? A language learning app can help immensely, especially when it comes to learning simple words and phrases to help familiarize yourself with the dialect you may have never heard before.
The best Android apps for writers: text editors, grammar checkers, idea generators, and more
Keyboard optional but strongly suggested
Whether you're doing it to be creative or because it's the job, writing with the wrong tools is like wearing a pair of jeans to work out. It's constricting, and lacking the support you need to get the job done.
How to install Zoom on a Chromebook
You can use the Chrome extension or Android app for virtual conferencing.
How to digitize your old photos using your phone, and why Google PhotoScan is the best tool
It's all about that glare (and getting rid of it)
There are dozens of apps in the Google Play Store that purport to do the job when it comes to digitizing tangible, paper photos. But after poring through the reviews of different apps in the store, we concluded that Google's PhotoScan app remains one of the best and easiest to use for this tedious process. It also syncs up with Google Photos, so it's an ace choice if you're already deep into the ecosystem.
The Google Pixel 4 has been out for a few weeks now, and even though I have a review unit in my hand, I'm in no rush to swap out my SIM from my Pixel 3. I will eventually switch phones "for science," as we often say, to justify our choices working in this industry. But it's hard for me to recommend that anyone else do the same. The Pixel 4 may boast some new features, but nothing screams, "run out and upgrade now!"
Up until recently, I’ve felt like every Android-based smartwatch available had been too big for me and too uncomfortable to wear for extended periods. I swore off the Wear OS platform after the LG Watch Style I was wearing couldn’t even make it through the first day of Google I/O.
If you search for podcast apps in the Google Play Store, you’ll come up against a seemingly endless stream of choices. From feature-packed community favorites like Pocketcasts and CastBox to all-inclusive apps like Spotify and Google Play Music, there are already so many ways to playback podcasts, which is why it was a little perplexing when Google launched Podcasts last summer.
It's time to bid farewell to Google's audio streaming dongle, the Chromecast Audio. After a significant price drop late last year, its stock has since been depleted in the Google store and at Best Buy and other retail locations, and there are already eBay listings up asking for twice what the device was worth in its heyday.The Chromecast Audio served as an incredible tool for those who merely wanted to sync their existing audio setups with the rest of their Cast-enabled devices. But it will soon become another relic of the past, leaving both novices and experienced audiophiles alike with fewer options for this kind of turn-key connectivity. Google discontinuing the useful little dongle is also a prescient reminder that its gadget business is all about the Assistant.
It's the most wonderful time of the year when everything goes on sale and retailers everywhere push hard to get their wares into your hands. If you've been holding out for a sale before choosing between the Lenovo Smart Display and the Google Home Hub, now is your chance to find a deal. We’ll tell you where to look if you want to save some cash. But before you go shopping, here are some things to consider before you decide whether to bring home Lenovo's 8- or 10-inch smart display, or Google's smaller Home Hub.
I love Chrome OS. I use it every day, for nearly everything. But that’s the problem—it can only do so much. Everything else it can’t do has to be done on another computer, with another platform because the Chromebook doesn’t run the full suite of apps that I need to be consistently productive.
Smaller phones are much harder to come by these days, regardless of whether you're using Android or iOS. With the Pixel 3 in particular, and the fact that it's arriving nearly a month after the launch of the considerably larger iPhone XS and XS Max, and months after even larger phones like the Samsung Galaxy Note9, Google has the opportunity to appeal to those who prefer to wield pocketable devices. But to do so successfully, and to keep those of us with smaller mandibles interested in its hardware, it has to do it right.
So many Android apps, but which ones work with best with Chrome OS? Here are a few to get you started.