31 The Most Common Ways to Use Your Android Phone

31 The Most Common Ways to
Use Your Android Phone

Android has become one of the best mobile platform. Since its disruptive incarnation, which strained the relations between Steve Jobs and Larry Page, Android has evolved a lot and has surpassed the number of mobile applications as compared to iOS apps. Continual innovation and well-timed new flavours empowering Android capable mobile phones.

This post tries to summarize the most common ways to make the most of what Android phones/tablets offer.


Way 1: As music player

There is a wide range of music players available be it traditional Winamp to Google Music. For Indian music lovers, Saavan and Wynk apps are available that stream the latest Bollywood/Tollywood music.

Way 2: As an Alarm

The in-built Alarm Clock fulfill its purpose but Google Play offers you more impressive Alarm applications. Alarmy is quite unique. To shut its annoying alarm off you must take a photo of that location or solve a maths problem.


Way 3: As a GPS

Certainly GPS has been out-placed by smartphone. Almost all Android-based smartphones have in-built GPS feature. There is no shortage of GPS enabled apps at Google Play store. Google Maps offers many features like Live Traffic Updates and it has started supporting offline maps as well. You can store your maps on an external SD card as well.

Alternately you can try Sygic GPS Navigation & Maps.


Way 4: As a Compass

Almost every Andorid device comes with pre-installed Compass application. You don't need any data connection to use compass application. It is very handy while scouting in finding the North direction at the strangest places. In India, the main admirers of the compass app are Vastu Shastra Astrologers and property dealers or agents.

Compass 360 Pro has been the most popular application at Google Play. The application claims that it can provide magnetic and true North and take cares of the variations automatically.




Way 5: As a Document Scanner

Camera based scanner (Document Scanner) take snap shot of your documents, visiting cards, receipts etc. and turns into PDF or Image file and keep it on cloud drive or in your phone storage. CAM Scanners are bit optimized to reduce the image size as compared to camera taken color photos.

Google Drive Android application has a scan option and has in-built OCR support. Another popular app is CAMScanner


Way 6: As a Fax Machine

here are a android apps available that can help in sending fax via your phone. Personally I haven't tried it but Files Anywhere and eFax are quite popular.


Way 7: Online Shopping

Perhaps,the plethora of shopping apps formed the trigger point which out-placed desktop sales by mobiles. Be it AliExpress, eBay, Flipkart or Amazon, you name the departmental store, its Android app is available.


Way 8: As podcast player

Podcasts are more resourceful to get an ad-free informative audio content as compared to non-stop repetitive radio. Content wise. India is still lagging behind. However there are good number of podcasts applications available. Podcast & Radio has been on the top of the chart.


Way 9: Call Recorder

For marketing, recording calls has become the part of the process. Many Android mobiles provide call recording as in-built feature otherwise you can install third party apps. Apart from this you need a recorder to capture your ideas that suddenly sparked in your mind. Tape-a-Talk  like application helps you append your previous recordings. NetMemo allows you to record short voice messages and send them by email to yourself or to a friend

Way 10: Make your Photo Collage
Apps like BeautyPlus, PicSay, Prisma etc. provide hundreds of awesome photo effects and create collage or funny animated cartoons. You can share these photos on social media or mail to your friends.

Way 11: As Smart Lock

In case you want to protect your personal photos, messages or mobile apps (like financial apps) so that no body access them in your absence. Or your kids accidentally open any of those apps that you don't want them to open, there are apps like Smart Lock are available to lock your apps, messages or photo folder.


Way 12: As a Spirit Level

Sometimes you want to check the surface (e.g. table top, floor etc.) is level or not. There is an app called Spirit Level Plus app available. After some calibration, it can tell you if the surface is at level or not.


Way 13: As measuring device

There are apps available which can help you measuring height, length and distance. Apps like Smart ruler, Measure uses camera and trigonometry or GPS features for the measurements.


Way 14: Conversion Calculator Tool

Be it is scientific calculations or converting pounds to kgs or kilometers to miles etc., there are good number of conversion and scientific calculators are available.

Way 15: Cooking Recipe Sidekick

Recipe apps can assist you in cooking, help you read recipes from famous cooking sites or can instruct you with voice commands while cooking.


Way 16: As IP WebCam

Want to babysit or monitor your shop or parking garage, you can convert your outdated Android device into an IP Camera. Apps like IP WebCam give remote access to your camera connected over a Wifi.

Way 17: As bar code or QR scanner

Suppose you are buying some international products at a Shopping Mall and are not sure about product's expiry or other details. Your Bar Code or QR code scanner quickly scans the bar code lines and direct you to relevant website or product details. I was able to catch fake prints of a book at a book store.


Way 18: As Gaming device

No need to say about this, there are thousands (may be million) of variety of games are available at Play store. Whether there are action, adventure, puzzles, classic and crazy games are delight to play. Games like Pokemon has crashed the gaming servers because of its popularity.


Way 19: As To Do List

A tab or smart phone can be used as a task manager to manage your to do list and set priorities and reminders. Task manager Apps like Google Keep, Due Today are very handy.


Way 20: As Internet Hotspot

You can share your mobile broadband connection with your friends or family members or connect other devices. Just a word of caution, any data access from the connected device will count towards your data plan.


Way 21: As Finance Manager

Want to manage you expenses, stock portfolio there are good number of finance management applications available. You can set alerts to check if your spending limit exceeds your budget.


Way 22: As Book Reader

Apps like Kindle, ScribD, Aldiko Reader etc. are available that provide access to your digital books but also help you procure eBooks online.


Way 23: As Dictionary
There are dictionaries for all the major languages available at Play store. Apps like LEO Dictionary, Dictionary.com give access to languages like English, French, Spanish, Italian, Chinese and Russian.


Way 24: Learn New Language

Ever wanted to learn a new language or want to be fluent in speaking in English, French or any other foreign language. There are good number of mobile apps available at Play store.

Way 25: Social Networking Hub

WhatsApp, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and many other social apps are available. You can connect to your friends or family members or buddy at any time any place.


Way 26: Document Manager

Google Docs, Microsoft Office, WPS Office bring word processor, spreadsheets, presentations to your mobile. You can edit, read and save these documents on cloud drive as well.


Way 27: Watch Your Sky (Astronomy Apps)

Explore stars, universe, cosmos through astronomy apps available on your smartphone. SkyMap, Stellarium are amazing apps.


Way 28: Listen To Radio Stations

May smartphones have FM radio support. Apart from this, you can choose IP based radio apps. Pandora, BBC Radio like apps are available to capture international streams.


Way 29: Find a Taxi

Ola Cabs, Uber, Merucabs like apps are available and help you get a cab when you need it. Quite helpful for people who travel a lot.

Way 30: Type in Hindi (Phonetic Type Keyboard)

Google Indic Keyboard allows transliterates English phonetics to Hindi or other regional languages. Now chat in your native language.


Way 31: Carry your holy book

Carry your holy book, sermons available in multi media based apps. (like Bhagwat Geeta Saar in Audio). A few are available as animations or games for kids.