5 Google Made Android Applications You’re Not Using
It’s no surprise that Google makes the best looking Android applications. Titles including Inbox, Google+ are just flawless in terms of design and functionality. However, there are a few Google made Android apps you probably haven’t even heard of yet. In this article, we discuss 5 such services you’re not using on your phone.
Little Known Android Apps Made by Google
1. Snapseed
Snapseed is a powerful and versatile photo editing tool, designed to generate more professional shots. Rather than focusing on fancy filters, this app offers more manual control. It offers tons of editing options including selective tuning, lens blur, Grain effects, etc. It allows you to process and edit RAW files from your camera. There’s also a Histogram (a graph that shows the distribution of tones in your photos) which can use used to adjust the exposure.
The app works fairly well and Google recently gave it a huge overhaul making it even more perfect. One of the best parts of Snapseed is a feature called “Stacks” that basically keeps adding layers of changes as you keep altering your shot, this helps in easily going back to a particular moment.
Snapseed comes with almost all the customization items one wants in an app, you won’t have to keep bundles of apps for different purposes after you start using it. The main attraction here is the deep control over your effects something which other platforms fail to offer. It’s a completely free photo editing tool, so give it a whirl.
2. Google Fit
Next up on the list is Google’s own fitness app – Google Fit. which is a health-oriented app that tracks your steps, running distances and other activities. It also displays details that include calories, goal monitoring and overall wellness parameters which it aggregates from other popular fitness apps like MyFitnessPal, Nike+, Sleeps as Android, etc.
The app stores your past records, which can later be analyzed with graphs and timelines. There’s also an option for logging your weight, beneficial if someone is trying to lose some. You can manually begin an activity and the app will tell you how effective it was.
One last thing worth mentioning is the gorgeous web interface (https://fit.google.com/), where you can access all your records, workout sessions or anything you can do on the mobile app.
The main advantage Google Fit holds is simplicity. It consumes a lot less battery, unlike other apps that require running in the background all the time. It’s free, therefore, if you’re into fitness and looking for a new yet minimal application, give this a try.
3. Google Gesture Search
Google Gesture Search app does exactly what it sounds like, searches your phone for specific content using gestures. It can be anything from contacts to music files or even other apps. The search is quite fast and it even stores the history in case you want to access the last item searched.
There’s also a settings menu that lets you filter the categories you’re searching in along with the typing speed. The app is fairly basic and works as it should.
4. Chrome Remote Desktop
You might be surprised to hear this but Google even has a remote Desktop client that lets you control a PC/Mac using any iOS/Android smartphone. It only requires a Chrome extension and an app on your phone. The software basically mimics the complete desktop interface on a mobile device where you move around with the pointer, type with your phone’s keyboard and there’s even a shortcut for Ctrl+Alt+Delete in case you run into some trouble. Also, not just a smartphone, you can even use a Desktop to control another one if you need it.
Using this is a piece of cake, unlike other remote desktop tools that need too much to get started. Go through the initial installation process and you’re good to go. You obviously must be logged in with the same Google account on both the devices. The app is totally free on the Chrome and Play store.
5. Androidify (No Longer Available)
Finally, we have Androidify on our list that can be used to create Android characters of people you know. There are tons of customization options available including limitless apparel varieties, beard styles, glasses and a lot more. You can even add animations once you’re done dressing it up which is really fun.
Those were the 5 little known Android apps made by Google about which a lot of users are still unaware. Let us know in the comments section if we missed something.
