No, I am not talking about Android blogs to stay updated with the latest hype in the Android world. I am particularly talking about online services and information zones that can help you get more out of your device. Without further ado, let’s see 5 such online resources that will surely enhance your Android experience.
1. AppBrain — Get more information about Android apps
AppBrain is an online service that can help you learn more about a specific app. Although it is particularly created for app developers to get better statistics about their apps and monetize them. However, any regular user can use it to get more information about an app. I particularly use it when I review Android apps to learn their history, updates, and rating history to ensure only the most reliable apps are picked.
Some of the interesting information that AppBrain can offer includes estimated downloads, first launch date, update log, rating over time, comment tag cloud, and app ranking by country. Overall, AppBrain is a great tool to check the authenticity of any app on the Google Play Store.
2. AOSMark — Check OEM OS update frequency
While buying your next Android phone, I am sure you compare different phones to see which one has the best specs that suit your needs. However, one thing that many Android buyers overlook is the update schedule of the manufacturer. I mean what’s the point of having a really powerful phone if it doesn’t even get updated to the latest Android version (which releases every year). This is where AOSMark website can help you.
AOSMark has data on almost all the Android manufacturers according to their update frequency. You can see how often manufacturers update their phones to the latest Android version. At the bottom, you can enter the name of your device or phone manufacturer to see their updates. You can also use this website to quickly check the current OS version of any Android phone.
3. Google Play Deals — Find the best deals on the Google Play Store
This is a subreddit where the latest deals on the Google Play Store are listed. Whether its a price cut on an app or a paid app going free for a limited time, you can find it here. It’s a great subreddit to visit often to find a discount or your favorite app going free. Of course, some developers may trick users into buying an app at the actual price by inflating the price and showing a fake price drop. However, the Google Play Deals members are quite active and usually, someone is able to find such scams and mention in the comments.
4. APKMirror — Download app APK files
APK file is basically the installation file require to install an app on your Android phone. If you download an app from Google Play Store, it automatically gets installed and the APK file isn’t separately saved in the phone memory. If you specifically need the APK file of an app — say to install at a later time or on multiple devices — then the APKMirror website will help. It hosts APK files of almost all the popular and latest Android apps. Just search for the app you need and you will surely find it’s APK file here. The best part is that APKMirror keeps APK files of all the versions of an app. Therefore, if you don’t like an update of an app — like if the newer version hosts too many ads — then you can always download the previous version from APKMirror.
5. NVISO apkScan — Scan for malicious APK files
Talking about APK files, although it’s easy to download an APK file from anywhere, but you also need to make sure it’s safe. If you doubt a particular APK file for malware, then simply upload it to NVISO apkScan and it will tell you whether it’s safe or not. The tool will thoroughly scan the APK file to look for any malicious behavior and generate a report.
The report has multiple sections showing what the app might be capable of. This includes its permissions, services, ability to open network connection, cryptographic activity, ability to leak information, and more.
Bonus
If Reddit plays an important role in your daily dose of Android, then you must be interested in all the subreddits related to Android. Thankfully, Android subreddit has a page where you can find a list of all the subreddits that are directly or indirectly related to Android. Just visit this link and you’ll find dozens of subreddits listed by categories. So these were some online resources that can help you get more out of your Android device. Do let us know in the comments if you find these resources useful.
