This year, Android got even sweeter. Marshmallow built on the already-awesome foundation Lollipop laid the year before, plus we got two new Nexus phones, and a bunch of improved apps. Here are our best Android posts this year.



It’s easy to forget, but there are a lot more ways to stream movies and TV besides Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon. Here are some of the best—sometimes free—legal alternatives out there.

Scanning receipts while you travel, notes on a whiteboard, or sketches on an envelope can be easy. The best apps for the job take a snapshot, can do text recognition, save your scan to the cloud for future reference on other devices, and more. This week, we’re looking at five of the best smartphone apps that get the job done.


Waze has long been one of our favorite navigation apps, and even thoughGoogle purchased Waze way back in 2013, both still exist side-by-side. Google Maps is great, but with the right tweaks, Waze can be awesome—especially in cities with lots of traffic.


Google shook up the home theater market with its Chromecast device. Ever since it enabled developer access, the app market has been flooded with Google Cast support. Here are the most useful Chromecast apps.


Google announced Google Photos last week, a new photo hosting service that combines everything great about Google+ Photos with unlimited free storage for high quality photos and HD videos. Whether you’re trying it for the first time or logging in to see what’s different, here’s what’s new, and how to make the most of it.


Over just a few years, the batteries in our smartphones have changed a lot. That means those old tips to stretch out your battery life just aren’t as true as they once were, yet we still share them like they’re gospel. Before telling someone to disable Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, let’s shed some light on those old myths.


Android Marshmallow has finally arrived. First announced at Google I/O, the company already teased a bunch of cool features. Here are some of the sweet features Google didn’t announce.


If you bought a phone in the last year, it might have included some kind of quick charger, or offered one as an accessory. Here’s how they work to charge your phone in half the time of a typical charger.


Fun fact: there are roughly seven different model Android phones per human on the planet. While that statement isn’t actually true, it seems close. Since you’ve got things to do, here’s what matters when buying a new Android phone.


Android Marshmallow arrives today. Of course, some phones may still take months or years to get an update. We’ve collected all the information we can on which devices will get updates and when.


In just a few short years, Android has grown from a small project within Google to the most prolific mobile operating system on the planet. The app ecosystem has grown right along with it. In our annual Lifehacker Pack for Android, we chose the best, most useful, and most essential apps you could ever need on your phone.


Yesterday, Google announced YouTube Red. Google, blissfully unaware of what goes on in Incognito Mode, apparently thought that this was a good name for a service. It is not the first time that Google has made flagrantly terrible choices in naming stuff.




Android: One of the biggest complaints about the Facebook app is that it can take up too many resources, particularly on older phones. Which is probably why Facebook released Facebook Lite, a super lightweight version of its app directed at developing markets.


There are a ton of Android flagships to choose from, but if you want one that breaks away from carriers with a phone that puts you in control of your experience, you have two big choices: Google’s Nexus 6P and the OnePlus 2. Specs aside, which should you buy? Well, here’s how they compare, after long-term use.


Google polarized the Gmail crowd when it released Inbox. For some, it was confusing and unhelpful. For others like myself, however, Inbox is a breath of fresh air. Here’s how it’s changed my workflow, and why I think it’s worth giving it a shot.


Way back in 2013, Google quietly added the “Google Settings” app to Android (not to be confused with Android’s normal “Settings” app). At first it didn’t have much, but over the years, it’s added a ton of useful features, especially for the privacy-conscious. If you haven’t checked it in awhile, it’s worth a second look.




Reading comics, particularly on tablets, is a delightful use of bright, vivid touchscreens. If you’re a heavy reader and want to bring your own files, Astonishing Comic Reader is a relative newcomer with a ton of slick features.


Today, Google announced the developer preview of the newest version of Android. As usual, this new version, Android M, will be out later in the year. However, those with certain Nexus devices can download the preview starting today. Here’s what you can expect in the next version of Android.


Android updates take forever. While that’s okay most of the time, it can be a problem when a new, terrible security vulnerability is found. Whether you want to protect your phone, or just can’t wait for new updates, here’s how to skip the line and update your Nexus phone (and occasionally other devices) manually.


Last month, Google introduced YouTube Red, a paid tier for YouTube that removes ads, among other cool features. I’ve been using it ever since launch day What I thought would be a minor reduction in annoyances actually changed how I view and enjoy the internet.




Windows/OS X: If you need to clear out bloatware on your Android phone, Debloater makes it easy to sift through all the junk and disable unnecessary apps. If you’re rooted, you can even remove them entirely.


Your tablet can be a great productivity tool on its own, but using it as a second screen for your computer makes it even better. For Android tablets, Splashtop is our favorite way to do this. It’s cheap, touch-friendly, and uses Wi-Fi, so you can pick it up and go.


Some of the apps you use on a regular basis are worse for your phone than others. AVG has done some analysis and identified the worst offenders. Unsurprisingly, things like Facebook, Spotify, Netflix, and Amazon top the charts.


Installing apps is easy on Android. So easy that you can end up with a ton that you don’t need over time. Rather than tediously paging through every app to uninstall them one by one, we recommend Easy Uninstaller. This app allows you to uninstall several apps at once, sort them by size, and even clean up any junk files left behind.