TechDroider: apps

Download Moto Z2 Play Pixel-Like Launcher with Google Now Integration

Download Moto Z2 Play Pixel-Like Launcher with Google Now Integration
The recently launched Moto Z2 Play comes with Android 7.1.1 Nougat, Brand new System icons and a Default Moto App launcher with Google Now Integration and 5x5 icon grid. (Grab the Moto Z2 Play Wallpaper Here)

Well, Android 7.1.1 Nougat Software update for other Motorola Smartphones do brings latest System icons but you will not be getting any new default Pixel-like launcher. However, You can now download the Official Moto App launcher, sideload, and get a taste of Pixel-like launcher with Google now Integration.


Thanks to XDA member, Junior Passos for uploading the Moto App launcher from the Moto Z2 Play. As a warning and reminder, we are not the providers of these files and cannot assure you that they are safe. But, the launcher works perfectly on our Moto Z Play running Android 7.1.1 Nougat and Moto G5 running Android 7.0.

Direct Download Link: Moto App launcher (.apk) (Via XDA)


Let us know in the below comment section if the Moto App launcher is working perfectly on your Moto device.

Twitter 7.0 Beta adds new round UI, revamps icons, and more

Twitter 7.0 Beta adds new round UI, revamps icons, and more
A new update is now available for Twitter beta testers and surprisingly this update revamps the whole UI, rounding everything.

The update is available only for Twitter 7.0 (Beta) through a server-side change. So, it might take a few hours for beta testers to get the new twitter UI.


With this new update, icons are more rounded, increased font size, there's a new retweet icon, profile pictures are circles now, the header photo is gone from the menu, it also rearranges the options in the menu. The new UI looks pretty good, you can easily opt in for twitter Beta by following the below steps.

  • Visit this link and click "Become a Tester" to opt into the program.
  • Click "Download Twitter from the Play Store" to update your app
Twitter 7.0 Beta adds new round UI, revamps icons, and more

Screenshot: Reddit

Samsung Internet Browser now officially available for Pixel and Nexus phones

Samsung Internet Browser which comes pre-installed with Galaxy Smartphones running Android 5.0 Lollipop and above is now officially available for the Pixel and Nexus Smartphones.


The Samsung Internet Browser is based on Chromium, Google's open source browser project. It comes enhanced security features, you can protect it via fingerprint and iris scanner, new search engines support, and a floating Quick Menu button that lets you easily change web page text sizes, share pages, or open new tabs.


Previously, only the beta version of the browser was made available to all non-Galaxy Smartphones with Android 5.0 and above. However, you can grab the non-beta version for Pixel and Nexus Smartphone from the Play Store.

Top Productivity Apps for Your New Android Phone

Top Productivity Apps for Your New Android Phone
Smartphones are now more capable than ever. The latest flagship phones feature Snapdragon 835 and a minimum of 4GB of RAM, allowing them to multitask better and run heavier, more complex apps without a problem. The Samsung GALAXY S8 can even be used as a desktop computer, showing just how capable it is.

The added power means you can now use most smartphones to replace your laptop; when you don’t have your laptop with you, you can still handle work or school-related tasks with ease using your phone. Of course, you need the best productivity apps for the job, and we have the top picks in this article.

Google Suite
Google has a number of productivity apps for Android phone users, including Google Drive, Google Docs, Google Sheets, and Google Slides. You’ll be surprised to know just how capable they are for even the most demanding tasks. I was trying to meet a submission deadline for my online MSMPP program assignment the other day and I relied heavily on Google Docs to get things done.

Google Calendar is just as handy. The interface is among the best on the market, delivering all the information you need through stunning visuals. The masters in project and program management program from Brandeis University I’m taking obliges me to keep up with schedules and exams, and Google Calendar – along with features such as auto-sync and reminders – has helped me.

For working on longer documents, it’s more comfortable to pair a Bluetooth keyboard instead of using the on-screen one. That said, there is nothing you cannot do on the go as long as you have a smartphone and Google productivity apps installed.

Pushbullet

Pushbullet is not a productivity app per se, but it is an app that you must try nonetheless. It allows your smartphone to be accessed from your laptop, giving you a better user experience in the process. It started life as an SMS app that helped users send text messages from computers, but it now offers many new features.

For instance, you can move files from and to the phone easily. The next time you need to carry a PowerPoint presentation on your phone, you can just sync the file through Pushbullet in seconds. It also supports display notifications and allows you to use messaging apps on your computer.

Unclouded

The last app on our list is Unclouded. This app is a must-have if you use more than one cloud storage service. It makes managing multiple accounts on Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, and other services easier. Keep in mind that you can only manage a maximum of two accounts when using the free version, but switching to premium is well worth the small price you have to pay.

The app shows all of your cloud-stored files in one cool interface, eliminating the need to open several apps to gain access to your cloud storage. You can move files between services and access features such as sharing and file management just as easily.

With these apps installed, you will find your smartphone to be more capable than ever. There will be no task that you can’t handle on the go with the best productivity apps helping you every step of the way.

Nova Launcher Beta Brings the Latest Android O Styled Notification Dots Feature

Nova Launcher Beta Brings the Latest Android O Styled Notification Dots Feature
It is just a matter of time for third-party launcher owners to add the features Google officially teases. At the Google I/O 2017 last week, Google said that it's bringing the much-asked feature from users of Android- 'Notification Dots' with the Android O. 

The Notification Dots is a feature that adds a rounded badge to the app icon on the launcher whenever there's an unread notification. The update also added the round styled search bar, which was also teased by Google at the event. 


The Notification Dots is available in various Android skins such as TouchWiz, Xperia UX, LG UI, MIUI, etc. since ages. Also, Apple's iOS has this feature since a long time, probably introduced with the Apple iOS 7 three years ago. 

The Nova Launcher Beta latest version is already out and users can install the launcher right away to experience the upcoming Android O feature way before its official release. 

Google Play Store v7.8.16 Brings New App and Notifications Icons

Google Play Store v7.8.16 Brings New App and Notifications Icons
Google seems to have to play with the icons of its app ecosystem. The search giant some months ago revamped all its app icons with a new material design. But left out the essential Google Play Store.

And now, the newly rolling Google Play Store v7.8.16 finally brings a new app icon, and that's the same one, which Google tested earlier. And yeah, it's time to say goodbye to the basket type Google Play app icon. 


Also, another cosmetic change is the new notification icon for the Google Play Store, which is now similar to the new Google Play Store icon but has a tick icon inside it to indicate the application as installed. 

Well, the new update is already rolling out globally, but it will take some time to reach on your device, and it depends on the location where you're living. However, you can always head over to apkmirror.com and download, install APK manually. 

Grab the Fuchsia OS Demo app for Android [Apk Download]

Grab the Fuchsia OS Demo app for Android [Apk Download]
Google has already started working on its next operating system for Smartphones and Tablets that is not based on Linux called as Fuchsia. Instead, the Fuchsia OS will be based on the search giant's own kernel 'Magenta.'  

The default system UI for Fuchsia OS will be called as Armadillo. Armadillo and other Fuchsia apps are built on Google Flutter SDK, and the apps can be used on any platform- Android or iOS or Fuchsia OS.


If you’d like to see Armadillo in action, you can grab the APK file and Install it on your Android device from the below link. Armadillo will give you the first Alpha look at what Google’s next OS will be.

Armadillo's UI has a one big vertical scrolling page with incomplete application cards. To the bottom center we have just a home button, which shows a user’s profile. You can also combine two applications (Multitasking) by just long pressing a card and throwing it into another card.

Download Fuchsia OS Demo app - Here
(Compiled by Bradshaw | Via HotFixIt)

Opera Max VPN Gets a Much Needed UI Overhaul and New Facebook Tools in the Latest Update


The famous of all VPN apps available in the market, Opera Max VPN has been updated to version 3.0, which has bought various new features. One of the significant one among the new ones is the refreshed user interface. The interface overhaul is a much-needed one, and it's a fancy one as well with all the features spread across the home screen. 

Another feature added in the update is 'smart assistant,' that shows your data usage and also provides tips to reduce data usage. All these tips will be shown in beautiful cards, which will be surely loved by everyone. 

Thirdly, the update added a new 'Savings for Facebook,' which will display the data saved in the Facebook app on your phone. Overall, the update is a much-awaited one for the Opera Max VPN users. 

The new update is slowly rolling out globally, but if you can't wait for the update to reach your phone, head over to apkmirror.com to manually update your phone. 

Google Wallpapers App Now Has Two New Art and Solid Colour Categories

The standalone Wallpapers app for Android recently picked up an update which bought it to version 1.1. While the application changelog states that only bugs has been fixed in this version, there are some noteworthy changes in the app itself. 

Right after opening up the application, you can immediately notice a new category called 'Arts,' which has all the artistic images. Scrolling further down, you can notice another category called as 'Solid Colors,' which has all the colors. 

The solid colors category will be helpful for users who want to keep their device minimalistic. Google may have made this changes on the server side silently. 

With the Wallpapers application, most of the Android users long search for a dedicated wallpaper service has ended and Google is regularly providing updates to the app. 

What are the Pros and Cons of DIY App Development

In the past, only large corporations with vast resources could afford to create web and mobile apps. After all, app development was and still is an expensive affair. But despite this expense, small and medium-sized businesses are also investing in apps today and with good reason. According to Statista Inc, an online statistics company, more than two billion people around the world now own a smartphone.

By 2020, Statista expects this number to rise to 2.87 billion people. Clearly, web and mobile apps are an indispensable part of any successful business. Apps not only let you interact with customers in a deeper and more meaningful manner, but also allow your employees to communicate better and work more effectively.

Developing an App

But before developing an app, you must first decide whether to outsource its development to a specialist company or build it in-house using a tool such as iBuildApp Free Mobile App Maker. This article will focus on the pros and cons of each approach.

The DIY Approach

A DIY approach is only possible if you have in-house talent that is capable of meeting the challenges of app development head-on. This means having a development team with a background in coding, software customization and website building. In addition, each team member must also have an analytical mind, a capacity to think in the abstract, and most importantly, an interest in app development.

Furthermore, since app development takes considerable time and is full of problems, your staff must be tenacious. They must not lose their cool in the face of the many challenges that are sure to crop up during app development. And for the best results, you must give them plenty of support and the freedom to create the best product possible.

Pros of the DIY Approach


The first advantage of the DIY approach is its cost effectiveness. This is in contrast to outsourcing which is very expensive. Keep in mind that app development consultants charge you for a variety of things. One is their experience and expertise. The other is the fact that they allow you to hit the ground running. After you give them a briefing, they immediately get to work.

However, consultants charge you not only for app development, but also for maintaining the app once it is up and running. You have to pay them for upgrades, bug fixes, and security patches. That said, perhaps the most damaging costs you will have to incur when you outsource are as a result of what is known as "scope creep".

Scope creep is when a project changes in scope during development, which then causes the costs associated with the project to go over budget. This occurs when you do two things. One is when you fail to itemize all the features you want to see in the final product because you assume the consultant will include them. The other is by realizing that you need a feature after the project has begun. Unfortunately, adding new functionalities later into development causes delays, increases costs, and undermines the quality of your app. But, when you develop the app yourself, you avoid the problems associated with scope creep because your team understands the scope of the project.

The second advantage is that, unlike outsourcing which cuts you off from the development of your app, your team is always accessible to you when you follow the DIY route. Remember that although the development consultant company uses your brief to build the app, its staff is not answerable to you. Communicating your project objectives to your consultant's staff is, therefore, impossible.

This lack of direct involvement in the development process brings us to the third advantage of the DIY approach - visibility. Since your team is answerable and accountable to you, you are always in the loop on how your app is progressing. This visibility allows you to even change the direction of the development process when it fails to meet your objectives.

Direct involvement also has the benefit of increasing your company's institutional knowledge. When you use a consultant, they do not transfer their knowledge or expertise to your staff. Thus, you have to rely on them for future projects. In contrast, your team increases in skill and competence with each project they undertake. This prepares them for future projects.

This self-reliance is important because contractors come and go. The company that built your app yesterday could go out of business tomorrow. To improve on your app or build a new one, you will be forced to start from scratch with a new contractor, which costs time and money.

Cons of the DIY Approach


Despite its many advantages, the in-house approach has a few drawbacks. First, your staff must endure a steep learning curve before they can develop decent apps. Chances are that they will lack the experience and training needed for app development. So, before creating an app, you must first train, which will cost you in both time and money.

Second, when your team members eventually start developing the app, they will lack ready-to-use code. Remember that established teams rely on code from previous projects to speed up the development process. Without this code, your project will take longer to finish even though it is simple. This can result in delays, which is in sharp contrast to contractors who usually ship on time. And, delays cost money.

Third, by using an in-house team, your app is likely to be of a lesser quality and have many bugs upon completion. Your team can never compare to contractors when it comes to having an in-depth knowledge of security issues and best coding practices. And, the reason for this disparity in expertise is simple.

In the app development business, investing heavily in building your knowledge and coding base is how you keep clients coming back. So, when clients insist on quality, contractors ensure that they meet these quality requirements. In fact, most have a track record of doing just that. So, when compared to apps built by your team, those built by contractors will almost always come out on top.

Because of the large number of smartphones in use today, web apps have increased in importance. For this reason, most businesses are rushing to create one. If yours is one of them, and you intend to build the app yourself, first consider the pros and cons of such an approach before committing to app development.

Google Wallpapers gets new update with lots of new wallpapers

Google Wallpapers gets new update with lots of new wallpapers
Google Wallpapers app recently got a new update which includes tons of high resolution wallpapers in several categories, few UI changes and bug fixes. 


For those who don't know, the Wallpapers app from Google comes with tons of beautiful Cityscapes, Life, Textures, Landscapes and Earth wallpapers. You also get an option to choose a favorite category, which automatically changes your wallpaper each day.
Grab the new Wallpapers update: Play Store

APK Teardown of Google Play Store v7.8 Shows We're Inching Towards the Public Roll Out of Instant Apps

Image Source: Android Police
Make a U-turn for a year to the Google I/O 2016, one thing that will immediately strike to your mind the ambiguous Instant Apps feature, which is touted to be one of the biggest features to be added to Google Play Store in recent times. 


It's been a year, but Google is yet to roll out the feature to the public. And yeah, we have seen some apps in the recent past which popped online with support for Instant Apps, but nothing is official from the search giant. 

However, we're drawing close to the roll out of Instant Apps feature. Earlier today, Google has pushed an update to Google Play Store that takes it to version number 6.8 and folks at Android Police managed to teardown the latest APK. 

The teardown apparently revealed that Google has setup the code internally and we might taste the much-awaited feature in the next update. That said, we're not sure about the official roll out though. 

In the same APK teardown, it is revealed that Google is removing the 'Add to Home Screen' button from the Play Store settings and also planning to give some pre-registration rewards for users who pre-register for a future application. 

Google Maps for India Got a New Home Screen With Easier Navigation Menu


Folks in India can look for a new Google Maps update in Google Play Store that adds a new home screen with better navigation of features. Google is preparing this update only for the users in India, and the update has started rolling out starting today. 

In the new update, the most used features such as navigation via private transport, public transport, etc. has placed right on the home screen, which means that you can get navigation to your favorite place with just one tap. 




Also, there's another card, which has options such as satellite view, traffic, and option for making a route offline. With the traffic option, you can check the traffic around your location. 

Also, Google is claiming that they have optimized the home screen, which now loads much faster than the previous version and that's a bonus.

Gboard for Android Adds Support for 22 Regional Languages of India

Gboard for Android Adds Support for 22 Regional Languages of India
Gboard (formerly known as Google Keyboard) has picked up a new update that adds support for 22 regional languages of India along​ with a new text editing tool. 

Google is making its Gboard application an Indian centric one of late and with the latest addition, it's more like an Indian app. Yes, Gboard now support almost all the major languages of India including Telugu, Urdu, Hindi, Bengali, etc. 
As mentioned earlier, the update also gets along a text editing tool, which helps in editing the text lot easier now. When enabled, the tool will add a cursor to browse through the text you've written. This feature is present in third-party Keyboard apps for a long time now. 

It also brings some much needed stability improvements as well, which in turn make the application more smoother than the previous. 


Grab the $0.76 or ₹10 Samsung Galaxy S8 Icon Pack for Free Today

Aspire Ux S8 Icon Pack which is based on the Samsung Galaxy S8's UX icons is now available for free and can be downloaded from Google Play Store.

The Application contains over 600+ high quality icons, HD wallpapers and Samsung Galaxy S8's Original weather and search widget.

Grab it from Play Store

AVG Antivirus for Android

AVG Antivirus for Android
When it comes to protecting your phone, not just any free antivirus app will get the job done. With so many threats both in the cyber world and the physical one working against your device’s security, you really need the best free antivirus for Android that’s available to get proper coverage and ensure your sensitive data is truly kept safely away from the wrong hands. Fortunately, AVG AntiVirus is available to Android owners everywhere, and offers you a level of protection that’s unparalleled by other free apps that are currently available.

Some of the benefits that really set AVG mobile antivirus software apart from the rest include options like:

  • The ability to scan for potential threats like viruses and malware at any point in time, and immediate removal of any issues that might be found.
  • Scanning of any webpages you might be visiting, and a redirect to an AVG safe page if potential harmful content is found on the page you’re attempting to access.
  • Analyzing of WiFi networks you’re connected to, to ensure there are no encryption errors to threaten your phone while you browse or take care of business.
  • Providing an encrypted vault that you can use to store all of the most sensitive photos, files and documents in your phone, preventing unwelcome guests from getting their hands on the data.
  • A variety of antitheft tool, ranging from a simple location program to the ability to wipe your phone’s SD card remotely to keep sensitive information out of the wrong hands.
  • A feature that snaps a picture of anyone that enters the wrong password into your phone more than 3 times, and emails the results to you.

Each of these features serves to make AVG AntiVirus the best free protection application in the current market, and helps to ensure your phone is safe and secure in all aspects while you take care of your busy schedule.


A Total of 200 Million Users are Pushing Stories in Instagram on a Daily Basis

Instagram Stories might be a clone to the Snap Stories, but that didn't keep users away from the service. Instagram today announced that a total of 200 million Instagram stories are being used by users all across the globe, which is up from 150 million mark in January. 

Upping the ante from 150 million to 200 million in just three months is not a small achievement. To celebrate the occasion, the Facebook-owned company is rolling out some new features to the application for both Android and iOS. 



The update takes the Android app to version number 10.16.1, whereas the iOS app will grace version number 10.16. The exciting feature added in the new update is the selfie stickers, which allows you to use a selfie as a sticker along with all the usual customizations. 

Also, the update brings geolocation to four new cities- Chicago, London, Madrid, and Tokyo. Furthermore, after the latest update, you can create a shortcut of your favorite stickers, which is a handy feature to have around.  

Google Photos Picks Up a New Update; Brings Video Stabilization Feature to All Phones

Google Photos Picks Up a New Update; Brings Video Stabilization Feature to All Phones
Google Photos has picked a new update, which brings a lot of new features to the most used photo app. However, the major addition was the video stabilization feature.

Now, you need not worry about not having the Optical Image Stabilisation feature on your phone, which reduces the shakes in the video while capturing. And the same functionality is added to Google Photos as well, but the interesting part is you can stabilize the video after capturing a photo. 



Yes, you heard it right. Capture a video from your phone. Open the Google Photos app and stabilize the video.That's it. The feature works absolutely fine, but yeah, it does remove quality of the video, but totally worth it.

The update is already rolling out to the users are you can get the feature in the latest 2.13 version of Google Photos.

Twitter Announces Twitter Lite, Designed for Slow & Spotty Internet connections

Slow Internet? Twitter announced today data-friendly Twitter Lite to the mobile web for Slow and Spotty Internet connections. The Lite version reduce your data usage by up to 70%, loads quickly, and take up less space.

The Twitter Lite is a new mobile web experience which can be accessed via mobile.twitter.com. It minimizes data usage, loads quickly on slower connections, is resilient on unreliable mobile networks, and takes up less than 1MB on your device. 



Twitter Lite allows users access timeline, Tweets, Direct Messages, trends, profiles, media uploads, notifications, and more. You could also save Twitter Lite to your home screen as a shortcut, and receive push notifications and alerts via Chrome.

In addition, you can also enable data saver mode, which further reduces the amount of mobile data used. This mode will show you previews of images and videos before letting you decide which to fully load. Twitter says this can save data usage up to 70%.



Via: Twitter

Google launches YouTube Go in India, designed for slower network connections

The YouTube Go, which was launched back in September, 2016 at Google for India event is now officially available in India. The beta version of YouTube Go is now available for download on the Google Play Store.

Google says that the YouTube Go is designed for spotty Internet connections, and gives you more control over data usage, by providing choice and transparency into the amount of data spent on streaming or saving videos. It also allows you to quickly share the videos with friends nearby.

YouTube Go features includes:

  • A home built for you: YouTube Go home screen features trending and popular videos in your area, so that you can find and discover videos that you and your community care about.
  • Preview videos before you save or watch: On YouTube Go we’ll show you a preview of the video when you tap on a thumbnail, giving you a better sense of what the video is about before you decide if you want to watch it.
  • Choose your resolution when saving or streaming videos: You can choose to save a video for offline viewing later or stream it now. And we also allow you to choose the amount of data you’d like to spend on that video.
  • Share videos with friends nearby: Share videos with friends and family nearby without using any data. You can send and receive videos instantly and offline with others using the YouTube Go app.

Users in India can download the YouTube Go beta from the Google Play Store starting today. Google also plans to hold several events in Udaipur over the upcoming weeks to talk more about this new YouTube Application.

Source: YouTube