9 Android Apps That’s Rocking My World Right Now

But before I give my list, please endure this long intro...

There’s this viral phot of Albert Einstein circulating on the internet about the day when technology will surpass human interaction creating a generation of idiots. Many believe the day has come, especially in this smartphone era. Einstein was a genius and there’s a big probability he may be right, but I want to hold on to my faith in humanity and in technology that makes our lives better.

There are many facets to technology --- communication, entertainment, productivity to name a few. I believe that, just like power and money, technology is neutral that serves as a magnifying glass of who you really are. The depth of my statement may sound crazy, but hear me out first.

If you are a lazy person with no self-control who only sees technology for entertainment purposes (for example), then there’s a chance you’ll be wasting a great sum of your life on things that matter less. But if you are someone who is driven and results-oriented, then you will see technology as a tool to help you achieve your goals. You see, at the end of the day, it all comes down to character.

There are so many things I want to do in my life and squeezing them in my 24 hours a day, 7 days a week time allotment would be impossible if not for the technological advancements since the invention of wheels.

I’m really thankful for smartphones. Not because I can play mindless games whenever and wherever I want, browse through hundreds of cat pictures via mobile internet, or share life dramas on Facebook, but because it helps me in almost all aspects of my life (personal, family, work, family, blogging etc.) like having your own personal assistant.

Android apps or mobile apps in general are heaven sent for me. They rock my world by helping me organize and systematize my life. Below are just some of the few Android apps that I really love using right now.

Here we go…

SolCalendar

SolCalendar is a calendar app for Android that stand-out because of its pretty interface and comprehensive features. It’s your planner, weather app, reminders and to-do list in one and syncs with Google Calendar and other popular calendar services.

   

I’m a visual person obsessed with organizing my schedule so the first thing that got me hooked to SolCalendar was the stickers feature. However, as I explore its other features, my quest for the perfect calendar app was over. SolCalendar effectively replaces paper calendars, post-it notes, planners, diaries etc.
 You carry them all in one app.

Features I love:

• Real-time location based weather information.
• Supports monthly and agenda view
• Collapsible daily view within the calendar
• Various repeat options for both calendar entries and to-dos
• Allows you to set different time-zones per calendar entry
• Robust reminder options

Google Docs and Drive

I have a regular 8 hour work from Monday to Friday and take long commutes to and from work. I manage multiple blogs and participate in various organizations. I also get invited to speaking engagements every now and then. I need to maximize my time.

With the Google Docs and Google Slides apps, I can write part of my blog posts or continue working on my presentation even when I’m riding a jeepney. It’s crazy, I know.

Link to Google Docs, Slides, Sheets, and Drive Android apps.

Google Keep

I use Google Keep as my idea repository. Whether it be a new marketing strategy for work, new blog post ideas, or existential Facebook worthy thoughts, I keep them all here in this app for later use.

Google Keep has OCR capabilities which means you can take a picture of a receipt or poster and it will transcribe the texts for you. However, you need to have internet or data connection for this specific feature to work.

I also use this app to transfer images or copy a bunch of texts from computer to phone and vice versa.

Evernote

I love attending seminars and I use Evernote to document the things I learn during those events. It is similar to Google Keep as they both serve as a note taking app, but Evernote is a much more sophisticated digital notebook.

  

The feature I love the most is that you can type notes while recording a talk. It really is a digital notebook because you can compile various forms of digital data like voice notes, texts, and photos on a single page for easier reference later.

It even recognizes your calendar entries and automatically flags a new note you created with the event name as it's title so you don't have to retype it.

SolCalendar, Google Keep, and Evernote has a few redundant features like to-do lists and reminders, but I use them for specific purposes to maintain harmony in my life. SolCalendar is all about schedule, Google Keep is for ideas and quick note taking, while Evernote is for seminars/conferences/summits/etc.

Line Camera

There are a lot of photo editing apps available in the Play Store but I prefer Line Camera because all I need for a photo editor is all here in this single app. Fun sticker? Check. Photo collage? Check. Filters? Check. Cute frames? Check. Multiple sharing option? Check. Purikura-like features and advanced editing? Check.

    

I don’t really like installing lots of apps because my phone is not that powerful (512MB RAM OTL) so if I can find a bundled version, I would prefer it over others.

Everypost

If you are looking for an app to update all major social media channels in one push, this is it! Best of all, it’s FREE!

Timehop

Do you want to know what you did exactly a year ago or five years ago? This app gives Throwback Thursdays a new meaning.

This app has nothing to do with productivity, but I really enjoy the nostalgia it brings by allowing me to browse through my past Twitter or Facebook updates and Foursquare check-ins.

Social media can be really noisy, filled with life dramas, but there are times when we’ve put something really insightful - a really nice piece of content - and it will be a waste if they will just get buried in the noise completely forgotten. Timehop allows me to rediscover the wisdom of my younger self which is why this app made it on this list.

Diaro

This is another digital note taking app that I like, but what makes it different is that your entries are pin-code protected. I use this as my digital diary, especially for those “emo” moments.

Nothing beats the stimuli writing with a pen and paper gives but I can’t always write. There are days when I feel really down or emotional and it is much easier to hide in the office CR bringing a phone compared to bringing a bulky journal. LOL

I am doing my best to avoid posting negative emotions and life dramas on social media. Additionally, I want to improve in the art of expressing one’s self through written words so installing this app helped me hit two birds with one stone.

I also think my life dramas and thoughts are much safer here than on a physical notebook. :D

It is so secure you can't even screenshot the app.

Google+

I am not very active on Google+ so what I liked about this app is the automatic backup feature for photos. While there are other apps that can do the same such as Dropbox, I opt for this one because I don’t have to create a new account. All I need is my Gmail account. Also, I can store an unlimited number of photos.

If I had to clear some space on my phone or in the event I will lose my phone, I don’t have to worry about losing my photos.

These are the Android apps I found most helpful to me. This list is not comprehensive and does not cover all possible features and uses so I encourage you to keep exploring.

Do you also have your own list of “must install” apps? Don’t hesitate to share them with me in the comments section below.