So you got a new phone for the holidays? Congrats! I certainly wish I got one too. Now you are probably wondering what free apps you should add to your phone first? There are certainly a lot of apps out there that do similar things, and not all of them are free. We’ve picked out four of our favorite free apps that we use on our phones that we think you should put on new phone right away.
Lookout Security & Antivirus
This mobile security system is one of the best on the market right now. There are plenty of programs that scan for viruses and malicious programs, such as Avast (which is a great app as well), but Lookout takes it a few steps further. If you misplace or lose your phone, you have the option to go to the Lookout website, and set your phone to “scream”. You will hear a siren noise, even if your phone is turned off. If you think your phone is out of earshot, you can accurately pinpoint its location using its GPS signal. If your phone crashes, and you lose the data on your phone, Lookout can help your restore it.
3G Watchdog
If you’re not quite sure what the difference between a megabyte and kilobyte is, and how much data you will blow through in the first month of your cell phone’s plan, then you should get 3G Watchdog to help you keep track of it all. All you need to know is how much data usage you’re allotted on a monthly basis, and when the start date is for your plan. 3G Watchdog then can break down how much data you’ve used, what you used it for, and if you’re on pace to go over or not. You can also set up alerts in case you start to come close to going over your limit.
Google Voice
The majority of voicemail apps can only be accessed through your phone, but Google Voice is quite the exception. Google Voice is a much better option than the default voicemail app on Android phones, and I’m a bit surprised that Google has not made it into the default voicemail system for all Android phones. Using Google Voice, you get email notifications whenever you get a voicemail, and you can listen to them right on your computer. You can also configure your voicemail settings easily on a computer, and set up different greeting messages and assign them to your different contacts.
Tiny Flashlight + LED
You wouldn’t think this app would be important enough to make the list, but it’s one of my most used apps on my phone. This particular app is different from other flashlight apps in that it gives you so many more options in the way you can display light. You can shine light using your LED, or camera light, which is the default, or you can use the standard screen light, and adjust its brightness. There are also lots of other fun and funky lighting options available with the app, such as warning lights, strobe lights and police lights.
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- License: Creative Commons image source
This article was contributed by Data Recovery Group, specializing in data recovery for individuals and businesses.