New essential Android apps thread

Jony27 · 4 Oct 2017 at 16:05

Orcvader said:
Swipe or Metal are wrappers for the FB site, and enhances the experience giving it some features from the main app.

Thanks, will give this a go.
Which one would you recommend?

Orcvader · 4 Oct 2017 at 16:44

Jony27 said:
Thanks, will give this a go.
Which one would you recommend?

Currently using the pro version for Swipe, it blocks Facebook ads and offers a material UI and other themes to make the site look nicer. There's also a mark all as read option in the notification page, and you can choose if the messenger icon opens either the mobite site version, or link it to the messenger/messenger lite app. Metal pro can block facebook ads as well but didn't offer the other features, which is why I chose Swipe.

Malevolence · 4 Oct 2017 at 18:44

Offline Survival Guide. I've found it to be a very useful app.

Orcvader · 5 Oct 2017 at 17:03

So Microsoft has revamped the Arrows launcher into a new Microsoft launcher: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.microsoft.launcher&hl=en_GB

You can sign into your Microsoft account and whatever you do on the launcher, you can continue doing on the PC as long as it has the Falls Creators update. Might give it a go when the Falls Creators update officially comes out.

Psypher5 · 9 Oct 2017 at 12:31

been using arrow launcher since it first came out, absolutely love it

badgeruk · 9 Oct 2017 at 13:04

Same I have been using it since I switched from my 950 to a U11 a couple of months back. Far better then the "news" ridden stock launcher and its not full of adverts like all the other free ones. Hope they update their lock screen one at some point (not that android seems to let you replace your stock one completely for some stupid reason, god I miss windows phone).

Psypher5 · 9 Oct 2017 at 13:48

MS have two lockscreen apps from garage, picturesque and another.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.microsoft.next&hl=en_GB
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.microsoft.androidapps.picturesque&hl=en_GB

Bit spooky, but I installed them both earlier today to give them a whirl

badgeruk · 9 Oct 2017 at 13:49

Next is the one I am using as it has fingerprint support (don't think picturesque does). Again its nice apart from android randomly showing the stock launcher every now and then.

Psypher5 · 9 Oct 2017 at 13:54

hm, that is a tad annoying. To be fair my stock lock screen is pretty damn minimal as it is, so I don't think I need another.

(Infact, i hate having a lockscreen, stupid fingerprint security needing a pattern.)

badgeruk · 9 Oct 2017 at 13:56

I think you can disable the android lock screen if you don't use android pay, but if you do use it, it has both enabled (Got to have all the security all the time). At least I think that's the case. 3 months on and I am still trying to figure out half of what my phone is doing.

doodah · 11 Oct 2017 at 09:48

I stupidly fell for one of those scam calls from an international number, rang back thinking it was family related got charged £10 for phone call that barely lasted 20 seconds.

However I'm swamped with these calls every day now, from all over the world. I can block each number but it's a whack a mole situation here. Any apps that can do a better job but don't want it to be too strict with blocking unrecognised numbers as my phone is also my work one?

V_R · 11 Oct 2017 at 10:00

Guys a quick Android Pay question - Obviously you can pay up to £100 if you authenticate it, but can a retailer decide they don't want to allow payments over £30 and stop/block them if they wish?

I tried to buy something via AP that was £40ish this weekend in a shop I've not been in before and it wouldn't go though.

I use AP all the time and never had this issue in the past so I assume its a preference the retailer can choose?

Psypher5 · 11 Oct 2017 at 10:21

doodah said:
I stupidly fell for one of those scam calls from an international number, rang back thinking it was family related got charged £10 for phone call that barely lasted 20 seconds.

However I swamped with these calls every day now, from all over the world. I can block each number but it's a whack a mole situation here. Any apps that can do a better job but don't want it to be too strict with blocking unrecognised numbers as my phone is also my work one?

truecaller

doodah · 11 Oct 2017 at 10:31

^ thanks.

lightbulb · 11 Oct 2017 at 13:23

V_R said:
Guys a quick Android Pay question - Obviously you can pay up to £100 if you authenticate it, but can a retailer decide they don't want to allow payments over £30 and stop/block them if they wish?

I tried to buy something via AP that was £40ish this weekend in a shop I've not been in before and it wouldn't go though.

I use AP all the time and never had this issue in the past so I assume its a preference the retailer can choose?

I've had this a few times, after I first enabled Android Pay, the transaction failed to go through and was told of the limit and looked like a tool in front of my wife when I said the android pay limit should be higher. Assumption at that point was that they had it limited even though the terminal advertised Android Pay.

AndyCr15 · 11 Oct 2017 at 17:54

I thought all contactless was limited to £30, but then the Barclays app allows up to £100 I think... so... I guess maybe not?

V_R · 12 Oct 2017 at 09:24

No.

Over £30 and you need to unlock the device.

unwashed potato! · 12 Oct 2017 at 09:37

V_R said:
I use AP all the time and never had this issue in the past so I assume its a preference the retailer can choose?

yes that's correct it's reatiler preference. some will automatically disable the contactless feature if it's over £30, some still have contactless stopped at £20 (though i've only seen this at one retailer).

if it's over £30, on barclays at least you have to tap the phone to the reader, it then buzzes you to type in your card pin (not phone pin) into the phone (you can move the phone away from the reader at this point) and then tap the reader again within the next 30 seconds. this allows over £30 up to £100, but as said, some retailers just simply decide to not allow anything more then £30 so it doesn't always work, though rare.

another issue you sometimes have is although the retailer may allow up to £100 contactless with mobile, when you first tap the phone against the reader and it then asks you to type in your pin of the card, the reader sees this as a fail so then prevents contactless or needs to go back to the person on the till to select the card payment/contactless payment option again for the reader to reanlbe contactless, so you might not then be able to pay because of that reason and not the phone.

to solve that issues, i'm not sure how AP works but barclays you can login and get the contactless limit up to £100 ready before you get to the reader.

to to sum it up, it's preference of the retailer. most do allow the £100 payment, but almost no staff know this and will tell you to pay by card. it's quite fun to see their faces when you can make it work.

V_R · 12 Oct 2017 at 10:43

Fairly sure the answer is no said:
to to sum it up, it's preference of the retailer. most do allow the £100 payment, but almost no staff know this and will tell you to pay by card. it's quite fun to see their faces when you can make it work.

Indeed, I've lost count of the amount of times I've had to explain that you can use AP over £30 (then you get that one time where they've put a hard limit on it just to make you look like a fool!). I think its because Apple Pay is limited to £30 regardless, and they just assume its the same for Android Pay.

AndyCr15 · 12 Oct 2017 at 11:41

I think it's because contactless credit cards that we've been using for years are limited to £30... (well, even less initially)

I doubt many cashiers know a great deal about Apple Pay or Android pay at this point tbh.